German Shepherd Raw Meat Diet

Raw Dog Food Nutritional Guidelines

So, what does a German Shepherd raw diet plan looks like?

The recommended guidelines for a BARF diet consist of 70% uncooked muscle meat, 10% raw edible bone, 10% vegetables and fruit, 5% liver, and 5% other organs.

Your GSDs raw diet plan should also follow the AAFCOs guidelines to create a balanced meal that supports life and proper function in dogs. AFFCO , and it states every dog meal should have 6 indispensable nutrients. These include protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water.

A proper raw diet should consider your pups weight, health conditions, size, and activity level.

*If feeding the Prey model, this method typically consists of 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, and 10% organs . No fruits or veggies.

Introduction To Feeding The German Shepherd Dog

Most dog owners do not know how to properly feed their dogs.

Also, most dog owners overfeed their dogs.

That explains why 59 percent of dogs and cats are overweight, according to research.

Overfeeding your German Shepherd Dog will make your German Shepherd Dog overweight and obese. Obesity leads to worse health problems for your German Shepherd Dog.

Fortunately, the German Shepherd Dog is a dog breed that does not become overweight very easily.

Nevertheless, you still need to pay careful attention to what you feed your German Shepherd Dog and how much food you feed your German Shepherd Dog.

Furthermore, when you overfeed your German Shepherd Dog, you waste dog food. Wasting dog food is the same as wasting money. Dog food is a recurring expenditure that adds up to a lot of money over the lifespan of your German Shepherd Dog.

German Shepherd Dogs have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years.

When you feed your German Shepherd Dog the right type of food and the right amount of food, your German Shepherd Dog will be of the right body weight and the right body condition .

Similarly, underfeeding your German Shepherd Dog is as bad of a problem as overfeeding your German Shepherd Dog.

When you underfeed your German Shepherd Dog or feed your German Shepherd Dog an incomplete or unbalanced diet, you reduce your German Shepherd Dog`s quality of life.

The right amount of food that your German Shepherd Dog needs depends on six important factors.

Is It Safe To Feed All Kinds Of Raw Meat To Your German Shepherd

So, knowing that German shepherds have a tolerant stomach thanks to their wolf ancestors and genetic build, is it safe for them to eat all types of raw meat? The answer is, yes, for the most part.

While most raw meat is safe for a German shepherd to consume, we advise you not to feed your pet any raw meat that you wouldnt cook and eat yourself.

We suggest following the same guidelines you would use when choosing and cooking meat for you and your family.

Yes, a German shepherd may have stronger stomach acids than us but they are not wolves. Domesticated animals can sometimes have weaker gastrointestinal systems due to various factors such as genetics.

Ensure that you inspect the expiration date of any meat you are considering feeding your dog. If the date has passed, do not feed it to your pooch. This can cause stomach upsets and a messy floor.

Lets take a look at some of the risks associated with raw meat when its fed to a German shepherd.

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Preparing A Raw Food Dog Meal

One of the best ways to feed your German Shepherd dog a raw food diet is to prepare the food yourself. The best way to do this is through the whole carcass model. If you are squeamish were uncomfortable touching or cutting up meat, you may want to avoid this.

The whole carcass model includes all the different types of meat that your dog would be able to source from an animal that they caught in the wild: muscle meat, organs, and meaty bones. The bones provide extra sustenance as well as great chew toys for your pup.

Raw Dog Food Delivery Service

If you are a German Shepherd owner with a busy lifestyle and dont have much time to cook for your pet and wish your GSD could enjoy the benefits of eating raw food, a raw dog food delivery service is for you.

BARF World is one of our favorite options and the best raw food for German Shepherds available in the market.

This raw dog food company is the pioneer of raw diets for dogs. They deliver Biologically Appropriate Raw Food straight to your door. Their formula is a balanced blend of raw meat, fruits, vegetables, organs, and bone. Plus, its supplemented with 4 other key ingredients.

BARF World states their food has helped generations of dogs become free of allergies, itchy skin and coats, digestive problems, obesity, and weight problems, among other issues.

All of their ingredients are USDA sourced, and their formulas are developed with the input of a veterinary nutritionist to meet the nutritional guidelines for dog food.

The best part of feeding BARF World is that you never have to worry about balancing ingredients, portion sizing,grinding, chopping, measuring, mixing, potential pathogens in raw ingredients, and all the risks and hassles involved in cooking raw dog food on your own.

