Skip The Fancy Brands: A German Shepherd Diet You Can Afford
Feeding a well-balanced diet is an important part of your German Shepherds overall healthcare. However, that doesnt mean you have to break the bank by feeding food marketed as premium or super-premium. According to nutritionists at Tufts Universitys Cummings Veterinary Medical Center, less expensive food that meets your dogs nutritional needs is often a better option, provided its produced by companies with years of experience and knowledge in the pet food industry. These companies usually test their products more thoroughly, making them just as good as premium brands.
How To Treat German Shepherd Dogs With A Sensitive Stomach
The first course of action to take when you realize your canine friend has a sensitive stomach is to identify the cause. To do this, observe everything that the dog is taking in. While at it, ensure your dog is not feeding from bins or litter trays.
Start by eliminating the usual culprits we already mentioned- meat, fish, chicken, and other sources of proteins. Proteins are the main cause of stomach upsets in German Shepherds. Also, check for high-fat foods and low-quality ingredients these are also common culprits. Once the main cause is identified, finding remedies and treatment options is easier.
If the symptoms are not severe, you can help soothe your dog by:
German Shepherd Dog Daily Feeding Guide
Muscular large-breed dogs like German Shepherds have some particular feeding guidelines to follow.
Although the number of cups per day will vary slightly depending on what brand of dog food you pick, these dog food feeding guidelines for German Shepherds are reasonable estimates for how much food you should be feeding your GSD.
For a more accurate estimate, simply look at the back of your dogs kibble bag.
Note that these are daily suggestions, not per meal. You should split the number of cups per day into as many meals as you need.
| Body Weight |
|---|
| Increase amino acids which can be found in protein | |
| Concurrent GI Signs | Avoid foods with tryptamine and histamine such as dairy or fermented vegetables and meats try a simple ingredient food trial |
| Chronic Itching and Dermatitis | Fortify the diet with Vitamin E, B Vitamins, Zinc, omega-6 and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil add a dog probiotic try a simple ingredient food trial |
| Dull Coat and Scaling | Adjust EPA and DHA levels in the diet try a food that has added zinc |
| Dandruff and Crustiness | Add Zinc and Vitamin A levels |
Pro Tip: If your German Shepherds develop coat or skin problems such as dry skin, a dull shedding coat, hot spots, or itching and irritation, you can add a couple of squirts of fish oil to their food. Doing this will provide relief and nourishment to keep skin and coats healthy.
Also, never supplement extra calcium into a large breed puppys diet. Too much calcium encourages hip dysplasia earlier in life.
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Home Cooked Meals For Dogs With Sensitive Stomachs
Some dogs benefit from bland meals prepared at home. A simple dinner of cooked chicken and rice, without any seasoning, might help settle an upset stomach and diarrhea. These days, an increasing number of dog owners are turning to homemade diets for all of their dogs meals. This can be an excellent option for dogs with sensitive stomachs, as long as owners make sure they meet all of their pets nutritional needs. An easy way to do this is to check with your veterinarian to make sure the foods you are feeding your dog contain appropriate amounts of necessary nutrients. Another option is to use a website like balance IT®, created by Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist Sean J. Delaney, DVM, MS, DACVN, to help vets and owners balance the nutrition in their pets homemade meals.
The Modern German Shepherd
When you think of a German Shepherd, a canine with a wolf-like appearance comes to mind. Most people find German shepherds to be an intimidating breed, fierce in looks and personality. In truth, there are many different types of German Shepherds and make for very faithful companions that love to lead. They are a very zealous and energetic breed. Your German shepherd pup will play, bounce, run and fetch all day long if you will allow it.
Its a breed of dogs that starts with being a little over one pound. But, by the first year, they can gain weight up to 60 pounds. They are not a breed prone to obesity, either. They are a very active breed of dogs. Besides, GSDs have such a superior aptitude for training and are so intelligent that you will find them performing many different jobs.
German Shepherds make superb search and rescue dogs. Youll find them providing disability help as well as working with the police and in military roles.
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Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs
Other commercial dog foods are formulated to help dogs with GI problems and do not require a prescription from your vet. These include Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, which includes prebiotic fibers to assist in digestion and Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oatmeal Formula Dry Dog Food, which contains live probiotics to regulate your pups gut.
These foods may not help all dogs, but they can be helpful in some cases. If you dont notice any improvement within a day or two of feeding this food, consult your vet.
To Prepare:
Continue feeding your dog a bland diet until their stools have been normal for two to three days. In the meantime, you can slowly increase the amount of food you give them, if your dog will tolerate it. Remember: If your dogs diarrhea has lasted longer than two days, call your vet.
