German Shepherd Puppy Wet Food

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe

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Wilderness Salmon is one of 18 dry recipes analyzed in our review of the Blue Buffalo Wilderness product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Deboned salmon, chicken meal, peas, pea protein, menhaden fish meal
• Type: Grain-free
• Profile: Maintenance
• Best for:Adult shepherds only

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon derives the bulk of its animal protein from fresh salmon and chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38% protein, 17% fat and 38% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 44%.

A grain-free, protein-rich formula available in over a dozen flavors and recipes which makes Wilderness ideal for those who appreciate the benefits of diet rotation. Fairly priced and highly recommended.

Sample buyer reviewI have a 3 year old husky and ever since she was a puppy i had her on blue wilderness. Ive got her every flavor if not almost every flavor, and this salmon one is the one she has loved the most! Ieave her food bowl full at all times she so can eat whenever she wants. And she eats this salmon one more than every other flavor. Now i know salmon is her favorite protein (:

Why Do German Shepherds Need Different Food

German shepherds are large dogs that usually weigh 60 to 90 pounds. According to the National Research Council of the National Academies, if you have an inactive or older dog, they require between 1,272 and 1,540 calories per day.

Furthermore, active dogs need between 1,740 and 2,100 calories per day. This type of nutrition can only be provided by food specific to this breed.

Also, unlike other dog breeds, German Shepherd pups are given a puppy-specific diet for only six months . This is done so that rapid growth in the pup is limited as it can cause problems in their bones and joints.

Purina Alpo Chop House Wet Dog Food

Purina has been around since your grandparents fed your mom and dads young puppies. Probably even your great-grandparents, for that matter.

Throughout the years, theyve only gotten better at what they do. Thats what brings about the Alpo Chop House line of wet dog foods.

We think its great for your dogs on its own, but can be made even better through combining it with a dry dog food to create a truly gourmet dish your dog will look forward to every day.

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Blue Buffalo Lamb Dog Food

Blue Buffalo has a wide range of wet dog foods that have gained a well-earned reputation for being some of the best, most affordable canned foods on the market. Their Lamb Dinner line of wet food is a perfect example of why theyve earned such a good reputation with pet owners.

Each can of Freedom Lamb Dinner wet dog food by Blue Buffalo is specially formulated with real lamb, potatoes, and oatmeal, and is naturally infused with essential vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids to promote a healthy nervous system, brain, bones, and muscles.

What Is The Best Food For German Shepherd Puppies

The best food for a young GSD is one that supports healthy development, and tastes great too. Fortunately, there are lots of good options on the market right now that will give your dog a great start in life.

German Shepherd Puppy Nutritional Needs

Dogs are carnivores. Although they will eat vegetables and fruits, their natural diet is meat based. This means that their food should contain high protein and fat levels. German Shepherds also have thick fur, and tend to shed continually throughout the year. The fat content in your dogs diet helps to keep his skin and coat in good condition.

Best Food for German Shepherd Puppy Energy Levels

In general, German Shepherd puppies eat more food than adult dogs. They are curious, extremely busy little creatures who spend much of their day exploring their environment and playing. Such high activity levels coupled with rapid growth demand plenty of fuel to keep them going! As a large breed of dog, your pups growing body needs a particular blend of nutrients in order to reach their full size properly and remain healthy.

The Best German Shepherd Puppy Food for Health

German Shepherds are especially prone to certain health problems, including skin conditions, hip dysplasia, and bloat. These conditions are common to a lot of large breeds of dog, and many manufacturers take them into account. Look for puppy food designed for large, active breeds. The right food might help to prevent these conditions from affecting your pup in later life.

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Is My German Shepherd Underweight How To Understand

To check if your German Shepherd is growing correctly, you can refer to the growth chart and take proper actions according to it.

You can increase the number of meals per day if your puppy seems to be excessively hungry.

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You can make the food tastier if a puppy shows a loss of appetite. Bowel obstruction and stomach pain could be the reasons for this lack of appetite which can be due to the ingestion of toxic food etc.

Dont forget that puppies are very sensitive and fragile and if you ignoring any symptoms of the disease, it can result in severe issues or even puppy fatality.

German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Chart By Age

As a general guideline, heres how much you should feed your German Shepherd puppy daily by their age and cups of food:

• 8 weeks old: 1 to 1 ½ cups of food spread over 4 meals daily
• 12 weeks old: 1 ½ to 2 cups of food spread over 4 meals daily
• 6 months to 9 months old: 2 cups to 3 cup of food spread over 3 meals daily
• 9 months to 12 months old: 3 cups to 3 ½ cups of food spread over 3 meals daily
• 12 months old and above: 3 ½ to 4 cups of food spread over 2 meals daily

Adjust the amounts based on your dogs lifestyle. A more active puppy might need extra calories, while a lower energy puppy doesnt need as much food per day. These are guidelines only.