In our experience, its a huge time-saver, and you can spend time on more important things like walks or training. We think its worth the cost after you add up the prices of all the ingredients youll need to cook a recipe and the convenience of it.

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German Shepherd Homemade Food Tips

Once you pick a recipe for your GSD or GSD puppy, its time to prepare it. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Can You Feed Your German

While feeding your german-shepherd an uncooked meat diet is not suggested, it is not impossible. However, if youre feeding them a raw meat diet, youll need to feed it as a supplement with other foods.

Organs, muscles, and bones, both whole and ground, are key elements of a raw meat diet. You will, however, need to include other foods in addition to meat. Eggs, raw or cooked, are a fantastic option. If they arent lactose sensitive, you also can give them milk and cheese.

Above all, make sure you provide them with plenty of vegetables and fruits. These will provide your german-shepherd with several vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients he or she requires to survive.

Fruits such as apples, bananas, strawberries, and watermelon are excellent choices, as are vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, spinach, & celery.

Lastly, and most importantly, always remember that even after all of this, youre unlikely to provide your german-shepherd with a nutritionally adequate meal. Raw food diets should be avoided because they are likely to become deficient somehow.

At this point, you must have gotten a lot of information about the benefits and risks of raw meat for your german-shepherd. Now I will be talking about whether german shepherds in different stages of life or with different conditions can eat raw meat or not.

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Can You Feed A German Shepherd Raw Meat

As much as you may want to feed your German Shepherd the raw meat that he is so desperately wanting, you care too much about his health to just do so without knowing if it is safe.

Can you feed a German Sheperd raw meat? It is safe to feed a dog raw meat as long as it is fresh and has been thoroughly washed. A dogs gastrointestinal system is evolved to eat raw meat. This allows them to safely consume it and remain unaffected by the bacteria contained in it.

Picture yourself standing in your kitchen preparing meat to cook, you feel a presence, and when you turn to look you notice your German Shepherd staring intently into your eyes then at the meat, then back into your eyes. Sound familiar? Your dog doesnt care if the meat is raw or cooked, he just wants some. Though if given the choice, he would prefer take it as is, no need for cooking.

But before you feed your German Shepherd raw meat, please make sure that you are following proper precautions. In this article, we will take a closer look at the benefits and potential hazards of feeding raw meat to your dog, as well as explore an alternative.

Why Is A Raw Meat Diet Best For German Shepherds

Raw meat is not only a great protein source for German Shepherds it’s an optimal diet.

Raw meat to dogs is like a keto diet to humans, allowing them to reach their total capacity and excellent health. In nature, dogs are a carnivorous species holistic raw dog food aligns most with their natural needs.

Dogs’ digestive systems are very different from our own. Their stomach is much more acidic, with an average pH of 1. Common bacteria in meat, such as Salmonella and E. Coli , cannot survive in a dog’s short acidic digestive tract.

Many owners are intimidated by raw food, worried that the pathogens and bacteria could harm their dogs.

However, when feeding your German Shepherd dry dog food like kibble, you deprive them of vital nutrients and hydration.Most kibble brands lack essential components to your dog’s health, such as protein, Vitamin D, biotin, water, and trace minerals. Feeding your dog aBARF diet is the best diet because it will provide them with all the needed nutrients. With a balanced BARF diet provided by a reliable source, your German Shepherd will be healthier than ever.

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What Can German Shepherds Eat

So now we know what nutrients dogs need lets take a closer look at what exactly they can eat. These are the main foods German Shepherds can eat. However, they do come with some caveats, so read on!

These are the caveats to be aware of:

• If a fruit contains pits or seeds, these must be removed as they contain toxic cyanide.
• Most vegetables should be cooked first to help with digestion.
• Fruits, vegetables, dairy, and nuts should be fed in small amounts no more than 10% of daily calories.
• Although dogs can eat some nuts, they are not recommended due to their high-fat content, which can cause an upset stomach.
• Its not advisable to feed raw eggs or raw fish due to the risk of salmonella or listeria.
• Some dogs are lactose intolerant and can not eat certain dairy foods, depending on how much lactose they contain.

I wrote complete guides to all the fruits and vegetables your German Shepherd can eat where you can find a ton of helpful information. These articles also include the nasty ones to watch out for!

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Preparation Of Our Homemade Diet

All of the information above might seem intimidating, but I assure you that making the actual meals for our dogs takes no more than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.

First, we cook our complex carbs, whether theyre grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables.

