Foods To Avoid Feeding Your German Shepherd
Since German Shepherds have large appetites, we must always be mindful of what goes inside their mouths. They tend to eat whatever falls from the dinner table or even whatever food they set their sights on.
As we talk about food diets, we must not forget those foods you must avoid feeding your German Shepherd puppy.
Generally, they may not be too sensitive to dog foods or ingredients, but other foods may be fatal to them.
Firstly, lets tackle food and ingredients that can be fatal to German Shepherds, even if its ingested in small amounts.
Coffee is one of the most toxic foods to dogs. They contain caffeine, which causes cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, vomiting, tremors, and seizures.
If youre a coffee-lover, make sure you have a secure place to store it away from your pup.
Another toxic food German Shepherd owners should not feed their dog is chocolate. As yummy as this is, chocolates contain theobromine. All dog breeds cannot metabolize this substance. Thats why its poisonous to them.
Gums, peanut butter, and candies that contain xylitol are also toxic to dogs. It causes disorientation, hypoglycemia, seizures, and collapse.
This is much more threatening than coffee and chocolate, so you need to be extra careful with this.
Aside from those mentioned above, there are many other toxic foods you should avoid feeding German Shepherds. They may not be fatal, but they can cause discomfort and progress to severe diseases.
How Many Calories Does A German Shepherd Puppy Need
The number of calories that your puppy needs depend on certain factors such as age, weight, and activity level. Active puppies need more calories to sustain their energy levels.
German Shepherd puppies require at least 500 calories per day, but the amount increases as their weight also increases.
You need to calculate the RER of your puppy and multiply by two to know exactly the number of calories they need. The formula of RER is 703/4.
For example, if your German Shepherd puppy weighs 20kgs their RER is 703/4 = 662. Therefore, their daily intake should be 1324 calories.
There Are Two Ways To Determine How To Feed Your Puppy
The most pressing questions you probably have about your new puppy are how much to feed them and how often lets go over a few things to consider.
Many people use the food bag as a starting point to decide how much to feed their dogs. However, a label on commercial food is one of the easiest ways to overfeed your growing puppy.
Dog food labels may raise feeding guidelines by up to 25% to ensure the diet meets or exceeds NRC requirements.
Its more accurate and healthier for your puppy if you calculate and measure meals yourself.
Feeding your puppy involves regularly evaluating and tracking their weight. You should be able to assess how close your pup is to their ideal weight just by looking at them.
Weight charts are useful guides, but they dont account for an individuals variations from the norms. Also, dont forget to include treats in your calculations for daily food allowances!
If you give a lot of treats during training, for example, you need to account for it by decreasing meal sizes according to your pups weight or body condition.
Assessing Body Condition
Drake Center for Veterinary Care uses a body scoring system modified from Purinas charts and other sources.
Puppies will vary in their body scores and may change rapidly within a few days. Pups often lose their abdominal tuck right after a meal.
Puppies under 16 weeks old commonly have a pot-bellied appearance without much abdominal tuck.
Volume
Calories
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Whats The Best Time To Feed A German Shepherd
The best time to feed a German Shepherd puppy is in the morning, before you leave for the day, and in the evening, about 2 hours before you put your dog to bed. Allow them to potty after eating to ensure their comfort. Your dog also needs to eat at other times of the day for their health and growth. If its easier for your schedule you can feed 3 smaller meals around the same time that you eat at breakfast, lunch, and dinnertime.
German Shepherd puppies who are on 4 daily feedings are best fed:
- In the mornings
- In the evening for their last meal
If youre feeding your dog 3 times a day, the best times are:
- In the morning before you leave for the day
German Shepherd puppies 12 months and older are best fed twice a day:
- In the morning before you leave home
- In the evening, before their last walk of the day
Each family will have different schedules, so adjust your feeding times accordingly. Aim for equally spaced out meals at the same time each day so your German Shepherds routine stays regular.
German Shepherd Dog Feeding Guidelines
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 . If you provide a diet with excess fat to your puppy, it is more likely that you can develop hip dyslexia.
With a balanced diet one can ensure that the dog properly develops its internal systems and maintains its energy levels.
Your German Shepherd will grow rapidly during its first 12 months of life, so it is necessary to increase the amount of food in your diet as it grows. Ensuring that the puppy of the dog receives the proper amount in its nutrition, and in the right proportions is essential for the development of a healthy adult German shepherd.