So, feel free to adjust the amounts based on your German Shepherds energy needs.

Offer your dog their food around the same time each day. 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.

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Dry Dog Food Or Wet Dog Food

Dry food or wet food? Because there are many great dry foods and wet food options for German Shepherd owners, many have difficulty picking between these two types of food or knowing whether they can be mixed. While wet food might seem like the best option, especially because it sometimes contains raw pieces of meat or other nutritional draws.

Dry food is usually a decent option, unless you have an elderly shepherd who has lost teeth, has bladder or kidney issues or is having trouble chewing crunchy bits of food. Dry food has some dental health benefits, is overall more convenient, as well as being nutritionally stable for German Shepherds. The texture can help to remove and prevent plaque from forming on teeth, and especially in early life, chewing dry food can help to build strong jaw bones and muscles.

We combine dry and wet food at times. Especially with our last dog who was a fairly difficult eater. Wet food and raw food make him happy. If you buy a decent brand youll also get all the nutritional value you need. Its also easier to digest. Just make sure it doesnt expire or go bad in the bowl during the summer.

The truth is that high-quality German Shepherd dog food is going to be more expensive than low-quality food.

Natural Balance Premium Wet Dog Food

Our lastrecommendation for this roundup is the Natural Balance Premium Wet Dog Food.This is made of real beef meat and liver as well as carrots, oats, brown rice,potatoes, kelp, and more. This is a powerhouse source of vitamins and mineralsfor a growing German Shepherd.

Each serving of thiswet food has 8% protein, 5% fat, and 1.5% fiber. Aside from that, your dog willget a dose of Omega fatty acids, Vitamins B, C, & D, biotin, and more. Italso meets the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

This is a pate-styledog food with a chunky consistency to keep mealtimes interesting. Take notethat youll get this dog food in a pack of 12 cans for a very competitive cost.

Overall, its a high-quality dog food that almost all dogs will love. It suits both large and small dogs so if you have a multi-canine household, youll never go wrong with this food.

PROS

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Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Large Breed Dry Puppy Food

This recipe from Blue Buffalo is a great option that has everything your puppy needs to stay healthy. Its protein content is 35 percent, which is well above the recommended amount.

Most of that protein comes from wholesome meat sources like deboned chicken and fish. While the kibble has more fat than your pup needs, its all good fat.

The omega fatty acids will keep your dogs fur healthy while also supporting ocular health.

When it comes to minerals, youll be happy to know that this kibble offers the recommended calcium and phosphorus ratio of 1.2:1.

Raw Dog Food Or Cooked

Raw or cooked? Many owners will give their dogs a raw food diet, claiming that raw meat and vegetables are what a dog would be eating if they lived in the wild. However, dogs that live in the wild rarely live to be older than four or five years and domesticated dogs are different enough from wolves and wild dogs that feeding them the exact same diet does not always make sense.

In some instances, a raw food diet is a great choice for a German Shepherd, but do not immediately assume that it is the only choice for your dog. As long as the food is properly cooked, dry food and even homemade dog food can be great for your dog. I mix it up, sometimes raw food, sometimes cooked, but often just dry food.

If you end up giving your dog only dry food make sure they drink enough and provide some kind of running water bowl or system. Be careful they don’t develop bladder stones or kidney stones. Some brands like Royal Canin also have special food for dogs with urinary problems.

The average shepherd should eat between three and five cups of dog food every day.

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Ingredients To Avoid Feeding German Shepherd

Chocolate

Keep chocolate bars and cocoa powder always out of your hounds reach. Weve studied that the toxic ingredient in chocolate is methylxanthines that could cause harm to your dog. At times if German Shepherds consume chocolate, it may lead to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or low blood pressure.

Grapes

Both types of grapes -fresh and dried ones are toxic to German Shepherds. Researchers have not yet concluded as to why so. But they have witnessed dogs having severe kidney failure symptoms, abdominal pain, and vomiting when consumed too many grapes.

Avocado

Avocado is not highly toxic for canines but is mildly harmful to German Shepherds bodies. Theres a toxic ingredient in avocado that is called persin, which increases the obesity of pets. The fat content can lead to pancreatitis that can malfunction the whelps pancreas and affect its digestive system.

Caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine or alcohol, also in small quantities, can harm your German Shepherd Dogs internal system. Consuming it may lead to dangerous complications in your dogs body such as increased hyper activeness and restlessness. Avoid foods such as raw yeast dough and baked goods with liquor.

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German Shepherd Puppies Dietary Needs

German Shepherd dogs require at least 22% protein during their growth stage and 18% protein when they become adult dogs.