When its time to transition back to your dogs normal diet, make the switch slowly to avoid upsetting your pups stomach yet again. Start by mixing a small amount of your dogs usual food with the bland food. Over the course of three to five days, slowly increase the ratio of regular food to bland food, until your dogs diet is 100 percent back to normal. Find out more about switching your dogs food.
What Causes Diarrhea In Dogs
Below we have listed some of the most common causes of diarrhea in dogs:
- Eating garbage or spoiled food
- Stress or anxiety
- Change in diet or treats
- Ingestion of foreign objects such as toys, bones, and fabric
- Ingesting toxins or poisons
- Parasites roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, Coccidia, or Giardia
- Viral infections such as parvovirus, distemper, or coronavirus
- Bacterial infections such as salmonella
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Liver or kidney disease
- Intestinal cancer
But how do you know if you should be bringing your dog to the vet for diarrhea?
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Natural Balance Lid Limited Ingredients Dry Dog Food
Do you love to keep pets in your home like dogs, especially German Shepherd? Then you must be so concerned about the health of your dog. So, I have the best formula for your dog named Natural Balance L.I.D Dry dog food.
Here I have provided detailed information on this dog food for adult German shepherd!
Plus, to effectively satisfy energy requirements and stimulate a healthy behavior, it is uniquely manufactured with crucial proteins and fats. This has been manufactured to enhance the efficacy of the innate immunity daily existence specifications and a nutritious inhibitory consistency.
For the quality of life and well-being of your older dog, Blue dry dog food is formed and contains the highest quality healthy materials, improved with essential nutrients.
Thus, among some of the additives for muscle mass strengthening is dopamine, resveratrol, folic acid, and tryptophan. Thus, EPA, Daidzein, and creatine complex carbohydrates are also stimulated by the oxygen concentration, secure body, and a comfortable cover.
Specifications
Move a step ahead to know more about thisfood for German shepherd puppy!
These products with proteins are widely used in pet foods, but in some dogs, they can cause adverse food reactions. Hence, by providing a balanced inflammatory combination to your dog, Royal Canin German Shepherd makes premium-quality soy proteins containing ground beef, fresh vegetables.
Specifications
Thinks we dnt like
- Consumption cause diarrhea in some dog
Final Verdict
Good For Sensitive Stomach
My German Shepherd, Baron, has a sensitive stomach which often results in diarrhea. However, this Hills Gastrointestinal diet food keeps his stomach healthy and stool solid. Baron is a very picky eater, so I often add boiled chicken or beef as a topper, and his stomach is still good as long as he eats the Hills dry food with the chicken or beef.
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Treatment For Your Dog When It Gets Diarrhea Before Calling The Vet
Every pet owner has had to deal with their furry friend getting sick at one time or another. One of the most common illnesses that pets can suffer from is diarrhea, and there are many things that can cause diarrhea in animals. With young animals we worry about dietary indiscretioneating things that they shouldnt be eating. With older animals, diarrhea may often be a symptom of a more serious underlying problem.
In many cases we may know exactly what caused the diarrhea, such as a sudden diet change. However, in other cases, we need to do some investigative work, such as laboratory testing and possibly imaging, such as x-rays or ultrasound, to find the cause. Whatever the situation, the following guidelines should help you get through your furry friends next bout of diarrhea.
Do know your pets bathroom patterns
One of the most common causes of diarrhea is colitis, or inflammation of the large intestine. A common symptom typically seen with colitis is increased frequency of defecation, along with mucous and fresh blood in or coating the stool. If your dog is asking to go outside to poop more frequently than usual, then he or she may be suffering from colitis. This is especially important with dogs on invisible fences, dogs that are let out in the yard without being walked by a person. Just because you dont see them having diarrhea doesnt mean that they are not having diarrhea.
Do hold off food when symptoms are first noticed
Do simplify your pets diet
Dont
Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Chicken
Top 5 Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp
The Gentle Giants Canine Nutrition Chicken is a veterinarian-approved dry dog food mix with a huge range of ingredients. It contains a great blend of farm-raised chicken, oatmeal and rice, as well as fruit and vegetables such as blueberries, carrots, apples and tomatoes.
This mix is suited to all stages of a German Shepherds life, from puppy to senior, and is a natural formula that contains both prebiotics and probiotics to assist with digestion and the absorption of food in your dogs stomach.
Vitamins A and B12 are included, as well as Taurine for optimal health. Although there arent any genetically modified inclusions in this food, some dogs who are very picky eaters have not enjoyed it. It is generally a quality choice for your German Shepherd though.
