How Can I Get My German Shepherd To Gain Weight

How Can I Help My German Shepherd Lose Weight

Slow and steady weight loss is key! A well-balanced, nutritionally complete diet is important to ensure that your German Shepherd gets all the nutrients they need. Consulting with a nutritionist or veterinarian can help you determine the calorie requirements for your dog. Any changes to your dogs diet should be done slowly and gradually. Similarly, increasing your dogs exercise should be a progressive and consistent process rather than a sudden change.

Add Meat Broth To Kibble

If you dont want to try the wet dog food option, the next best thing to make their regular meals more palatable and tasty is to add plain meat broth.

This will enhance the flavor and beat most cases of fussy eating.

Just ensure the meat broth you use is a healthy option without a high salt content or artificial flavorings or additives.

German Shepherd Growth & Weight Chart

These numbers are estimates to give you an idea of how much a German Shepherd weighs month by month. Dont worry if your puppy is slightly behind or ahead just be sure to take your pet to regular vet appointments to ensure they are healthy and happy!

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Best Dog Food For German Shepherd To Gain Weight Buyers Guide

There are many things that might be written about the nutritional content of various dog foods. However, we are concerned with a specific purpose here.

We are looking for food that will help a German Shepherd to gain weight. The seven choices listed above should be taken as seven semi-random examples because that is what they are.

Here are some of the things you need to think about when evaluating any kind of dog food.

Food & German Shepherd Health: Why Feed Homemade

Despite being a wonderful dog, German Shepherds are notorious for developing food allergies and/or food hypersensitivities. A study published in BMC Veterinary Research Journal found that German Shepherds are at a high risk of developing cutaneous adverse food reactions 1, or in simpler terms, dog food allergies.

CAFR can be responsible for a multitude of skin allergy issues like atopic dermatitis. Chronic allergic reactions are accompanied by excessive scratching, itching, and biting2. Eventually, this could lead to secondary bacterial or yeast infections in your GSD. Unfortunately, a lot of German Shepherd allergies arise from commercial dog food. Kibble ingredients like protein sources, high levels of animal fat, preservatives, meat by-products, food coloring, grains, and fillers contribute to more allergies in this breed.

Sadly, GSDs are predisposed to degenerative myelopathy, elbow and hip dysplasia, and osteoarthritis3,4,5,6. Because German Shepherds are prone to these skeletal and bone problems, its vital to maintain a healthy weight for GSD. An obese German Shepherd may have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis and other joint maladies because the excess weight puts more strain on their joints, bone structure, and back . It could also potentially lead to degenerative myelopathy in GSDs.

Keep in mind that even grain-free kibbles with high-quality ingredients can have high levels of starchy carbs and bad carbs that contribute to the pet obesity epidemic.

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What Is The Best Kind Of Food To Give A German Shepherd Pup

Glucosamine, as well as chondroitin, create the digestive process smooth and easy. Vitamin E is beneficial for the development of your puppys muscles and a healthy heart and liver. Additionally, antioxidants ensure that the immune system is up and running. In the end, Royal Canin ranks at the top of the top diets to feed German Shepherd puppies.

Is This Dog Food High In Both Protein And Fat

When it comes to weight gain, this really is the most important consideration.

The body uses protein to make muscle and repair bodily tissues, and this means that it is intimately tied to growth and development.

As we said at the beginning, you can choose to give your dog a high-protein diet, or you can choose to give them a high-fat diet. We think its best to do both of these things.

We should mention that a high-fat diet is not something that your dog should continue eating for a long time. Too much fat is definitely associated with a greater risk of heart problems if nothing else.

Thus, you should use high-fat dog food until the desired weight gain is achieved. After that, you should switch back to something in the range of 12-15% fat.

Its important to understand that the body uses fat to process protein. This is true of both humans and dogs, as well as many other creatures.

Protein is simply harder to digest than fat or carbohydrates, and so the body has to use a little of one to process the other. Thus, you want to avoid high-protein diets that are not also high in fat.

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Causes Of Weight Loss In German Shepherds

The main causes of a German shepherd being too skinny or losing weight are:

Obviously, you need to take your dog to a vet in order to find out what is causing the weight loss or lack of weight gain.

Before you do, take time to note when the weight loss started or any other symptoms such as hair loss or diarrhea, or a sudden increase in thirst.

These other symptoms will help your vet diagnose your German shepherds underlying problem more quickly.