German Shepherd Puppies need to consume 8% fat, while adults need 5% fat to meet their energy requirements.

Carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals like calcium, are also requisites for a healthy German Shepherd throughout its various life stages.

Since German Shepherds are susceptible to food allergies, you should avoid giving them food that contains typical allergens like corn, wheat, chicken, and beef.

They may also develop osteoarthritis and other joint maladies like hip dysplasia, so you should opt for products that have glucosamine and chondroitin, which help treat or prevent such conditions.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are also great nutrients to incorporate into your German Shepherd puppys diet, as they are known to promote joint health, reduce inflammation, and improve coat conditions.

Additionally, foods that contain probiotics greatly improve your German Shepherd puppys digestive health and smoothen its function.

This is particularly essential as the breed is oftentimes afflicted with gastrointestinal issues like bloating.

As such, you should encourage your dog to eat slowly, and chew their dog food instead of gulping it down.

Your German Shepherd Puppy is more likely to chew larger kibble pieces, so remember to take into account the sizes of different options before you make your selection.

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What Is The Best Food For German Shepherds With Allergies

If your German Shepherd has allergies, itâs important to find a hypoallergenic best dog food for German Shepherds that will not trigger their symptoms. There are many brands of hypoallergenic dog food on the market that use alternative protein sources, such as duck or venison.

These foods are often grain-free as well, which is ideal for German Shepherds with allergies.

What About Dog Food

The first 5 ingredients listed on a dog food label are required to be listed in order of their pre-cooked weight. So the first 5 ingredients in dog food are the most important and should never include: Corn, Wheat, Gluten, Artificial Colors or Byproducts

“When evaluating any dog food youre always looking for a high quality, digestible meat-based protein as close to the top of the list as possible. So, if you havent found quality protein in those first few ingredients whatever the number its game over for that dog food.” Dog Food Advisor

The best way to choose a food for your new puppy is to read the ingredients on the dog food label and discuss the food with your breeder.

• Protein should be the top ingredient in any dog food.Good protein comes from meat ingredients, but not just any meat ingredients. Good dog foods have specific meat sources, like beef, chicken or turkey, eggs & cheese. Bad protein ingredients include byproducts, like “chicken byproduct meal,” or mystery meats, like “meat meal,” which can include road kill, diseased animals from slaughterhouses and even euthanized dogs and cats.

• AVOID foods that rely on corn products as the main protein source.

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How Many Cans Of Dog Food Should German Shepherd Eat

Watch the dog and not the bowlthats what most vets advice us dog parents. But what do they actually mean by that?

Yes it is true that our German shepherd dogs deserve a healthy and nutritious yet satisfying and generous amount of food, but please know for a fact that the said specific amount varies along the following things that we need to consider:

Size the bigger the dog, the bigger the appetite.

Age a puppys amount of food requirement is way different that an adult dog or even a senior German shepherd dog.

Activity level just like you and I, activity level affects how much food your body would require – and thats pretty much the same with dogs. Active and hardworking German shepherd dogs are most likely to eat more than what a couch potato German shepherd.

Health considerations Vets will recommend a good diet that would suit your senior or sick German shepherd.But to give you an approximate amount for your german shepherd dog with good health and fitness.

German Shepherd Puppy Nutritional Needs

German Shepherd is a large breed and grows very quickly from newborn to adult puppy. German Shepherd puppies require at least 500 calories per day.

As they gain weight, the amount gradually increases. Young adult puppies need between 1500 and 1700 calories per day.

The best dog food for a German Shepherd puppy should have all the necessary nutrients in the right amounts. This is explained below:

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What Were Looking For:

Meets AAFCO nutritional standards: What to feed your puppy is a question I get almost every single day, says Dr. Karie Anne Johnson, a mobile veterinarian and co-founder of VIP Vet Visit. She and the other vets we spoke to all recommend choosing puppy food that has been thoroughly researched and tested for nutritional adequacy by the Association of American Feed Control Officials and meets AAFCOs nutritional standards. All of the puppy food recommended below meets or exceeds AAFCO standards.

High-quality ingredients: Zacharias also stresses that the ingredients should name the exact type of meat included and they should not contain white flour, preservatives such as BHA or BHT, propylene glycol, or rendered fat. If youre among the people who see their dog more as a member of their family than as a pet, you may want to give them minimally processed food that looks more like your own dinner than traditional kibble or wet food. Richardson says that a growing number of the pet owners she sees are interested in human-grade or fresh pet foods. As this is a relatively new concept in the pet-food world and definitions vary a bit by brand, but generally speaking, something labeled fresh pet food is minimally processed, does not use preservatives, and is gently cooked to retain nutrients and reduce the risk of harmful bacteria present in some raw diets. These foods usually come frozen and need to be thawed before each meal.