Homemade Dog Food Recipe
This easy homemade dog food recipe is filled with hearty ground turkey and is all-natural. Skip the kibble and try something fresh. Rascals homemade dog food recipe is filled with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, carrots, and zucchini squash and macaroni noodles.
Please note** I am not a veterinarian, just a loving dog Mom, and I highly recommend consulting with a vet that practices homemade / human-grade dog food practices before changing your dogs diet. This meal plan has worked wonderfully for us and I hope it does the same for you.
You can grab all the shopping items and products used for this recipe over on The Inspired Home from this post!
Our golden retriever Rascaleats a 100% human-grade dog food diet.
Jared and I always joke that we could eat Rascals food with enough sriracha.
Let me preface but saying that I NEVER thought I would be the type of person that made their dogs food homemade.
After Rascal turned a year old or so, he started developing really strange eating habits.
He wasnt finishing his food, had loud intense stomachaches, and frequently threw up.
We went through a number of blood tests. He had been diagnosed with things like pancreatitis, anxiety and one vet even thought he had parvo. We were stressed and at a loss at how to more forward. That is until we did an allergy test.
We uncovered that Rascal was allergic to a dozen different food items, one being beef, the main ingredient in his traditional dry dog food.
Best German Shepherd Food Type
The type of German Shepherd food must consist of various nutritional components comprised of proteins that help in maintaining the health of the coat and activeness of the dog as well. Then comes fat followed by carbohydrates and vitamins and including all these essential products make the best German Shepherd food.
Protein being the chief nutrient is mostly available in dog foods, and they majorly include meat such as beef, chicken, fish, etc. Many also consume meat meals which is a highly concentrated form of animal protein and form an essential element of German Shepherd food. Carbohydrates being the next to provide glucose and digests in the pups small intestine. Majorly two primary forms are available for puppies and dogs that are canned food and dry food.
The significant difference between canned and dry food is moisture content. The dry food, also known as kibble food contains 10% of moisture content whereas the canned or wet food contains 78% of moisture content. Another difference that we consider is the ingredients. The dry foods central part is meat chunks whereas the in case of canned food it is meat and animal derivatives. The next difference comes the cost, the kibble or dry food is more budget-friendly in comparison to the wet food.
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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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What Is A Gsds Nutritional Requirement
You can find more information about specific GSD nutritional requirements by
GSDs are carnivores, which mean they require a higher content of protein in their diet. This protein is what provides them energy and keeps them strong and healthy.
Protein also plays a vital role in your GSDs growth and it is recommended that a GSD get at least 22% of protein in its diet. It is best to feed pure protein to your GS instead of buying poor quality dog food that has corn syrup added as a filler which is extremely harmful to a dog.
The other nutritional requirement for a GS is fat.
Fat comes from protein and gives taste to a dogs meal. However, feeding too much fatty foods to your dog will be harmful to its health. While on the other hand, if you feed too less fat, it will create a lot of skin problems for your German Shepherd.
Feeding a raw diet starting at an early age will help your pup grow faster. A raw meat diet is also helpful in strengthening the bones and fights several diseases in GSDs. If meat shops are hard to find in your area, US Wellness Meats menu selection offers free shipping for online orders across the state.
Fat content in a dogs diet also keeps its fur healthy. As a GS sheds a lot of fur throughout the year, it is extremely important that it is given the right amount of fat in its food. AAFCO recommended fat content for German Shepherd is 5%-8%.
That is what the science says, and in our experience, you should obey it.
Can German Shepherds Eat Bones
Do you remember the saying give a dog a bone? But can GermanShepherds eat bones?
German Shepherds can eat bones. They are a good source of nutrients, especially calcium and phosphorus. However, never feed a cooked bone as the cooking causes it to soften and splinter as your dog chews it and can cause injuries or choking. Choose a large raw bone larger than your dogs muzzle.
Beef or lamb bones are better than chicken or pork bones as they are stronger and wont easily splinter. Bones can also help to clean your dogs teeth and keep them strong. Always supervise your GSD when giving him a bone.
The best bone to give to your dog is one that matches their size, as dogs will try to swallow them. Bones should be larger than the length of the muzzle, making them impossible to swallow whole. For example, a large beef shank bone would be just the thing for my German Shepherd, and she certainly thinks so!
