German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Chart
6 Week Old German Shepherd
- At this age, it is crucial to ensure your puppy is receiving the same nutrients as if they were being fed by their mother
- Ideally, a 6 week old puppy should still be feeding from their mother
- It is tricky to replace the micro and macro nutrients that a puppy receives from their mothers milk, as well as any antibodies
- They are growing very fast, so they need enough nutrients to sustain their growth
10 Weeks Old
- As puppies are weaned off, the amount of puppy food they require increases
- They need to be fed at least 3 times a day
- To help their little bodies with the transition from mothers milk to puppy food, it is best to start with wet food
- Using wet food helps to prepare their digestive systems for whole food, which will be introduced to a puppys diet in time
- Again, they are growing very fast, so they need enough nutrients to sustain their growth
12 Weeks Old
What Is The Best Dog Food For German Shephard Puppies
Puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, so it’s important to find a food that’s specifically designed for puppies. Look for a food that has high levels of protein and fat, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. Puppies also need more calories than adult dogs, so make sure the food you choose has a high calorie content.
As your puppy grows, they will need less calories and protein, so you’ll need to switch to a food that’s designed for adult dogs. Consult with your veterinarian to find the best food for your German Shepherd puppy.
Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Puppy
Rating:
Complete Health Large Breed Puppy is one of 13 dry recipes evaluated in our review of the Wellness Complete Health product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, peas, ground brown rice, salmon meal
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Profile: Growth
- Best for:German Shepherd puppy
Complete Health Large Breed Puppy derives the bulk of its animal protein from fresh chicken as well as chicken meal and salmon meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 32% protein, 14% fat and 45% estimated carbs with a fat-to-protein ratio of about 44%.
Sample buyer reviewMy almost year old GSD loves this food! I transitioned him to this at 9 weeks. He was on another grain free puppy food but was not large breed. This food for high marks and I wanted to have a food that contained grains and was formulated for large breeds. My dog had no issues transitioning and loves his food. Like a lot of GSDs he does have a sensitive tummy and most treats dont agree with him so we use this as a training treat as well and he still loves it.
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Watch Out For Sugars In Grain Free Dog Food
Sadly, since the grain-free revolution started, pet food manufacturers have again figured out ways to dupe us.
Many of them have merely replaced the grains with other starchy ingredients and opted not to keep us informed. Tricking us into believing that grain-free is essentially healthier.
Adding ingredients like potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, tapioca and other glutens like peas and lentils causes a spike in the carb percentage. Of course this in turn ramps up the calories.
Calories equal energy and just like with the human body, it’s much easier for our dogs to get their calories from starchy ingredients than the more complex ingredients like proteins. But that does not mean high starch foods are good.
So you might not see sugar listed in the ingredients but all those potatoes, peas and lentils break down into sugar. And so our dogs are at risk of piling on the pounds.
Even a little research will reveal that dogs across the globe are suffering from sugar-related illnesses like diabetes. And I believe this is directly related to the high levels of low-quality carbohydrates in dry dog food.
I mean if you think about the glycemic index of a medium-sized baked potato is 85, you can see how the carbs can quickly become unhealthy.
Finding The Best Dog Food For Your German Shepherd
The day has long gone when choosing a dog food as simple as picking one available in the pet section of your local supermarket or pet supply store. Today there are a myriad of pet food brands available, and each brand can have multiple formulas. Enough for every dog owner, even the most experienced ones, to get confused.
The good news is pet food producers have done an excellent job of creating products that help a dog thrive. They have created a precise formula for each life stage and every breed of dogs. This actually makes your job easier when you think about it.
In general, you just need to pick a dog food that is breed and age-appropriate. In the case of our German shepherds, we are going to pick a food made for medium to large dogs according to our dogs current life stage.
Of course, youll still need to do a bit of analysis, which I described in detail in my best German shepherd foods review and buying here. As long as you follow my guidelines there, you should be able to choose which food works best for your German shepherd dog.
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What Should I Feed My German Shepherd Puppy
Your German Shepherd puppys diet should be based around a high quality, nutritionally complete puppy food. You may also wish to introduce them to fresh, lean raw meat however, dont feed your puppy any meat you would not feed to a fellow human being.