While that pot is simmering on the stove, we cook the meat in a separate pan in coconut oil and ground turmeric. After its cooled a bit, we add chunks of meat to our food processor and pulse until theyre broken down into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.

Then, we gather whatever vegetables or fruits we have in the kitchen , chop them up as needed, and toss them into the food processor.

We also add a few clean, crushed eggshells to the mix. A few pulses turns all this food into smaller pieces, making them more digestible for our dogs.

Finally, we add the cooled, cooked carbs to the food processor and do a couple more pulses to combine. Everything should have a finely crumbled texture by this point.

Since dogs have short digestive tracts, its crucial that you break down the food to increase its bioavailability that is, making all the nutrients in those wholesome ingredients more digestible in a dogs system.

I prepare enough food to last my two pugs an entire week. Its unbelievably easy, and I like knowing exactly what goes into their food. Friends will watch us feed our pugs and remark that it looks good enough for them to eat!

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How Often Should I Feed My German Shepherd

German Shepherds have different nutritional requirements at different stages of their lives. Although most food brands recommend feeding frequencies based on their meal formulation, here’s the average number of times you should feed your pet daily.

If your puppies are between six to 12 weeks old, you should feed them four meals daily. Puppies between the age of 12 to 24 weeks should eat at least three meals a day.

When your German Shepherds are six months old, you can reduce their meals to twice a day. Also, you can further reduce their meal to once a day when they are one year old.

German Shepherd Raw Food Risks

Generally, dogs can eat raw meat without getting poisoned or sick. Their bodies are built to process meat and bones fast.

Though there are potential upsides to BARF and some veterinarians recommend it, there are some disadvantages.

• Uncooked or feeding raw poses a higher risk of contamination with potentially harmful pathogens that can sicken your pet and possibly be transmitted to humans.

• Feeding whole bones to dogs present a risk of choking, broken teeth, intestinal obstruction, or internal punctures.

• Cooking a nutritionally unbalanced raw food diet can jeopardize your dogs health.

To minimize these risks, you need to:

1. Thoroughly wash all meats, organs, and other raw ingredients.

2. Getting raw products from reputable grocery stores/butchers with high sanitary standards is recommended.

3. Feeding only raw bones that are small with a lot of joints or ground bones. NEVER feed cooked bones. They become softer after cooking and are at greater risk of splintering when chewed. Avoid big bones.

You should feed raw under the guidance of a vet nutritionist. He or she can provide nutritional guidance and/or recommend a raw food delivery service for your GSD.

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What To Look For In Fresh Food

Most fresh food services are offered by subscription and delivered to your door. The best ones work with veterinary nutritionists to formulate a plan customized for your dog. They offer options in recipe choices, portion size, and frequency of delivery. They also provide easy-to-understand information about ingredients, feeding schedules, and how to keep the food fresh.

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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Your Dog Will Feel And Look Healthier

Although the changes wont happen overnight, you can rest assured that you will see benefits in the long term. Many pet owners state that visible physical changes happened after their pets switched to a raw diet. These are some of the claimed physical benefits of feeding your dog raw meat:

• Reduced itching
• Higher energy levels

Can German Shepherds Eat Raw Meat

Yes, dogs, including German Shepherd, can eat raw meat and other raw ingredients. German Shepherds are true carnivores, just like any dog, and can, thrive on a raw meat diet. From DNA studies, we know dogs descended directly from the timber wolf approximately 15,000 years ago1. Wolves are clear carnivores, so genetically, dogs demonstrate similar and noticeable carnivorous traits. Their teeth, digestive system, and behavior account for their meat-eating capabilities.

Unlike humans or animals like cows, dogs dont have flat teeth or chew their cud from side to side. Like all carnivores, dogs have narrow pointy back teeth, and their jaws can only move in an up-and-down, chop-chop motion. Carnivores do not produce amylase in their salivary glands. Dogs dont produce amylase in their saliva but their pancreas and small intestine2.

Finally, meat-eating animals like dogs have a higher concentration of stomach acid. This allows faster digestion of animal protein, and the stronger acids kill the bacteria in decaying meat.

However, Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, a Purina veterinarian, says feeding a diet consisting primarily of raw meat may not provide the complete and balanced nutrition your dog needs3. If you plan to feed raw meat to your GSD, you need to do it as part of a balanced raw meal plan. Any raw meat needs to be fresh and thoroughly washed before feeding it.

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