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What Nutrients Does A German Shepherd Puppy Need
German Shepherd puppies require a protein-rich diet to help them grow well and have sustained energy for their active lifestyle. Your puppy needs at least 22% protein in his diet. High-quality protein sources include fish, chicken, and beef.
According to our German Shepherd puppy feeding chart, your pup needs 5% of fat in their diet for healthy skin and coat. The recommended amount of carbs for your puppy is 5% to 8% and should come from fruits and vegetables such as peas and potatoes.
Your puppy also requires minerals, vitamins, probiotics, antioxidants, water, and omega fatty acids in their diet to ensure that their immunity is healthy.
What Type Of Dog Food Is Best For German Shepherds
We all want the best for our dogs and want to feed them the best diet for their needs. But, there are so many different types of dog food which is best for German Shepherds?
The best type of dog food for German Shepherds is dry food, as it is more practical for large breeds. It is also the least expensive, even a high-quality brand. Of course, you can choose to feed other types, such as wet, a mix of dry and wet, raw, home-produced, dehydrated, or freeze-dried.
Most people feed their dogs with commercial dry food or wet canned food, but there are numerous different types, and it isnt easy to know where to start! These are the main different TYPES of food that you can feed your GSD:
- Complete dry foods
- A mix of dry and wet
- Home produced diets
- Complete raw diets
It is a requirement that all commercial dog food be complete and balanced according to the strict guidelines of the AAFCO. Complete means the food must contain all the nutrients required, and balanced means the nutrients present must be in the correct ratios.
The AAFCO also provides information on how to understand a dog food label. Its a pretty heavy read but what it means is dog food will be nutritionally labeled depending on a dogs life stage.
If you choose to feed commercial dog food , always check the packaging for what is known as The Nutritional Adequacy Statement. This was designed for vets, nutritionists, and dog owners to evaluate the foods nutritional value to their pets.
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How Much Food Should I Give My German Shepherd Puppy How Often Should I Feed My Puppy
Young puppies need to eat 3-4 times a day in small amounts.
If necessary, you can divide the food into two larger meals, but make sure you are not feeding them so much that they start to vomit. The puppies will not necessarily be regulated, so it is easy for them to eat ad nauseam and then vomit, you have to regulate the amounts for them.
The food for German shepherd puppies is very different from the adult dog food
What Your German Shepherd Should Be Eating
Your German Shepherd should be getting a balanced diet and it needs to contain all the nutrients they require. If youre feeding them an unbalanced diet and theyre eating unhealthy foods, youre going down a path that will lead to health problems and expensive vet bills.
Do what you can now to make sure that your German Shepherds diet is the best it can be so you dont have to worry about certain dietary health problems popping up in the future.
There are plenty of different foods you can feed your German Shepherd, but you should keep their diet consistent and avoid too much variation in the foods they eat.
Identifying which kind of foods you want to feed your German Shepherd is important so you can adjust their diet accordingly.
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Fats And Other Essential Vitamins And Minerals
A German Shepherd puppy needs around 8% fat in their diet, while an adult GSD should have about 5% fat in their diet.
Natural fats from fish, meat, and plant-based oils contain beneficial properties that are great for your dogs cognition and muscle movement.
These fats will also have visual benefits, as your German Shepherds coat will have a beautiful shine when they get enough fat and oil in their diet!
Because German Shepherds are a powerful breed of dog, their energy levels will be served well by feeding them dog food that contains a range of vitamins like Vitamin A, B12, and E.
Month Old German Shepherd
At 4 months old, you can begin introducing more live animal products into their diet. Ingredients like actual bone, pieces of liver, and raw eggs are great to help your dog pick up the nutrients that may be lacking in their dry dog food.
Avoid giving them too much, though, by following the guidelines weve given you above.
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Healthy Homemade Dog Food Ingredients
According to WEBMD your dog needs protein from animal meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs. They need fat from meat or oil and carbohydrates from grains or vegetables. In addition, essential fatty acids from plant oils, egg yolks, oatmeal, and other foods. The question is in what amounts? After much research, we created a recipe that our dogs love they are healthy, have tons of energy, and their coats and eyes shine!
