Food For 3 Month Old German Shepherd

German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Chart

Split up the total cups of dry dog food listed. Dont feed this amount at every meal or your dog might get sick. Instead, use the chart found below called How Often Should You Feed a German Shepherd Puppy? to determine how many meals throughout the day your GSD needs.

Keep in mind, these are guidelines and you should adjust them based on your dogs energy needs.

How Much Should a German Shepherd Puppy Eat *Guidlines only.

Offer your dog their food and if they dont eat their meal in 10 to 15 minutes remove their dish. Wait an hour and offer them the same meal to see if theyve changed their mind about eating.

If they refuse to eat 2 or 3 of their meals take them to your vet for a health checkup as refusing to eat could be a sign of sickness.

Always offer fresh water during their meal times. Keep the area they eat in calm and dont pester them while they eat.

I find sitting with a book reading, just keeping my GSD puppy company, encouraged my dog to eat their meals while giving us time to quietly bond.

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When To Move On From Puppy Food

You typically want to move on from puppy food as the dog approaches physical maturity. For a large breed like the German Shepherd, you should start transitioning into adult food starting at around 12 to 24 months old.

Make sure to do this switch slowly over a one to two week period by mixing and gradually increasing the adult food with the puppy food to avoid or minimize gastric upset.

Best Dog Food For German Shepherds

A good dog food for your German Shepherd puppy must be formulated for large breeds. Moreover, it should provide the sufficient nutrients needed for growth and development.

There are many commercial dog foods in the market, but you can also offer your GSD puppy homemade dog food or a raw diet. Whats important is its nutritious and healthy for your dog.

Consulting a vet is strongly advised to give your German Shepherd the best diet suited for its lifestyle.

To help you in this dilemma, the list below has dog food options you may want to consider offering to your GSD puppy:

Check out this video for a vets brief guide to feeding your dog a raw diet:

Another vital factor to note is your dogs age and sex. We know a German Shepherd is a large breed dog. However, males tend to grow bigger and heavier than females, needing more food consumption.

A German Shepherd puppy may need to eat at frequent schedules with smaller meals, while adult ones may not need to be fed much often but will need more significant meal portions each time.

Overall, these dog food choices can cater to your German Shepherds needs. They have different pros and cons, so consulting your vet may be the best thing to do to know the best choice for your dogs feeding plan.

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Is Corn Ok To Feed My German Shepherd

The answer is yes. Corn isnt just a filler in dog foods. It also has several nutritional benefits. Corn isnt bad when added to balanced dog food, with even top nutritional research institutes supporting the findings .

Corn is a rich source of linoleic acid, which is an essential fatty acid for dogs. It also adds vitamins and minerals to your dogs diet. And lets not forget the needed fiber that corn in dog food contributes.

Despite the fact that carbohydrates get a bad rap, certain sources of carbs also provide essential nutrients.

Corn contains healthy fat, fiber, and even vitamins. Carbohydrates are also a source of fiber, which promotes gut health and motility in your dog and helps keep their movements more regular.

But dont take my word for it

You can read the AKCs stance on corn here.

In fact, whole ground corn cooked is around 97 percent digestible by dogs . So, dont dismiss the benefits of corn in your German Shepherds food.

However, corn shouldnt be the main source of protein for your German Shepherd. Although corn is beneficial, its best to buy food with another protein source along with the corn. This creates a complete and balanced meal.

I can hear the screams of the blogosphere already when they read the next statement:

Rest assured, corn isnt just a cheap filler as an ingredient in your dogs food.

German Shepherd Puppy Food Nutritional Value

The feeding schedule and the amount of food isnt the only important factor. You should also be careful about the type of food youre giving your dog.

A German Shepherd puppy shouldnt eat the same food as an adult or senior dog. This is because they have different requirements as they are growing and are much more active than older dogs.

You should feed your dog food with at least 22% protein. Look for high-quality protein sources from real meat, such as chicken, beef, and fish. Avoid meat by-products, as these contain many leftovers such as bones, intestines, and brains of animals and arent as healthy as real meat.

Protein is the main energy source for dogs. This is different from humans, as we mostly use carbs and sugars. As puppies are still growing, its easy to see why proteins are so important.

Your puppy should also need about 5% fat, which is just as important for their growth. Not just that, but theyll need lots of healthy fatty acids, such as omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. These can be found in ingredients such as fish oil.

Fatty acids are important not just because they give your dog energy but they provide for healthy bones, skin, and coats. Long-haired German Shepherds especially need plenty of fatty acids to make sure their coats stay luscious and fluffy all the time.

