Best Raw Food Diet For German Shepherds

German Shepherd Puppy Diet

Early in life, puppies must eat often.

Find out why German Shepherd puppies have different calorie and diet requirements that you need to know. You must feed a puppy food specially formulated for large-breed puppies to avoid an imbalance in their diets.

Due to their rapid growth, any diet mistakes made during puppyhood will have more severe, even irreversible and lifelong, consequences.

Good puppy food has advantages over adult dog food because it has been specially formulated for a puppys demanding nutritional requirements. More importantly, puppy foods contain the appropriate amount of calcium.

A great recommendation for German Shepherd puppies that has the ideal protein and DHA is:

Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Large Breed Dry Dog Food

If you need to introduce a new diet do so over the course of a week, starting with replacing only a small amount of the current food with the new food. Then, gradually, increase the proportion of the new food daily until you give your dog only the new food.

Daily food quantities are best divided out across the number of meals you feed per day.

Heres a quick overview of feeding a German Shepherd puppy.

Raw Food Diet Aids Your Dogs Digestive System

German Shepherds are genetically predisposed to stomach issues. Many times this can lead to an allergy to kibble ingredients. A raw food diet is easier to digest than kibble. They will have less stomach discomfort and smaller, more solid stools.

With a raw food diet, you are removing junk food from your dogs diet. This improves his health, and energy, and keeps your dog from becoming overweight.

What Type Of Food Should I Feed My German Shepherd

Feed a German Shepherd a commercial dry dog food that lists animal protein sources first, such as chicken or beef, and that also has additional protein sources and meat-meals listed between the top five ingredients.

On top of this, since their digestive systems arent the most efficient, their diet should also contain easily digestible proteins that are absorbed much better by the German Shepherds body.

Providing your German Shepherd with a high-quality diet can help prevent future stomach upsets. Premium diets will also help support proper bowel function to keep them regular and avoid diarrhea.

If the protein source is only meat, then theres a chance that the dog food will have excessive calcium, sodium, and phosphorus. The right answer to the best dog food for a German Shepherd is a combination of ingredients that provide a full spectrum of value to fuel your powerful dog.

If in doubt, start with Iams Adult Large Breed High Protein Dry Dog Food and Hills Science Diet Adult Chicken & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food as both of these premium formulas are specially formulated for optimum adult German Shepherd nutrition.

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What’s In Raw Wild Dogs Food

Raw Wild specializes in dog food made from Elk and Deer. The source of their protein is from the forests of the western Rocky Mountains.

These animals are wild, spending their lives grazing on pesticide-free grasses and plants. And they drink from clean springs and other water sources.

This kind of meat is healthy, fresh, and toxin-free, which is vital for the health of our dogs.

Raw Wild works with hunters who ethically source and hunt healthy animals for their own families.

So you can be sure they use no dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals. Yes, all their meat is human-grade.

This also means you don’t have to be concerned about Chronic Wasting Disease .

And their food is prepared in a human-grade facility that prepares wild game meat for the human food chain too.

Their food consists of 99.4% Elk and Deer meat and .06% proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals.

Now, you might be wondering

I was curious about this myself, so I went digging for the answers

How Much Food Should A German Shepherd Puppy Eat

So, what about puppies, you may ask. How much should you feed a German Shepherd puppy?

A German Shepherd puppy needs about twice as many calories per pound of body weight as an adult German Shepherd. Therefore a mature puppy weighing 45lbs needs around 2100 calories, the same as an active adult twice its weight.

Heres a rough guide on how much dry food to feed your German Shepherd puppy.

If you are feeding dry dog food, your brand choice should have the recommended feeding guidelines on the packaging for puppies . In addition, most brands display helpful tables or calculators on their websites.

Pro Tip: When my German Shepherd was a growing puppy, I visited my vet every month to weigh her and get a quick overall check of her general health.

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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.

Do Adult German Shepherd Dogs Need Special Nutrients

German Shepherds often develop digestive problems due to a shorter colon. This can lead to a sensitive stomach. Therefore, it is important to give a very precise diet to avoid triggering sensitivities and also contribute to optimal health maintenance. Provide your adult German Shepherd a balance of meat protein, fiber, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, and vitamins.

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What Might Be The Minimum Standards Commercial Dog Food For German Shepherds Has To Meet

Pet food generally doesnt have its own specific and enforceable regulations in any country.

There are general regulations for animal food in some countries.

