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Barf Diet For German Shepherd

Raw Paws Preparation And Food Safety

BARF Diet for working line German Shepherd

Raw Paws have left no stone unturned and give great advice on how to prepare and handle their raw food.

They recommend transferring the food into the freezer immediately. And you should only thaw a portion for 3 days worth of feeding.

If you read between the lines here, you can tell their food contains no preservatives. If it did, it would last much longer when thawed.

This is a fantastic and healthy benefit for your dog. And a point of peace of mind for you.

When it comes to thawing, Raw Paws suggests doing this in the refrigerator not on the counter or in the sink. Of course, this ensures there’s no room for bacteria to breed.

Once the food is portioned for thawing, wrap the remaining food tightly and place it back in the freezer.

Tip: Use separate cutting boards and utensils to prepare the food.

This, by the way, is the same protocol for handling the raw foods that we cook for ourselves and our families.

For storing food in the refrigerator, keep raw food stored in a plastic bag or a bin and store it on the lowest shelf to prevent cross-contamination.

After handling raw food, wash your hands and clean all preparation surfaces with a disinfectant such as bleach.

German Shepherd Homemade Food Risks

A poor diet is a significant threat to the health of your German Shepherd. Here are some things to avoid to provide a healthy diet to your pup.

  • Not understanding the nutritional needs of German Shepherds
  • Using inadequate or dangerous recipes
  • Not preparing a balanced meal
  • Using unsafe or harmful ingredients
  • Not understanding the impact of food and dietary changes
  • Neglecting your dogs health conditions
  • Not understanding your dogs life stages nutritional needs

Research by the University of California Davis, School of Veterinary and two studies published in the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine and The Journal of Nutritional Science found that most homemade dog food recipes lackkey essential nutrients, and other recipes used dangerously high levels of some nutrients.

Here are the findings:

  • 48% of homemade dog diets had an imprecise determination of ingredients and quantities
  • 71.3 % of dog owners did know how much food to serve per meal
  • 30.4% of the pet parents admitted to purposely changing the recipe
  • 40% of owners didnt measure the proportions of the ingredients well enough
  • 28.3% didnt use any of the recommended vitamins, minerals, or amino acids.
  • 97% of obesity cases in dogs could be traced to how owners fed and played with their pets.

German Shepherd Raw Diet Plan

German shepherds are naturally carnivores. They should be eating a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

A raw diet is closer to what the dog would normally eat in the wild, which involves catching and eating prey such as small mammals or hunting for their food. A raw food plan typically consists of 60-80% meat and 20-40% vegetables and fruits.

German shepherd raw food is seen as a good way to feed your dog because it can benefit their health and provide them with much-needed nutrients that are not found in commercial foods. It also helps keep teeth clean by providing natural enzymes that help work away food particles.

Possible benefits of German shepherd raw food include the following:

  • Prevention of allergies and intolerances, such as colitis and skin problems
  • Improved muscle tone and stamina
  • Weight loss in overweight dogs and weight gain in underweight dogs
  • Control over medical conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease

This type of diet has some possible disadvantages as well, including the following:

  • A higher cost to feed your dog, compared to commercial diets
  • Dangers of feeding raw meat, such as salmonella food poisoning or E Coli infections
  • Skeletal problems, such as bone fractures
  • Greater chance of food allergies
  • A more complicated diet plan that takes up more time and effort. This type of dog food is also usually fresh and not stored for long periods, whereas most commercial diets can be stored for months.

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How Can A Raw Diet Help German Shepherds With All Of This

There several reasons feeding raw food to GSD is beneficial.

  • Raw food for German Shepherd ensures that your pup always eats fresh, wholesome, and allergen-free foods as no chemicals, additives, or fillers are used in raw diets, hence preventing allergies.
  • You control the ingredients that go into your dogs body, so you pick ingredients that wont cause an allergic reaction in your pet. If you dont know the foods that trigger allergies in your GSD, we suggest doing an At-Home Food Dog Allergy Test before picking the ingredients for your pups next meal.
  • Raw dog food is easier to digest than kibble more easily digestible food means more efficient absorption of nutrients and faster inflammatory response. This may help prevent or relieve symptoms of allergies, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and/or a potential case of Perianal Fistula.
  • Raw diets remove a lot of unnecessary carbohydrates. Its a great way of helping a dog to lose weight or maintain weight. A raw diet allows you to control the fat level in each meal, promoting a healthy weight even further. Preventing obesity is key in avoiding or bring relief to skeletal or joint maladies in GSDs.

German Shepherd Raw Diet Vs Kibble

German Shepherd Puppy Diet Guide  We love german Shepherd

Both diets have their pros and cons. It all comes down to finding whats right for you and your dog.

With more than five hundred pages and twelve hundred references, Feeding Dogs: The Science Behind The Dry Versus Raw Debate is a must-read for all those interested in understanding one of the most heated controversies is pet nutrition: Should you feed your dog a raw food diet or kibble? Its worth reading if you are still uncertain about raw diets.

Here is a quick look at raw diet vs kibble and how they stack up against each other.