A GSD puppy should also eat between 5% and 8% of carbs, but this is where you need to be careful. Many dogs, especially young puppies, are really sensitive to whole grains.

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German Shepherd Dog Feeding Chart

It is important that German Shepherd owners know the amount of food that their dog requires on a daily basis. Feeding too much or too little can cause health problems in GSDs. If you feed a lot of fat to your pup, it will develop hip dyslexia.

Depending on how youre deciding to feed your puppy either a natural, real meat / bone / vegetable diet, or if youre giving them off-the-shelf dog food, youll want to follow the recommendations below to help ensure they properly develop their internal systems, and maintain their energy levels.

Your German Shepherd is going to grow rapidly over their first 12 months of life, so youre going to want to increase the amount of food they have as they get older. Ensuring they have the proper amount of nutrition, in the proper ratios is critical to them developing into healthy adults.

Taste Of The Wild Sierra Mountain

Formulated with novel proteins, Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain nourishes your canine companion with the perfectly balanced diet nature has intended. This grain-free dog food is a perfect lamb meal with peas and sweet potatoes that deliver your dogs highly-digestible energy.

After the cooking process, it contains specific K9 strain probiotics added to the recipe to retain their efficacy. It also includes antioxidants and prebiotics to help support a healthy metabolic function, immune system, optimal growth of bones, joints, lean muscles, and overall health and wellness.

This high-quality dog food only uses quality ingredients from trusted and sustainable local and global sources. The essential minerals are effectively combined with amino acids to augment their absorption in the body and ensure maximum benefit with a delicious taste of the wild your dog will surely love.

Specifications

• Recommended for dogs with chicken intolerance, sensitive stomachs, and also for picky eaters

Cons

• Few buyers complained of its strong smell.

Our Verdict

Our team gladly gives a thumbs up to this grain-free lamb meal recipe that combines premium natural animal protein, vegetables, legumes, and fruits to complement your pets healthy digestive system, strong bones, and shiny skin especially recommended for German Shepherd with delicate guts. However, few buyers commented on its strong smell.

Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain

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German Shepherd Feeding Guide By Age

As mentioned above, the age and development stage of your German Shepherd will play a big part in what foods are best suited for him.

To make your research easier, were breaking down the GSD feeding guide into age-based categories. Simply find your dogs age or developmental stage below to find the right information at the right time.

Be sure to check with your vet before beginning, switching, or stopping a feeding program.

The information provided here is for research purposes only. Always take your vets advice for your individual dogs needs.

German Shepherd Puppy Diet: 1 Month Old

From 3 to 4 weeks old, when it comes to feeding a German Shepherd puppy, we should start by letting them taste new foods and flavors. At this stage, the German Shepherd puppy’s diet plan requires them to eat a special wet food for puppies. At around 6 to 8 weeks old, a German Shepherd puppy should be given a little dry dog food with water, or unseasoned chicken stock between nursing sessions.

From their eighth week onward, a German Shepherd should be weaned and start feeding on solid food with a special puppy feed. The best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy is breed specific, but this may not be available everywhere.

In these cases, your veterinarian can create a proper food plan for your German Shepherd puppy. A professional will take into consideration a puppys feeding pattern, size and health status. At this stage, milk must be removed from the puppy’s diet as it could cause diarrhea. If by any chance your dog or puppy is suffering from a bad stomach, we recommend taking a look at our article on what to do if yourt dog has diarrhea.

In addition, it is vital that puppies have constant access to clean fresh water.

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The Importance Of Good Nutrition

Dog food sales in the United States are a huge business.

There is tremendous competition among manufacturers, with many of these companies goals including making a large profit.

German Shepherd owners must not only stay alert as wise consumers but also monitor the health of their beautiful breed, which is an indicator of the quality of food you feed them.

A healthy German Shepherd has:

• bright, alert eyes
• energy for their daily activities
• and a glossy coat

The old saying You are what you eat is also entirely true for dogs, as well as people. Many German Shepherds can carry on for a long time on a substandard diet, but inadequate nutrition can lead to more than health problems.

In fact, poor nutrition could cause your German Shepherd to develop:

• behavior problems
• susceptibility to disease
• and even shorten their lifespan!

Keep in mind that everything your dog eats becomes part of their daily diet, whether its good for them or not.

Nutrition for your German Shepherd is affected by not only what they eat, but also:

• the foods digestibility
• how their body uses the food
• and what underlying health issues they might have

Lets take a quick peek at the nutrients in your dogs food.

So What Is The Best Raw Food For German Shepherds

Before you decide on the best raw food for your German Shepherd there are some tricks of the trade’ you’ll need to know about first.