- From the Cutting Board.
- Joanies Ancient Food Processor!
- Finished Dog Food!
- Ready For Freezing!
The listed ingredients are used most of the time. Fresh meats like lean ground beef, ground turkey, and chicken gizzards provide a heavy dose of protein. Tuna, salmon, or sardines are always used. The eggs also add protein and essential oils. There are fruits and vegetables in the mix and even rice for digestion, although no wheat grains or sugars! Our homemade dog food is human grade. The main point is we know and control what goes into their food!
What Type Of Gsd Puppy Food To Feed
There are four types of puppy food: dry kibble, wet food, homemade food, and raw food.
Because puppyhood is a very brief period of time less than one year of your dogs life! and feeding complete and balanced nutrition is simply vital for adult health, most owners opt for commercial dry kibble that is nutritionally complete and balanced with wet food supplementation as needed.
Homemade dog food can be really challenging to make in a way that ensures it is complete and balanced nutritionally.
In most cases, you will need to work closely with your dogs veterinarian to add in additional vitamins and minerals for full and complete daily nutrition.
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What Are The Worst Dog Foods To Buy
Check out this article if youre a dog owner.On the plus side, for a low price youre going to get an appropriate nutritional profile for your dogs breed or size. But cheaper may not always mean better when it comes to pet food. If the name-brand stuff is outrageously expensive to buy in your part of the country, cheaper might be good enough until budget permits, but check reviews first and make sure that its really meeting your pups needs before switching over too completely without any transition time..
How Fast Do German Shepherds Grow
German Shepherds are medium-large dogs and therefore grow at a fast rate over the first six to seven months leading up to adolescence. Adult German Shepherds are 22 to 26 inches tall and weigh 50 to 95 pounds.
Reputable weight charts suggest your German Shepherd puppy will have attained three-quarters of their final weight over these first six to seven months.
This is A LOT of growing to do in a short amount of time when you brought your puppy home, it was probably only eight inches tall and weighed around 15 pounds.
By 12 to 15 months old, a German Shepherd is within an inch or less of their adult height. By the 18 month mark, it will have reached 98% of its adult weight.
Therefore, your male German Shepherd will be 23 to 25 inches tall and weigh 59 to 93 pounds by his first birthday.
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Stages Of Feeding A German Shepherd Puppy
To help you understand your German Shepherd puppys body, the stages of feeding a German Shepherd puppy might be:
1. Nursing and Mothers Milk
The first 6-8 weeks a GSD puppy should be left with their mother to be nursed on their mothers milk if possible.
This milk contains nutrients and antibodies to protect your puppy against disease.
So, if you wondered what to feed a 6 week old German Shepherd, milk is probably the best option.
2. Weaning And Transition To Solid Food
Weaning a puppy from mothers milk to solid foods occurs at the 6-8 week mark, and the puppy is then ready to transition to solid foods.
Puppies have sensitive stomachs that are easy to upset leading to diarrhea and vomiting among other problems.
To reduce the risk of upsetting your German Shepherd Puppys stomach, you can buy milk replacer or puppy milk, and mix this milk with your selected puppy solid food to create a gruel . You can also use water.
In the transition phase a puppy might eat a gruel/mushy food mix to get their stomachs used to more solid food.
3. Eating Solely Solid Food
After 2-3 weeks of the transition phase of milk replacer and solid food, your puppy should be ready to eat solely solid foods at around 8 to 11 weeks of age.
Once again, your vet is the best person to approve the plan for weaning, transitioning to solid puppy food and the type of solid puppy food and puppy milk to feed your German Shepherd puppy.
Taste Of The Wild High Prairie Canine Grain
If you want your puppy delighted with its meal and for him to grow into a big boy, then Taste Of The Wild High Prairie is the healthiest pick of the day. Its a superior quality formula that is suitable for German Shepherd with delicate tummies.
The blend contains no grain, so there is no question of gluten-related problems. There are no fillers in the meal. And, it has only 100% natural ingredients to guarantee the absolute healthful development of your puppy. Even the smaller-sized kibble is to make chewing and digestion easier for your little fluff ball.
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