Why Is My German Shepherd So Overweight

The most common reason german shepherds are usually overweight is due to their owners overfeeding them and under working them. Weight gain and weight loss go by the simple equation of calories in vs calories out. To put weight in, increase the calories in, to lose weight, increase the calories out.

Thankfully, these are both easy to correct, simply use the methods mentioned earlier in the article to manipulate this equation into your favor. By decreasing the calories in as well as increasing the calories out you are manipulating both sides of the equation in your favor to help your dog lose weight.

Doing this will usually end up with you getting results quicker. That said, we dont recommend that you restrict your dogs recommended calorie intake by more than 20% with between 10-15% being the usual restriction.

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Foods Your German Shepherd Puppy Will Love

These food formulas are all recommended for large breed puppies and meet and exceed regulated nutritional standards.

The better the food, the healthier your pup will be inside and out. Dont feed your German Shepherd puppy the cheapest food you can buy. Cheaper GSD puppy food lack quality proteins that are essential for your working breed dog.

Here are some of the best top-rated German Shepherd puppy foods.

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German Shepherd Diet Chart

Feeding a German Shepherd the right diet will bring out their inner Olympian and give you longer and healthier years with your favorite companion.

When choosing the best food to feed a German Shepherd, look for the following ingredients in your selection. These items listed are all good foods for a German Shepherds diet when mixed in the appropriate amounts in a premium dry kibble.

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Good Foods Forgerman Shepherds

To fatten up your German Shepherd, this type of dog food which is available in a variety of flavors can help. On the other hand, the only downside of this is that it may not be easy to chew for senior German Shepherds. The solution is to add water, so they will be able to eat the hard morsels.

2. WET CANNED DOG FOOD

Not only is this a good food for German Shepherd puppies but as well as for dogs who have dental problems. Obviously, it is easier to chew and digest. Of course, the large amount of water aids the successful digestion of the nutrients. You just need to refrigerate this type of dog food.

3. SEMI-MOIST DOG FOOD

Compared to a wet canned dog food which is almost 80% water, this one has around 65%. On the other hand, commercial dog foods which are semi-moist do tend to have some chemical additives, preservatives, and artificial colors. So, you have to put your eye on that and buy wisely.

4. FREEZE-DRIED DOG FOOD

This type of dog food is produced from real cooked food that underwent a process of removing almost all of its water content. After that, an airy food is put in an air-tight container and it can last for years.

5. FROZEN-THEN-THAWED DOG FOOD

This type of dog food went through a minimal process, so it is really good for German Sheperds. As a result, it makes a dog to look and feel young by improving its health and strength.

6. ORGANIC DOG FOOD

7. DEHYDRATED DOG FOOD

What Is Considered Overweight For A Female German Shepherd

Again, it is difficult to assign a value for weight as every dog is different. Assess your dogs body condition score or change in weight over time. Female dogs may be more prone to weight gain as they age and activity levels decrease, or with hormone changes such as after neutering. It is important to balance your dogs food intake and exercise with each life stage.

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Adding Extra Meals To Their Regular Routine

Offering extra meals to your German Shepherd usually helps to gain weight. You can easily add ¼ to ½ up of additional food per meal to see the result. This additional meal will store in your dogs body and converted into muscles and fat to make him more weigher than before.

Also, increasing the number of feeding by splitting regular and extra food into several feeding times allows your Shepherd to eat more. Veterinarians suggest multiple feeding up to 4 times daily to help your dog gain weight rightly.

My Dog Is Eating But Not Gaining Weight Why

If your dog seems to be eating normally, but theyre still underweight and not gaining anything, theres usually one of two things happening: you arent feeding them enough, or theres an underlying issue not letting them gain weight. You can try feeding them more at mealtime, but if they seem to not gain weight no matter what you do, youll want to take your pup to the vet to make sure nothing else is and causing their weight issues.

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How Much Bigger Will My German Shepherd Get

There are a few ways to gauge how much bigger a German Shepherd will get.

First, check your puppy’s age. If your GSD is younger than two years old, they definitely have room to keep growing!

Another way to tell if your pup still has a lot of growing to do is their paw size. Do their paws look large compared to their legs and body? This is a classic adolescent feature of a dog, and means your pup is likely still growing!

If you bought your German Shepherd from a breeder, they should be able to give you a specific, estimated weight based on your puppys parents and past litters. Most of the time, a dog will not grow bigger than its larger parents.

