What are the Best Dog Foods for Cane Corsos?
Cane Corsos are big, seemingly intimidating dogs with fairly standard health concerns associated with larger breeds. Because of their size and strength apartment life might be challenging but they can thrive with experienced pet parents providing frequent walks and proper nutrition.
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Breed Info
Breed Group:Working | AKC Cane Corso Profile
Ideal Weight:Female Adult: 82 to 105 pounds
Male Adult: 90 to 115 pounds
Exercise Need:45 to 75 minutes per day
Breed Summary
As a Cane Corso owner, you’ve got yourself a bodyguard! No, seriously, the term ‘Cane Corso’ translates to ‘Bodyguard Dog’ (Latin: canis – dog; cohors – bodyguard) and it is easy to see why they’ve earned the title. The muscular, deep-chested Cane Corso has a large and imposing head with dark almond shaped eyes. A descendent of the now extinct Molossus, a breed of dog from Ancient Greece, these working dogs are most closely associated with the Mastiff. Today’s Corsos can be traced back to southern Italy where they became nearly extinct in the mid-twentieth century. A concerted revival of the species took place in the 1970’s and an appreciation for the breed has grown since.
Don’t underestimate your Corso’s strength, especially when they’re bored. They tend to get destructive when going stir crazy so keep your pup busy! Get them involved in working sports or outdoor activities. Ultimately, the more you wear them out the better behavior you’ll see.
Your Corso is loyal and affectionate when it comes to you and your family but isn’t really looking for new friends anytime soon. Cane Corsos are fierce protectors which is great for you but can be scary for others and its important to keep that in mind when out and about. Despite their intimidating appearance, they are great with children and with some firm dedication will respond well to training.
Physical Traits
Sturdy, strong, muscular, athletic
Personality Traits
Majestic, affectionate, intelligent, loyal
Health Considerations
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Those big Cane Corsos bodies are bound to experience wear and tear as they age, and there are some potential genetic issues to look out for as well. Vets agree: proper nutrition is the most important thing we can do as pet parents to keep pets healthy and happy, so here are some considerations that our phd nutrition team factors in when recommending the best dog food for Cane Corsos.
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Bone and Joint
Bone and joint issues are common in Cane Corsos and can be genetic or develop over time with wear and tear. Common problems include hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia and arthritis. In any case it’s important to keep your corso’s body weight in a healthy range to help avoid or minimize pain. We look for diets that contain these joint supportive ingredients:
Recommendations:
Antioxidants・ Chondroitin・ Glucosamine・ Green Mussel・ Methylsulfonymethane・ Omega-3 from Fish Oil・ Taurine・ Turmeric・ Vitamin E -
Eye
Cane Corsos do seem fairly prone to eye issues, like entropion, ectropion, and cherry eye. These issues can't always be prevented, but regular veterinary checkups can help identify potential issues, and we do like to see their diets contain these eye-supportive ingredients:
Recommendations:
Anthocyanins・ Astaxanthin・ Beta-carotene・ Carotenoids・ Glutathione・ Lutein・ Lycopene・ Omega-3 essential fatty acids・ Phytonutrients・ Vitamin A・ Vitamin C -
Gastric torsion and Volvulus (GDV) or Bloat
Bloat is a serious, sudden and life threatening stomach issue that has been known to affect Cane Corsos more frequently than most other breeds. It's important to recognize signs of bloat, but there are some things we recommend to hopefully avoid this dangerous condition.
Recommendations:
Avoid elevated feeding・ Avoid feeding just one meal per day・ Encourage slow eating・ Feed large bites or kibble・ Feed probiotics and prebiotic fibers・ Restrict activity after eating
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Are Fresh Food Diets Good for Cane Corsos?
Only if they’re properly balanced.
Many well-intentioned Cane Corsos parents spend a lot of time preparing meals at home, but health benefits are lost if meals aren’t properly portioned and balanced with all the nutrients dogs need. Recently, a few companies have done an excellent job ensuring accurate portions and nutrient balance by delivering pre-prepped fresh meals customized to the size and needs of your dog. Farmer’s Dog, Ollie and Nom Nom have each been approved by our nutrition team as delivering truly quality and well-balanced meals. They can be a little expensive (usually 3-4x more per day than kibble), but many find the added health benefits worth the cost. They do offer discounts to new customers, though, if you’d like to try one out.
Pros and Cons of Fresh Food Diets
✓ Diets balanced by Nutritionists・ ✓ Customized portions for weight control・ ✓ Superior digestive and immune health ・✕ More expensive than standard dog food
Foods We Recommend for Cane Corsos Puppies
How long do Cane Corsoss need puppy food?
Until they're 12 to 16 months old.
Cane Corsos are very focused on growing, and how we feed them should help them do just that. Since they have so much growing to do, they need higher amounts of nutrients than adult dogs, especially proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and — don’t forget — water. It’s still important to not overfeed puppies, so make sure to portion food and keep treats to no more than 10% of their caloric intake. Since balance is so important, we recommend that your young Cane Corsos is eating food that is made just for puppies from a reputable brand.
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Foods We Recommend for Cane Corsos Adults
When should Cane Corsos start transitioning to adult food?
When they're 12 to 16 months old
From a nutrition standpoint, Cane Corsos become adults once they reach about 90% of their expected weight. Once adults, our two key nutrition goals are balance and maintenance. We want balance because a dog’s body is responsible for a lot of things, like digestion, fighting infection, keeping muscles strong, and chasing squirrels. These are all important tasks, so we want to make sure each body function gets its share of nutrients. We also need to maintain a healthy weight. Underfed dogs are at risk for malnourishment, and overfed dogs can become obese — both of which lead to even worse problems for a Cane Corso
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Foods We Recommend for Cane Corsos Seniors
When should Cane Corsos start transitioning to senior food?
All dogs can age differently, but large dogs like Cane Corsos can start to benefit from senior food around 6 to 8 years old
Ever watch kids running around the playground and wish you had that energy again? Yeah. Dogs get there, too. The metabolic processes in senior Cane Corsos slow down as they age, which often means they aren’t needing quite as many calories as they did in their prime. Smart dog food companies have formulated senior diets to ease up on calories but still help them feel full and give them adequate maintenance protein. Still, like humans, everybody is different. Sometimes older dogs need just as many calories, or more, depending on how their bodies progress. So keep a close eye on their body condition, and look for dog foods made for seniors.
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Affiliate Disclosure:
We do not accept money to recommend pet foods. However, we do receive referral fees from online retailers (such as Chewy or Amazon) on qualifying purchases. Our recommendations are neutral, and diet recommendations are made without considering whether we will receive a referral fee.