What is the best dry food for German Shepherd puppies? Best dry food for German Shepherd puppies. 1 Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy Food. Royal Canin is one of the worlds largest and most popular dog food manufacturers. 2 Hills Science Diet Large Puppy Food. 3 Purina ONE Large Puppy Food. 4 Eukanuba Puppy Dry Dog Food. 5 Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Food.
When to feed German Shepherd puppies? Typically, you will see most puppy owners beginning the process between the ages of five and six months old. How much to feed a German Shepherd puppy may also change based on when you begin the transition from puppy food to adult dog food.
Can German Shepherd puppies eat too much? Remember, the diet of a German shepherd puppy is not similar to that of an adult dog. It is important that the owners of the German shepherd know the amount of food that their dog requires daily. Feeding too much or too little can cause health problems in your dog .
How Much Should A German Shepherd Eat
Three main factors impact how much food your German Shepherd should consume daily:
Some people may also consider their dogs weight when feeding them. If a dog is overweight, it may need to start eating less. In the same way, an underweight dog should probably get a little more.
But in general, German Shepherd owners can follow this basic outline:
- 16 weeks & younger: one-half to one cup of food per meal
- 16 weeks to nine months: one cup to one and one-third cup per meal
- Nine months to one year: two cups to two and one-half cups per meal
- One year & older: two and one-half cups to three and one-half cups per meal
Additionally, the average indoor pet needs to consume a certain number of calories. According to the American Kennel Club, a German Shepherd dog can weigh 50 to 90 pounds depending on its gender and breeding.
Dogs in this weight range need to consume anywhere from 900 to 1,350 calories per day. Because German Shepherds tend to be very active dogs, you may need to increase their calorie intake accordingly.
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How Many Cups Of Food Does A German Shepherd Need
Knowing how many cups of food to feed your German Shepherd becomes a bit trickier when you consider the vast differences in calories and energy-dense foods from each manufacturer.
While calories vary from brand to brand, you may use this chart to approximate the number of cups of food of dry kibble your adult German Shepherd needs.
Turkey Rice & Veggies
Turkey is an excellent source of protein for your GSD, so check out this recipe and gather the following ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 16 oz. frozen veggie
Fill a large pot with the 6 cups of water and place it on the stovetop over high heat. Add in the ground turkey, rice, and rosemary and stir to break up the turkey.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
Add your frozen vegetable mix and cook for another five minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool. You can package it in an air-tight container and refrigerate it until its time to feed your pup.
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Pedigree Pro Expert Nutrition Active Adult Large Breed Dog Dry Dog Food Chicken
- Professional dog food for adult large breed dogs who are very active.
- Adult dogs benefit from proteins and Omega fatty acids because they increase their alertness and agility.
- Healthy muscles are provided by natural antioxidants and quality proteins.
- Prebiotics aid in the promotion of Digestive health in canines, making them excellent for dogs from the age of 18 months.
- For Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Labrador, Dobermann, and St. Bernard dogs.
- Ideal for dogs starting at 18 months old.
- Developed through studies at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition
German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Guide: Birth To 12 Weeks
All dogs should stay with their mother for no less than eight weeks, ideally up to ten weeks. During this time, the mother will nurse the pups until they are old enough to begin eating puppy mush.
Puppy mush is usually regular dog kibble thats been soaked in water, formula, or homemade puppy milk made with human-grade ingredients.
After the puppies are fully weaned from their mothers milk, they will get all of their nutrition either from puppy mushmade progressively drier every few daysor other puppy-safe foods.
Its important to continue feeding your puppy whatever the breeder started them on, at least for the first few weeks. This will help prevent gastrointestinal distress.
Also, be certain it is food intended for puppies and not adults or senior dogs. Adult dog foods do not have the proper nutrients to support a growing puppy.
Once your German Shepherd puppy is homebetween 8 and 12 weeksyou may begin weaning them off of the breeders food and introducing their new foodif youve decided to switch, that is.
Over the course of the next few weeks slowly introduce the puppys new food into her old food, adding more of the new food each day.
Start with ¾ of the serving of the old food and ¼ of the new food. After a few days, make it half and half. After the first week or so, make it ¾ the new food and ¼ the old food.
Then by two to three weeks, your pup should be fully on her new food.
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When People Find Out We Make Our Own Dog Food At Home They Always Ask Us What About A Raw Diet So Lets Get That Out Of The Way First
There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pups gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you if you get my drift.