Up to 6 weeks
At 6 weeks of age, you should make sure that your puppy is receiving the same level of nutrition that they were receiving from breast milk.
Ideally at this early age, a puppy should be breastfeeding for its mother, because it is difficult to replace with food the necessary micro and macronutrients, along with the natural antibodies found in breast milk.
From 6 to 10 weeks
Between 8 and 10 weeks, you can start to wean them from your mother, and start increasing the amount of food for puppy dogs that you are giving them.
It is best to start with a diet of wet food, to help your body adapt to the transition. Wet foods contain about 85% moisture, which prepares your digestive system for all the food that we will give you in the coming weeks.
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Can A German Shepherd Puppy Eat Human Food
Overall, we would not advise giving human food to your GSD puppies. Young dogs have sensitive stomachs, and they can easily get diarrhea or an upset tummy.
However, if you feel like giving your dog a treat, there are a few healthy options that might even be a better alternative to giving your dog store-bought treats. These are usually protein sources, as well as some fruits and veggies humans eat.
For example, chicken, turkey, beef, fish, and eggs are great protein sources that can help your puppy gain muscle mass. There are also several safe fruits and veggies that make for great sources of vitamins. These include:
What About The Chart On Dog Food Bags
Youve likely seen the feeding chart on the back of commercial dog food bags. These charts can seem pretty straightforward at first glance.
However, they dont take into consideration the size, weight, activity level, or overall health of each individual dog.
For that reason, its best not to treat these dog food packaging feeding guides as gospel. Instead, use them as a starting point.
Observe your dog, see how he looks and feels, and note any changes in his bathroom habits, weight, or energy level. Adjust his meals accordingly.
The other problem with these packaging guides is that they arent clear on how to feed your dog. Generally speaking, they talk about daily intake, not per meal.
For example, if the guide says you should feed your dog 3 cups, its not suggesting that your dog eats 3 cups at every meal. It means to split that 3 cups total over the entire day.
If your dog eats 3 times per day, that would be 1 cup at each meal for a total daily intake of 3 cups.
To further confuse dog parents, some manufacturers do list per-meal serving sizes, not the total daily intake! In these cases, if you read it incorrectly, you would end up underfeeding your dog.
To help mitigate some of this confusion, it may be helpful to ask your vet how many calories your dog should be consuming each day.
Then you can check the calorie content in the dog food and measure things from there.
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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.
How Long Is A German Shepherd Considered A Puppy
A German Shepherd should be fed a puppy diet until around 12 months of age, or as advised by your veterinarian based on their growth and development.
Adult German Shepherds are somewhat prone to obesity, which can contribute to the skeletal disorders they are prone to.
You should continue to monitor body condition and modify feeding to keep their weight moderate or somewhat lean.
Our complete guide to the best food for German Shepherd Dogs of all ages will help you find more delicious meals as your puppy grows and grows.
Make sure you read our German Shepherd facts to find out even more about these unique dogs!
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Health Issues Related To The Type Of Food Or Improper Feeding Routine
Diet plays an important role in the well-being of German Shepherds, whether as the main cause of the issue or an enhancer of existing symptoms.
Needless to say, its important to get German Shepherds from reputable breeders, as theyre the only ones who can guarantee that your pup will have the lowest risk of getting a genetic disease.
On the other hand, many health issues, particularly orthopedic illnesses, may be prevented by ensuring that your pet receives the appropriate nutrition and by feeding your pup the best dog food for their age and activity level.
The health conditions listed below are some of the most common diseases related to your canines diet:
Hip Dysplasia This is one of the most common joint conditions that can appear during puppyhood but show only in later years.
One of the possible reasons could be a lack of calcium during the early feeding of pups, along with their genetic background.
Diabetes Essentially, this condition represents a lack of insulin to take care of the glucose that enters the body. Diabetes might not be directly impacted by diet, but obesity and metabolic disorders can be one of the main culprits for this condition.
Degenerative Disc Disease If the canines spinal discs are ruptured, the pup will be unable to move without feeling great pain. Even though this condition isnt caused by food, improper diet and obesity can worsen symptoms significantly.
They cant absorb enough nutrients and can become dangerously underweight.