In the US for example, The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled

Theres also a voluntary membership association called AAFCO that outlines some standards in the US.

In Australia, Pet food is essentially self-regulated with voluntary industry standards applied through the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia

In different countries, regulations, standards and labelling requirements can differ.

So, be aware of what these are, and where the gaps and limitations in them might be.

You will be required to do additional research to ensure what you are getting in each pet food product, and cover information you might not get given on a label.

Note that standards are the minimum, and not the standards you should necessarily follow for optimal health.

Also note that certain phrases like organic dog food mean different things in different countries.

Check what different phrases mean by law in your country.

Best Dog Food For German Shepherds With Allergies

A common health condition for any dog is allergies!

Flaky skin, diarrhea, itchy ears, and swelling are the most common signs that your German Shepherd has allergies.

Dogs can have seasonal or food allergies just like us humans! Ingredients like wheat, dairy, and even meat flavorings like beef and chicken can interrupt a dog’s immune system and cause an allergic reaction.

Meat flavorings are known to be a common culprit to allergy reactions. That is why some dogs show allergies from Chicken kibble but not Chicken meat.

Thebest way to treat these allergies is to feed your German Shepherd a raw diet.

Kibble has several toxins introduced in the processed pellets. There are so many ingredients present in kibble that it may be challenging to identify what exactly your dog is allergic to.

It could be the toxic additives that your dog’s body can’t digest or the large amounts of starch added to keep kibble together.

It could be hard to digest proteins, giving your dog bloating and inconsistent stool.

No matter what ingredient is causing your German Shepherd’s pain, kibble is harming your dog.

Some dogs may be allergic to meat. However, humans think that a meat allergy from kibble is equal to an allergy to all forms of said meat. Switching to raw food is the best way to ease allergies.

The protein and meats added to kibble are commonly difficult to digest and synthetic, causing various reactions from your dog’s immune and digestive systems.

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Swapping Puppy Food Brands

You should initially feed the same diet the puppy was eating before you adopted them.

Consider continuing with this diet and then with the equivalent adult dog formulation.

If you plan to change to a different food do not do so in the first few weeks.

Then gradually include increasing proportions of the new food over a period of two to four weeks.

Introducing Your German Shepherd To Commercial Raw Food

More and more pet owners are putting their dogs on raw food diets. However, not all commercially produced raw dog foods have a healthy nutritional balance.

Unfortunately, this can cause nutritional imbalances in certain dogs.

The good news is that this can be avoided with a proper diet that has a proper balance of vitamins, antioxidants, trace minerals, and fatty acids.

Your German shepherd should have this healthy balance from birth. Do not wait for your pup to develop a nutritional imbalance before changing their diet!

But, if you do decide to swap your German shepherds diet over to commercially made raw food, do not make this switch suddenly.

Your dog needs time to get used to this different food. If the swap is too quick, your pooch can develop gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea.

Also, do not mix dry kibble with raw dog food as they are metabolized uniquely. Raw dog food is mostly protein while dry kibble is mostly starch.

If these are mixed, then your German shepherds digestive system can get confused and result in diarrhea.

Increase the frequency of the dry food gradually over a few days with treats and then try a full meal replacement.

Repeat this process for a few days before you make the full switch from dry kibble to raw dog food.

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Where To Start With A Raw Food Diet For Your Gsd

Raw food recipes for dogs are all over the internet. And dog owners like you can prepare their dogs raw food diet from scratch with careful planning and time.

But as I mentioned, there are frozen raw diets on the market that help make raw feeding easier for you.

These diets are delivered frozen or freeze-dried to your door. Some have everything you need rolled into one.

Ingredients like vegetables, vitamins, and fruits already mixed in. Or you can buy them separately.

We Answer Your Questions Around Supplements

• Why should I feed my dog bone broth?

  Our 100% human grade bone broth is great for any pup who needs a little added pep in their step or moisture in their diet. Bone broth is a great source of collagen which is rich in benefits it helps with joint health especially in cases of arthritis, a healthy skin and coat and boosts the overall immune system.

• What are the benefits of Kefir?

  Kefir promotes healthy digestion. And ours, which is made from Certified Humane® Kefir and USDA Raw Organic Dairy, has 9 active cultures and 1.5 billion live probiotics per oz to do just that. The benefits continue with the addition of organic cinnamon and turmeric, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And to top it off, this healthy topper is super tasty.

• How should I feed these supplements?

  These supplements should only be fed as healthy topper to upgrade your pups diet. Simply click on the product to learn the specific feeding guidelines.