KIBBLE
Made with fillers, preservatives, additives, colorants, and other harmful chemicals. No additives or any type of chemical is added. Healthies option.
Cheaper than raw diet Homemade raw food is equally expensive or cheaper. Commercially available raw food is a bit more expensive than kibble.
Low standards for what can and cannot be included in commercial pet food, Typically, raw-based diets use high-quality meats and fresh ingredients. Quality standards for safety, hygiene, and manufacturing tend to be more rigorous due to the raw nature of the food.
Longer shelf-life and doesnt spoil easily. Raw food doesnt last long after being served. Leftovers for the day need to be discarded.
Easy to store and carry when traveling Requires freezer space and only the raw-freeze dried option is good for traveling.

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Benefits Of Raw Meat To Dogs

While raw food is usually 98 percent digestive, processed foods are just 80 percent digestible. It means that fresh food is more effective in terms of delivering nutrients.

Also, many people believe that a fresh meal consisting primarily of raw meat is more representative of what German Shepherds would consume in the wild.

Furthermore, dogs that eat raw meat are healthy since their bodies are well adapted for such a diet and less prone to stomach disorders, which are widespread in GSDs.

The Whole Carcass Model

With this in mind, the whole carcass raw diet includes muscle, organs, and meaty bones. Chomping up meaty bones is excellent exercise for your dog, and it also keeps the teeth white. The crackling and crunching noises as your dog chomps on the bones can be disconcerting at first, but youll soon get used to it. Heres a short demo of assembling a raw-food meal. Note at the end of the clip the sleek, agile appearance of the dog.

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German Shepherds Nutritional Guidelines To Follow

The Association of American Feed Control Officials , the entity regulating dog food nutritional value in commercial dog food, states there are six indispensable nutrients that all dog meals require to support life and function in dogs and provide a balanced and healthy diet.

A proper homemade diet should consider your pups weight, health conditions, size, and activity level. Your German Shepherd will grow strong and healthy if these six components are present and you consider these factors.

Below is a breakdown of each nutrient and its importance.

Can German Shepherds Eat Raw Meat

German shepherd Raw feeding (BARF DIET)

Yes, dogs, including German Shepherd, can eat raw meat and other raw ingredients. German Shepherds are true carnivores, just like any dog, and can, thrive on a raw meat diet. From DNA studies, we know dogs descended directly from the timber wolf approximately 15,000 years ago1. Wolves are clear carnivores, so genetically, dogs demonstrate similar and noticeable carnivorous traits. Their teeth, digestive system, and behavior account for their meat-eating capabilities.

Unlike humans or animals like cows, dogs dont have flat teeth or chew their cud from side to side. Like all carnivores, dogs have narrow pointy back teeth, and their jaws can only move in an up-and-down, chop-chop motion. Carnivores do not produce amylase in their salivary glands. Dogs dont produce amylase in their saliva but their pancreas and small intestine2.

Finally, meat-eating animals like dogs have a higher concentration of stomach acid. This allows faster digestion of animal protein, and the stronger acids kill the bacteria in decaying meat.

However, Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, a Purina veterinarian, says feeding a diet consisting primarily of raw meat may not provide the complete and balanced nutrition your dog needs3. If you plan to feed raw meat to your GSD, you need to do it as part of a balanced raw meal plan. Any raw meat needs to be fresh and thoroughly washed before feeding it.

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Why Is A Raw Meat Diet Best For German Shepherds

Raw meat is not only a great protein source for German Shepherds it’s an optimal diet.

Raw meat to dogs is like a keto diet to humans, allowing them to reach their total capacity and excellent health. In nature, dogs are a carnivorous species holistic raw dog food aligns most with their natural needs.

Dogs’ digestive systems are very different from our own. Their stomach is much more acidic, with an average pH of 1. Common bacteria in meat, such as Salmonella and E. Coli , cannot survive in a dog’s short acidic digestive tract.

Many owners are intimidated by raw food, worried that the pathogens and bacteria could harm their dogs.

However, when feeding your German Shepherd dry dog food like kibble, you deprive them of vital nutrients and hydration.Most kibble brands lack essential components to your dog’s health, such as protein, Vitamin D, biotin, water, and trace minerals. Feeding your dog aBARF diet is the best diet because it will provide them with all the needed nutrients. With a balanced BARF diet provided by a reliable source, your German Shepherd will be healthier than ever.

How Much To Feed A German Shepherd

This is where I got unstuck…

When it came to feeding my dogs, all I knew was to take the recommended amount of kibble from the bag and pour it into their bowls.

But the recommendations for raw feeding are actually very simple!

The key is to always focus on the ideal adult weight. Then, from there, adjust based on activity level and age.

And the starting point is usually 3% of IDEAL body weight.

So, for example…

Oliver weighs 23 kg. So 3% is 690g of food per day.

Chams weigh 36 kg. So 3% is about 1 kg of food per day.

When you start feeding a puppy a raw diet, you should focus on his ideal ADULT body weight.

