What food do Tibetan Mastiffs eat, and how should puppies be fed properly?

In Tibet, the Tibetan Mastiff is called the “Heavenly Dog.” The harsh climate and hard living conditions have shaped the Tibetan Mastiff's fierce physical features, its courage that overawes all beasts, and its utterly loyal character. So what food do Tibetan Mastiffs eat? And how should puppies be fed properly?

1. What food do Tibetan Mastiffs eat

1. Energy feed

Plant grains, starches, tubers, melons and fruits, and the like are energy feeds. Their common feature is high digestible energy and a relatively large amount of heat produced. For Tibetan Mastiffs, corn is commonly used; it is rich in nitrogen-free extractives, but its protein is lowest, its essential amino acid content is insufficient, its calcium is below 0.1%, and its phosphorus content is as high as 0.31-0.45%, mostly present in the form of phytate phosphorus, which is unfavorable for digestion and absorption by Tibetan Mastiffs. Therefore, when preparing the daily ration, one should avoid its shortcomings and supplement its nutrient deficiencies.

2. Green feed

Green feed contains 75-90% moisture, is rich in protein, has relatively low crude fiber content, an appropriate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, and is rich in vitamins, especially carotene. At the same time, green succulent feed is a relatively nutritionally balanced feed; however, its digestible energy per unit of dry matter is relatively low, so for Tibetan Mastiffs it is used only as a vitamin supplement feed.

3. Protein feed

Protein feed can be divided into animal protein feed, plant protein feed, and other types.

① Animal protein feed: Those commonly used for Tibetan Mastiffs include fish meal, meat-and-bone meal, shrimp meal, milk powder, blood meal, and so on. By-products produced by slaughterhouses, such as lungs, liver, and other internal organs, are also often used as protein supplement feed for Tibetan Mastiffs. Animal protein feed has high protein content, high lysine content, and high ash content, especially high calcium and phosphorus content. Fish meal contains 5.44% calcium and 3.44% phosphorus, and the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is suitable, so it can serve both as a protein supplement and as a partial supplement for calcium and phosphorus deficiencies.

② Plant protein feed: Tibetan Mastiffs often use soybean cake (meal) and soybean powder as the main protein supplement feed. The protein content of cake and meal feeds is generally above 40%, their digestible energy is also relatively high, and their nitrogen-free extractives are lower than those of grains. However, these feeds often contain anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitor and urease, which can be removed after heat treatment.

2. How to raise Tibetan Mastiff puppies

1. Cold protection and heat relief

Tibetan Mastiff puppies have a very poor ability to regulate body temperature, and environmental temperature greatly affects the life activities of the puppies, so special attention should be paid to regulating the indoor environmental temperature. In winter, lay plastic film on the iron frame net to prevent cold wind from invading, and seal the front and rear windows tightly with plastic film. In summer, the plastic film should be removed, and grapes, gourds, and other climbing plants should be grown on the iron frame net to provide shade for the Tibetan Mastiff puppies.

2. Strengthen lactation

Newborn Tibetan Mastiff puppies mainly drink breast milk, but the milk yield of the nursing mother Tibetan Mastiff gradually declines after 20 days, while the puppies' milk requirement increases day by day. Therefore, supplementary feeding must be carried out in time, supplying the mother Tibetan Mastiff with fresh, high-quality, easily digested and absorbed animal and plant feed to ensure that the mother Tibetan Mastiff has sufficient milk.

3. Improve nutrition

Tibetan Mastiff puppies develop relatively quickly and have a strong appetite one month after birth, and breast milk can no longer meet their needs. Supplementary feed should be given, feeding some liquid food with high nutritional value, easy digestion and absorption, and good palatability. For example, add milk powder, meat broth, cooked egg yolk, thin porridge, and the like to fresh milk, plus some cod liver oil, multivitamins, bone meal, and so on. Otherwise, the puppies will be thin and weak due to malnutrition, affecting their growth and development.

4. Feed an appropriate amount

Tibetan Mastiff puppies have a small gastrointestinal capacity, so it is advisable to feed small amounts more frequently, feeding 5-6 times per day. As the age in days increases, the diet concentration and daily feeding amount should gradually increase to adapt to the increase in the puppies' daily weight gain. If, after the puppy has eaten its fill, there is still leftover food in the food bowl, it indicates that too much food was given. Conversely, if after eating the dog continues to lick the food bowl or looks at the owner, it indicates that too little food was given and it is not enough to eat.

5. Clean drinking water

When supplying drinking water to Tibetan Mastiff puppies, attention should be paid to water quality, water temperature, water quantity, and timing. Tibetan Mastiff puppies must be supplied with a clean water source in time, and it must not contain harmful substances, pathogenic microorganisms, and so on. The water trough should be cleaned once every day. Drinking water quantity varies with the season; in summer the drinking water quantity is greatest and cannot be interrupted.

6. Disinfection and vaccination

For the Tibetan Mastiff puppy rearing room, caustic soda (prepared as a 2-3% hot water solution), 3% Lysol, and 5% formalin can be used alternately to disinfect the birthing room, birthing box, and the activity area of the Tibetan Mastiff puppies. Feeding and drinking utensils should be regularly disinfected with 2% potassium permanganate. After birth, Tibetan Mastiff puppies can be given 1 tablet of levamisole per 2.5 kg of body weight, with deworming twice at 30 days, and the effect is very good. At 2 months of age, vaccination should be done regularly.