How Much Food To Feed A German Shepherd Puppy
A German Shepherd is a big dog, some on the larger side can come close to 100 pounds! In general, the bigger the dog, the more food it needs, even during the puppy stage. A German Shepherd puppy will need more food than a small breed such as a Shih-Tzu pup, but just how much is enough and what is the threshold for too much? Thats exactly what we are going to look at today.
Adequate nutrition for a German Shepherd puppy is one of the key components to a healthy and thriving canine in adulthood. Too little can result in malnutrition and too much could lead to obesity both of which are not ideal for German Shepherd puppies.
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Senior German Shepherd Feeding Chart
Senior German Shepherd dogs tend to be less active and have much more fragile bones and joints than younger dogs. Therefore, they may need dog food with lesser fat, protein, and calorie content.
Like other aging dogs, an old German Shepherd may likely have a sensitive stomach and be pickier when it comes to commercial dog food and even their usual kibble.
However, you must still ensure that they get the essential nutrients they need.
The feeding chart below shows the daily consumption an old German Shepherd dog must have:
| Age | |
| 16% | > 5% |
Generally, aging dogs can continue their adult dog food, given that there are slight adjustments since they wont need as many calories as active dogs.
However, it is still advised to ask for a senior-specific diet from your vet or pet nutritionist just to be safe.
If you choose to give your German Shepherd dog homemade foods in all of its life stages, you may need to self-calculate and monitor its daily calorie consumption.
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How The German Shepherd Dog Food Calculator Works
First, the calculator estimates what is known as the Resting Energy Requirement of your German Shepherd Dog.
The RER is the amount of energy that your German Shepherd Dog needs when it is `resting`, that is when doing nothing. The calculator uses the current weight of your German Shepherd Dog to calculate your German Shepherd Dog`s resting energy.
Next, the calculator scales up the resting energy by a factor that corresponds to your German Shepherd Dog`s life stage and lifestyle . This scaled up energy value is the energy that your German Shepherd Dog needs to maintain its life when not resting.
Finally, the German Shepherd Dog food calculator divides the maintenance energy by the amount of energy in one cup of dog food to calculate how many cups of dog food your German Shepherd Dog needs.
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Feeding Guide For The German Shepherd Dog Puppy: 12 Weeks To One Year
The dog food that you feed your puppy should have the nutrients that will boost a puppy`s immune system since puppies easily get infected with the disease at this age.
Also, a good puppy food should have the nutrients that support brain development and good vision.
Finally, a good dog food for the German Shepherd Dog puppy should be the type that will not make your German Shepherd Dog fat. The puppy food should also help increase the health of your puppy`s bones.
See our list of the best dry dog food and the best wet dog food for the German Shepherd Dog puppy below.
These dog foods have all the right amount of nutrients that the German Shepherd Dog puppy needs to grow well during its puppy years.
What Is The Recommended Daily Amount Of Food For A Gsd
Generally, it can be said that adult German Shepherds require 2100 calories per day at most. Anywhere between 1300 and 2100 is considered an acceptable amount, depending on how big and active the canine is.
Calorie intake is usually based on the age of the canine, their current health condition, and the quantity of exercise they get.
In order to keep a healthy and steady weight, senior German Shepherds that arent very active wont need more than 1300 calories on a daily basis.
On the other hand, active dogs, even in their senior years, will require up to 1700 calories per day.
That is why its important to monitor your pets weight, level of activity, and overall well-being.
Always keep in mind that its better to consult with a health professional and receive feeding guidelines according to your pups state if youre not sure about the amount of food they should have.
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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 puppyâs 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 puppyâs 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.
Best Food For German Shepherd Dog German Shepherd Dog Feeding Guide
The German Shepherd Dog has different nutrient needs at different life stages. Therefore, the dog food that you feed your German Shepherd Dog at different ages should be the type that is appropriate for its age.
For example, during its puppy stage, your German Shepherd Dog needs the type of dog food that has been designed to help boost a puppy`s weak immune system.
On the other hand, the adult German Shepherd Dog should have already developed a good immune system. So, during the adult stage, you should feed your German Shepherd Dog the type of dog food that has been designed to prolong the life of a dog.
Nevertheless, some dogs still do well eating the same food at every stage of their lives.
However, feeding your German Shepherd Dog dog food that has been optimized for its age will ensure that your German Shepherd Dog grows well, lives well, and lives long.
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