Why Is My German Shepherd Fat

Reasons for excessive weight gain in German Shepherd dogs

German Shepherds arent those naturally chubby dogs. Thus, if they are gaining weight, there must be some of the other contributions of both dog and the owner.

Here is a list full of reasons explaining Obesity and Overweight in German Shepherds:

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How Do I Keep Track Of My German Shepherds Weight Gain

You could use a notepad or try to find an app thatll help you keep track of your companions weight. You can set some goals on how many more pounds you want your German Shepherd to gain.

Remember to ask your veterinarian for that information.

Be sure to write down the diet plans you use for your dog as well as how effective they were. You could even ask your veterinarian how you can keep track of your canines progress.

First, however, youll need a set of guidelines to follow.

Feed Your German Shepherd Dry Kibble

Dry kibble is known to be one of the best types of food for German Shepherds. Its full of nutrients and calories that can help your dog gain weight. Plus, dry kibble is easy to digest, so your dog will be able to absorb all of the nutrients it needs.

When choosing a dry kibble for your German Shepherd, look for one thats high in protein and fat. These are the nutrients that will help your dog gain weight.

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Why Is My German Shepherd So Skinny Reasons You Should Know

Youve had your German Shepherd for a long time, but you notice something is off. When looking up pictures of other German Shepherds, you see that yours looks much skinnier by comparison.

Thats when you start questioning whether your beloved companion is sick.

The best thing to do in this situation is to bring your dog to the vet. The issue might be something minor, like their diet, or something significant, like an illness or injury.

If your vet tells you that its their daily edibles, then there are a multitude of ways you can fix this.

How To Make My Dog Eat More

What you can do to help when your dog wont eat will depend on what you and your veterinarian determine to be the cause of the problem.

If your dogs decreased appetite is a behavior problem caused by pickiness or discomfort with mealtime, rather than the result of a medical condition, there are a number of things you can do to encourage your pet to eat.

• Cutting back on treats.
• Take your dog for a walk before mealtime.
• If your dog is not eating after 15-20min, take the bowl away and allow her to skip the meal.
• Feeding your pet on a regular schedule, usually at least twice a day.
• Let your dog eat in a quiet corner without distraction.
• Make mealtime fun, such as letting her play with a food dispenser or rewarding your dog with food for doing a trick.
• Changing your dogs feeding situation: Try using different bowls or plates at different heights to see what your dog prefers. You might even put a few pieces of food on the floor. But be careful GSD are can get bloat with an elevated eating position.
• Switch to a different kind of food, such as wet food if you normally feed your dog dry food.
• Add a bit of warm water or broth to your dogs kibble to make it more appealing.
• Hand-feed your dog

If your dogs loss of appetite is caused by illness, the vet may recommend a prescription diet to meet your pets nutritional needs while the underlying disease is being addressed.

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How Much Should A German Shepherd Weigh

Before explaining the causes and solutions, its important to know the average weight ranges of healthy German shepherds.

Male Adults: 65-90lbs Female Adults: 45-70lbs

Keep in mind that puppies can take up to 2 years before they finish putting on weight and building muscle.

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When Should You Consult A Veterinarian

Veterinarians recommend annual checkups twice a year for older pets. If required, your pet will be vaccinated and undergo an extensive physical examination and tests to follow any concerns.

The urine and blood tests will give your veterinarian the scoop about your pets kidney and liver health as well as thyroid hormone levels and many more. If you are concerned about your Shepherd being underweight, it may be worthwhile consulting your vet if the above tips are not working for you.

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Other Tips To Fatten Up Your Dog

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German Shepherd Weight Milestones

Every dog is different and they dont all grow at the same rate. But since German Shepherds have long been a standardized breed, there are established growth milestones theyre expected to achieve for every month of puppyhood and for each year of adulthood until theyre about three years old.

According to the German Shepherd Dog Council of Australia, GSD males reach peak growth at around 3-4 years old, which is when they should weigh between 79 and 88 pounds.

On the other hand, females are considered fully grown at 2-3 years old, weighing approximately 57 to 70 pounds. As puppies, theyre expected to gain weight at the following rates:

These guidelines are useful because they provide a measurable basis for any German Shepherds health. Of course, some German Shepherds may fall outside of these ranges but this is a good guide to start with.

When you care for a GSD, you need to monitor their weight regularly and use the breed standards chart to determine whether theyre underweight or overweight.

If you have any concerns about your German Shepherd being underweight, talk to your vet to be certain.

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