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Has Your German Shepherds Diet Recently Changed
When you change your German Shepherds diet, it can cause some intense dog diarrhea. This is because it is a heavy change on their system. Before we continue on with this point, its important that you understand what we mean when we say change of diet. A change of diet refers to any of the following
- Changing the type of food, such as going from dry food to wet food
- Changing the quality of dog food, such as buying a cheap brand
- Changing between brands of dog food
- Changing from semi-solid dog food to solid dog food
- Changing from puppy dog food to adult dog food
- Basically, changing up your German Shepherds food at all can be the culprit of diarrhea
The easiest way to prevent this would be to simply never change your dogs diet at all. Of course, this isnt always possible. Therefore, the next best thing would be to slowly ease your dog into their new food. If you just switch overnight, youre putting your dog at risk for diarrhea and other digestive issues.
To start off, mix a tiny amount of the new food in with the old food. With each meal, slowly increase the ratio of the new dog food until thats all your dog is eating. Most of the time, this should solve any diarrhea issues. If youre still seeing diarrhea, you should call your vet and work out a plan to give your German Shepherd the best diet possible.
Help My German Shepherd Has Diarrhea What Should I Do
Diarrhea is a common health problem among dogs that clearly indicates gastrointestinal distress. Thats why it is no surprise that German Shepherd diarrhea issues have been a common matter owners often worry about. So if your German Shepherd also suffers diarrhea and you are wondering why this happens, you are not alone.
Although diarrhea can be an alarming sign, identifying the common causes is not difficult. Fortunately, treatment options are available and your German Shepherd will likely recover as soon as you take an immediate action.
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Best Food For Senior German Shepherd
Most veterinarians consider a dog a senior once it reaches 7 years old. If your German Shepherd is in that stage of his life, it might be time to make the switch to a high-quality senior dog food diet.
If youre concerned about keeping your German Shepherd healthy during his older years, Royal Canin Size Aging Dog Food will support long-life vitality. This brand has an exclusive blend of antioxidants made for healthy aging.
With this dog food for old German Shepherd, you get precise nutrition specifically made for large dogs 8 years and older weighing 56100 lbs.
This formula comes with wholesome ingredients: pea fiber, dried tomato pomace, beet pulp, fish oil, and added Vitamins E, B12, B6, C, D, and more. This breed-specific blend of nutrients comes enhanced with Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health and mobility.
It contains easy-to-digest proteins for easy digestion and a balanced supply of fiber. Kibble comes in large-sized rehydratable pieces that are easy to chew and ideal for senior dogs jaws. You can mix in warm water for an easy-to-chew meal your dog will love to eat.
Instinct Original Recipe With Real Chicken
Top 5 Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat, Tapioca
Caloric Content: 4,406 kcal/kg
Finally, the Instinct by Nature Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food is a great choice for your German Shepherd in all life stages.
From its raw nutrition base to its balanced approach to a high protein food, this dry food is a positive addition to your dogs diet. Full of real chicken, vegetables, antioxidants, natural omegas and probiotics and without any grains, corn, potato, soy or wheat, there is great digestive support, as well as a healthy coast, skin and immune health.
The bag can be a little tricky to open though, so it can take a little getting used to, and some dogs may find they get gas after eating. Overall however, this food is a positive choice for German Shepherds.
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Faq Common Questions About Dog Food
Finally, we answer some important and often asked questions about dog food.
What should We look for in dog food for puppies?
Puppies need a different dog food than adult dogs. Once they are weaned from their mother, puppy food is on the menu. This is usually the situation after about 2 months. The components and elements of puppy dog food are specially created for growing puppies. This is because a baby dogs immune system, bones, muscles, coat and teeth first have to produce.
With puppy dog dog food, the focus is on nutrient intake. Previously mentioned all, the pup food must contain certain essential vitamins and minerals. So that the puppys digestive system is not overtaxed, the food for puppies also has a lower food volume than your canine food for adult quadrupeds. Found in the beginning, young dogs should be provided with small portions several times a day, which are then gradually increased.
When should I start using dog food for adult dogs?
This kind of depends on the breed of dog: Small to medium breeds are believed grownups from 9 to 12 months of age. For large breeds, it is recommended to give adult food to dogs from 12 to 15 months of age. For very large breeds, it is advised to give adult food a little later from 18 to 24 months.
When should my dog be given food for seniors?
What is the best way to store dry food?
Precisely what is barfing?
What do We have to consider when changing my dogs food?
What should I actually do if my dog will not like dry food?
Is It Ok To Put A Raw Egg In Dog Food
The answer is complicated. While some experts believe that raw eggs are perfectly safe for dogs, others believe that they can be dangerous. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
If you decide to feed your dog raw eggs, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, make sure the eggs are fresh. Second, only feed your dog eggs that have been properly refrigerated. Finally, don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw eggs.
If you’re still not sure whether or not to feed your dog raw eggs, talk to your veterinarian. They can help you make the best decision for your pet.
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