Essentially there are 3 schools of thought in the raw feeding community.

If you can give you any advice, don’t get wrapped up in it. If you do, you’ll never make the change. Just stick to the facts and focus on the benefits.

BARF feeding or ratio feeding relies on feeding a wide variety of foods, some folks who subscribe to this style of feeding like to add plant matter to their dogs’ meals.

Prey Model Raw or Frankenprey feeding relies on feeding a whole prey animal or creating a Frankenstein style animal from various parts of different animals.

Both of the above feeding styles tend to be unbalanced in several nutrients and require heavy supplementation.

After years of studying canine nutrition and completing some of the best courses available, I no longer feed or encourage others to feed ratio or BARF diets or even exclusively PMR.

I followed my own advice and stuck to the facts as I learned more and more. From a personal perspective, I am comfortable admitting that I needed to improve on the way I was preparing my dog’s meals.

And the words of the famous American poet Maya Angelou, helped me overcome the guilt I felt once I realized I wasn’t doing the best I could.

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

I’ll be writing in more detail on balanced nutrition for dogs in future articles.

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Why Does 8 Month Old German Shepherd Have Floppy Ears

The German Shepherd usually has floppy ears that are caused by their genetics or the Breeders choice. But in some cases, the floppy ears may have been caused by lack of nutrition or accidental damage.

That is why you need to provide your German shepherd puppy with good nutrition and proper chewing toys to strengthen their muscles and help them to tap upright.

If you think these floppy ears have been caused by some accidental damage, you immediately need to see a veterinary doctor to fix this problem.

How Much Water To Give A German Shepherd

A German Shepherd should have about two to three cups of fresh water daily. However, this amount will vary depending on the size, age, and activity level of your dog.

Puppies and young dogs, for example, generally need more water than adult German Shepherds. And working dogs or those who exercise frequently may require even more.

Unlike the German shepherd puppy feeding chart, you wont have to spend your time on this task. This is because they can easily hydrate themselves if given free access to water.

However, you still need to remember some things. For example, take note that your dog will need to drink 6 ounces of water per day for every 3.5 kilograms of weight.

So if your German shepherd weighs around 35 kilograms, hell need to drink an average of 60 ounces of water every day.

Depending on the temperature and activeness, this amount can increase. If thats the case, finding out the perfect amount of water needed will be difficult. Thats why you need to rely on the most noticeable sign of dehydration, panting.

Lastly, make sure you take extra care in providing water access to your German shepherd. The most preferable way is to fill a bowl with a moderate amount of water, not too much.

The feeding amount, frequency, length, and water requirements can always be changed. Thats why I recommend seeing your vet regularly to discuss important matters, such as how much to feed a German shepherd puppy.

If you have no time to visit your vet, the following topic may help you.

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German Shepherd Puppy: Dog Food And Water Bowl Hygiene

Your puppy’s food and drink containers should always be clean. Hygiene is very important in order to prevent the appearance of insects. If there are insects in your dogs water, it could cause your German Shepherd puppy to suffer from intestinal parasites.

If you notice that your puppy has not eaten for three consecutive meals, consult your veterinarian immediately. This lack of appetite in a puppy could be caused by bowel obstruction and stomach pain due to the ingestion of toxic food etc. Don’t forget that puppies are very sensitive and fragile and if you ignoring any symptoms of disease, it can result in severe issues or even puppy fatality.

German Shepherd Feeding Frequency: How Often Should You Feed Your German Shepherd

Feeding German Shepherds has numerous factors to consider. How much you are providing them is crucial, but knowing how often you need to feed them is essential, too.

Initially, feeding German Shepherd puppies begins with four puppy food meals daily. This starts during the weaning process when they are slowly given solid foods aside from their mothers milk.

Then gradually, it should be transitioned into three equally proportioned meals a day at two months old.

At around ten months, slowly transition your puppys feeding time into two meals daily, particularly breakfast and dinner.

This gradual change should go on until they are 12 months old. After that, they should eat twice a day naturally during adulthood.

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German Shepherd Feeding Guide: All You Need To Know

Like all dogs, German Shepherds have specific nutritional needs. While its possible to feed them the cheap, dry kibble found in your local grocery store, thats not the best diet for this loyal, graceful, obedient breed.

But the ideal food might not be the most expensive or fanciest either.

With all these options to choose from and enough slick marketing to make your head spin, how do you pick the right food?

Below, well cover the different types of diets available, the specific nutritional needs of the German Shepherd, and what you can do to ensure your GSD gets the delicious and nutritious food they need at every stage of life.