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When People Find Out We Make Our Own Dog Food At Home They Always Ask Us What About A Raw Diet So Let’s Get That Out Of The Way First
There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pup’s gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you – if you get my drift.
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How Much Food To Feed A 8
You should feed your 8-month-old German Shepherd Dog puppy 4.1 cups of dry dog food every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your German Shepherd Dog puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your 8-month-old German Shepherd Dog puppy assumes that the weight of your German Shepherd Dog is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 8-month-old German Shepherd Dog puppy is 56.4 lbs .
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your German Shepherd Dog also assumes that you feed your German Shepherd Dog dog food that has an average calorie density .
Use our German Shepherd Dog food calculator to calculate a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your German Shepherd Dog.
Acana Singles Lamb And Apple Detailed Review
Acana and Orijen are sister companies. Acana offers a wide selection of different dog foods, all of them grain-free and biologically appropriate.
But the thing I really like about Acana is they’re not just switching up grain for potato. They’re actually increasing the amount of meat protein.
Although, the protein content in Acana is not as high as you’ll find in Orijen. It’s still way up there at 50 percent with the most protein-rich foods on the market.
Although I feed my dogs a raw diet, I sometimes use Acana for training treats when I’m low on my homemade stash. And the most popular one in our house is the Singles Formula Grass-Fed Lamb. It might be a kibble, but my dogs are willing to work hard for them, so they’re a definite winner!
The first thing I like is that the food contains no potato, grains or tapioca. Okay, so potatoes aren’t bad, but they do have a moderate glycemic index.
Its carb percentage is 34.5 percent which is pretty low considering the richness of lamb meat.
Of course, there are no grains either. And the Grass-Fed Lamb range is made up of 50 percent meat and 50 percent vegetables, fruits, and lavender which provides healthy antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
So essentially, a 2 kg bag of food contains 1 kg meat.
I also love the fact that there’s only one type of protein. That means the muscle meat, organs, meal, and cartilage is all from lamb.
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How To Feed Your German Shepherd To Make Them Gain Weight
If you notice that your dog weighs less than the average for their age group, you should take the matter seriously. Being overweight is often easier to treat than underweight.
So, what should you do if your german shepherd dog weighs less than normal?
Step one: Determine the cause
Take your German Shepherd to the vet to know what are the causes of them weighing less than the average for their age. It can be the result of two things either you are not feeding your dog enough food or perhaps you are not giving them the right kinds of foods.
They may have a disease, infection, or injury that is causing the weight loss. Some illnesses cause loss of appetite and lead to weight loss. If you notice your dog leaving food on their bowl after their meals and you are sure that they like the food, then its a sign of trouble.
Step two: Start a routine of weekly weigh-ins
Make sure to weigh your dog weekly so you know if your dog is gaining weight, losing weight, or staying the same weight.
This will help measure their weight so you can change their diet accordingly. If your dog continues losing weight even though they are eating more, you should take them to the vet.
Some dog owners do that when their dog is just a puppy and keep the routine consistent for the first 18 months or so of the life of the puppy but then stop when their dogs become grown-up, assuming that adult dogs stay the same weight. Thats as untrue for dogs as it is for humans.
Important Note On Treats And Table Food
Because meeting a dog`s nutrient requirements is not the primary goal of dog treats, most commercial dog treats do not contain the essential nutrients that your German Shepherd Dog needs.
However, a few treats are complete and balanced and are approved by AAFCO, or some other credible dog food regulatory agency. Check the label on your dog treat to know if the dog treat has a complete and balanced nutrient profile.
Nevertheless, dog treats, either balanced or unbalanced in nutrients, are valid sources of calories for your dog. Therefore, if you give your dog lots of treats, you should reduce the amount of the regular dog food that you give your dog accordingly to account for the treats. That way, you will not overfeed your dog.
Also, human table foods do not contain the important nutrients that your German Shepherd Dog needs for healthy growth.
Also, human table foods may contain very high levels of fat or sodium and other minerals that are harmful to your German Shepherd Dog.
Moreover, know that when you feed your German Shepherd Dog table food, you fill your German Shepherd Dog`s stomach with dog `junk food`. This will suppress your German Shepherd Dog`s appetite and thereby make your German Shepherd Dog unable to eat its normal dog food that contains the essential nutrients for your German Shepherd Dog`s growth.
We do not recommend giving your German Shepherd Dog table food.
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