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Adult German Shepherd Calories Per Day

• Inactive German Shepherds: 1,272 to 1,540
• Active German Shepherds: 1,740 to 2,100

These calorie amounts are based on The National Research Council of the National Academies for dog nutritional feeding.

There are also guidelines on how much to feed your German Shepherd written on the food packet. These are guidelines only, so you may need to adjust accordingly for your dogs individual needs. This is affected by their activity levels and unique metabolism.

Then, theres also the number of cups of food your GSD eats that you might want to know.

Recommended Serving Amounts For Homemade Dog Food

As a general rule, dogs will eat around 2 to 3 percent of their ideal body weight in fresh food daily. Larger breeds may need as little as 1 1/2 percent, and smaller breeds may need as much as 4 percent.

This works out to be approximately:

• 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
• 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
• 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog

There is much variation in what the ideal amount should be as it depends on how much your dog weighs and how active she is.

I feel that the best approach is to feed and watch if your dog is losing weight, give more, and if your dog is gaining weight, give less.

For our pugs, we feed a scoop each in the morning and a scoop each in the evening, plus all their supplements.

We have an easy system for this: homemade food is refrigerated in a sealed container with a measuring cup , and all the supplements are lined up together in a cupboard in the kitchen. Keeping your ingredients organized and accessible will make feeding time fast and smooth.

Compared to feeding commercial food, where you might scoop out kibbles or open up a can, feeding homemade food with all the supplements takes maybe 10 seconds more. And even if it took 10 minutes more, fresh wholesome food for our furbabies is worth it.

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Are Eggs Good For German Shepherds

Yes, eggs are a great source of protein for German Shepherds. In fact, they are one of the healthiest foods you can feed your dog. Eggs are packed with nutrients that are essential for a German Shepherd’s diet, including vitamins A, D, and E.

They also contain omega-three fatty acids, which are important for a dog’s coat and skin health.

The Best Dog Food For German Shepherds

• 12 August, 2022

German shepherds are generally loyal, courageous, and protective dog breeds. They have been bred to work as police dogs for years and are naturally intelligent dogs. However, they also need a healthy diet to maintain their weight and energy. While it is easy to assume that German shepherds are naturally resilient and strong, they still need to be well fed and cared for. It is important, therefore, to understand what to feed them and how to do it.

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What Types Of Food Are Appropriate For German Shepherd Dogs

The most popular type of food for your German Shepherds is dry kibble. However, for puppies and senior dogs, you should consider a variety of wet food options too. Other varieties you can serve include semi-moist form and freeze-dried food. For owners who dont mind preparation and handling, frozen-then-thawed food is a viable option too.

Cooking Our Way To A Healthier Dog Diet

Ever since I started raising my own dogs, Id always wanted to make their food at home but thought it would be too expensive or too time consuming, or that they wouldnt get the nutrition they needed.

During the month of Bugs doggy depression, I vowed to make her precious life as comfortable as possible.

Both of my pugs had a range of health issues growing up, which I unfortunately found out were common for the breed.

My older one had persistent hot spots and itchiness that no commercial dog food could cure .

Bug was overweight for a while when she was younger, even though she ate the recommended amount of food for her target weight. Eventually, I settled on Wellness kibbles and they did well with that brand.

But, I wanted to explore other options. I wanted to give them real food fresh, nutritious ingredients that I recognized and could even eat myself.

Ive mentioned in my post on homemade whole grain chicken feed that the entire household all share the same whole grains and seeds that we buy in bulk, as well as the bounty that comes from our edible garden.

Everything our animals eat, we can eat.

When it comes to homemade feed for our laying hens, we stick to a tried-and-true formula that works for every layer: 16 to 17 percent protein , vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from a wide variety of grains and seeds, and free range of a pasture for weeds, greens, and insects.

Dogs, on the other hand, arent bred for a standard function the way chickens are.

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Raw Food Mimics Your Dogs Stomachs Natural Diet

A German Shepherds strongly acidic stomach breaks down meat quickly. Dogs can absorb nutrients from raw food faster and more efficiently.

Dogs, prior to domestication, ate prey animals whole. All the nutrients they needed would come from the animals body. This includes organ meats, bone, blood, skin, and muscle. So, when you feed your dog a raw food diet, you are mimicking the way he eats naturally

Your German Shepherd may not be a wild dog, but he still benefits from a raw food diet. Dogs are omnivores who favor meat.