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Typically A Barf Raw Diets For Dogs Follow This Formula:

Nutrient
Broccoli, celery, squash, pumpkin, spinach, leafy greens, and carrots. Fruit such as apples, cranberries, and blueberries. Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, and oregano. Fruit provide antioxidants while vegetables have carotenoids, flavonoids, antioxidants, and many other phytochemicals that are beneficial to immune function and health dogs.

These nutritional percentages can vary depending on your dogs unique needs. If your dog is sensitive to organs, a 2% liver will provide essential vitamin A, minerals, and other minerals.

You can add some dairy, such as cottage cheese, plain yogurt and/or raw eggs for more protein sources.

Note: It is critical that you use high-quality grade meat.

Dr. Dobias advises rotating the type of meat fed every four days to mix things up. Feeding your dog more than one meat and varying the fruits and veggies on the same day is okay. Dogs would not be eating one type of protein if they were in nature, he explains. They would be eating a variety.

We suggest consulting a veterinary nutritionist to help create a diet plan for your GSD or before making any changes to your dogs diet. Formulating a balanced raw dog diet without professional help can be tedious.

If you need more advice on German Shepherd raw diet nutrition or want to learn more about the benefits and impact of raw food on dogs, read Give Your Dog a Bone by Ian Billinghurst. This book is considered the Bible of raw dog food nutrition.

Raw Dog Food Diet: Concerns Overblown

Changes after being switched to raw

Supporters of raw dog food diets are quick to point out that commercially processed pet foods can contain harmful bacteria, as can raw meat offered for human consumption.

The whole concern about bad bacteria is overblown, Knueven says. When people are feeding a raw diet they know its not sterile, and theyre more careful about washing their hands. Feeding a raw meat diet is no different than cooking chicken for the family … you have to clean up the counter and your knife.

Continued

The FDA guidance document also suggested that manufacturers address typical nutrition problems in a raw-meat diet, including making sure it contained enough calcium and phosphorous, important for bone health. Raw-meat diets high in liver also may supply too much vitamin A, which can lead to vitamin A toxicity if fed for an extended period.

Even veterinarians like Knueven who support raw dog food diets say that theyre not appropriate for all dogs. Because the diets are typically high in protein, they arent appropriate for dogs with late-stage kidney or severe liver failure.

He recommends that dogs with pancreatitis or other digestive issues start with a cooked, homemade diet and clear up problems before switching to raw. Dogs with cancer, on chemotherapy, or dogs with other immunosuppressive diseases also should not eat raw food. And puppies arent good candidates, either.

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What To Include In A Canine Raw Food Diet

In the wild, dogs are primarily carnivorous animals. Most of the vegetables that they would consume would be from the stomachs of herbivores that they eat.

Dogs and wolves are known to eat the skin, organs, and even the bones of animals that they catch in the wild. These provide a significant source of important nutrients, such as fat and protein, as well as calcium.

One thing to point out is that dogs are not evolutionarily designed to digest raw vegetables. This is why they prefer to only eat pre-digested vegetables that are already sitting in the stomach of animals that they have caught themselves. If you try to include too many raw vegetables in your dogs meals, they may simply turn them down.

In addition to feeding them animals that they could catch in the wild, such as cows, its a good idea to include other sources of nutrition.

  • Other forms of protein, such as fish, can help to complement other animal proteins.
  • Even though your dog might not enjoy eating raw vegetables, you can certainly process and puree some veggies for your dog to encourage them to eat them. Fruits and veggies provide necessary sustenance.
  • Avoid onions, grapes, apple seeds, and any form of chocolate or caffeine.

The goal here is to provide a variety for your dog. Its generally a good idea to provide them with about 75% animal products and 25% fruits and vegetables.

Components Of A Raw Diet For Dogs

Raw food is what is eaten in the wild when an animal is killed for prey. Wolves and other dogs in the wild will eat flesh, bones, organs, stomach and intestines, along with the predigested vegetable matter found inside. Included are high-quality protein and fat and plenty of good calcium. The pre-digested vegetable found in the stomach and intestines is in a form easily assimilated by the dog.

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What Nutrients Do German Shepherd Puppies Need

Puppies should eat about 500 calories daily, increasing to about 1,600 calories around 15 or 16 months old. Adults will need between 1,700 calories and 2,400 calories every day. Senior dogs require less, between 1,300 and 1,600 a day. Owners need to read labels and consider all the different needs their pup has when choosing what to feed them.

Where To Find The Best Raw Food For German Shepherds

GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS AND A RAW FOOD DIET

Okay, so you’re convinced that raw feeding is the way to go for you and your German Shepherd.

Now what?

You’ll be happy to know that you can get high-quality, healthy meals delivered to your door.

If you’d like to explore other non-raw food options that are still packed with nutrition, check out the Spot and Tango Reviews I wrote.

Although, there are very few companies out there that can be trusted with the nutrition of your dog.

Raw Paws is one of those companies

I’ve checked them out from tip to toe and reviewed them for your convenience.

As a raw feeder myself I think there are a few must-haves when it comes to creating a nutritional meal plan for your dog

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