What You Should Not Feed German Shepherds
If there are food items that must go into your pets diet, there are also those that must never make it into his or her food bowl.
Pop culture taught us that dogs are fond of eating bones. While it is true that they have strong jaws capable of chewing bones, it is just risky and far from practical. First of all, eating bones can lead to choking. Secondly, it may harm your pets gastrointestinal system. To make sure that German Shepherds are not exposed to these vulnerabilities, you need to opt for dry and/or wet food.
Then, there are also ingredients that are toxic for dogs. These include the following:
- Chocolates
- Salt
- Among others
Extremely spicy and/or extremely salty food only upsets your pets stomach. Worse, it can be fatal. So, instead, feed him or her with snacks that have high nutritional values. Fruits and vegetables must surely be on top of your list.
Summary: What Kind Of Dog Food Should I Feed My German Shepherd
The type of dog food you feed your dog, and how much, depends on a lot of factors including but not limited to:
Age
How Much Exercise They Get
Whether They Are Pregnant And/Or Lactating
Whether There Is Other Health Requirements To Consider
The best approach when you first get your dog is to see your dogs vet for a general food plan, and also a recommendation of a food brand and product.
They can make a recommendation based on their assessment of your dogs health and dietary needs.
Usually, some type of commercial dog food product is suggested by a vet as they are easily accessible, and foods like kibble dry food can be quite economical.
Commercial foods, although not perfect, also tend to be formulated to meet certain nutritional requirements , and be formulated for a certain life stage puppy, adult, senior and a nutritional analysis and life stage is usually on the packaging or label.
In some instances, specialised food plans for dogs with allergies, intolerances, health conditions etc. may be recommended by a vet.
What Should Be In Your Dogs Diet
German Shepherds are carnivores by nature. They require a high amount of protein in their diet. This protein provides them with energy and keeps them strong and healthy. It is recommended that your German Shepherd gets about 22% of their needed protein in the diet.
They also require taking fat. Fat is burnt for energy and gives a taste to your dogs meals. Its recommended that an adult German Shepherd stays on diets that are 8-10% fats.
Fat also keeps your German Shepherds coat healthy. A German Shepherd sheds a lot throughout the year so it is important to give them the right amount of fat in their food.
As a rule of thumb, the more active your dog is, the more fats and proteins do they need. However, you still need to keep it limited because too much of a good thing turns it into a bad thing, and too much protein or fat intake is bad for your dog. For example, if you feed them a lot of fat, your German Shepherd will develop hip dyslexia.
Please keep in mind that in this article, Im not going to discuss the topic of dry food, because Its a topic that needs to go into in great depth. Fortunately, I have already done that in another article, so make sure to check out the best dog food for german shepherd puppies here.
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How Much Grooming Do German Shepherds Need To Help Their Fur Grow
If you own a German Shepherd or are thinking of getting one, youll want to be prepared for a lot of grooming. These dogs are sometimes affectionately referred to as German Shedders for a reason.
No matter what length of coat your German Shepherd has, theyre going to shed. Shedding leads to matting, and matting leads to stunted coat length. To prevent mats from forming, youll want to brush your German Shepherd daily if possible.
Brushing does more than just remove any excess hair that your pooch sheds. It helps keep their skin healthy in general.
Brushing your dog distributes oils from their glands to the rest of their fur. It also helps their skin. Healthier skin leads to a healthier coat.
You can either brush and bathe your dog yourself or find a quality groomer. We recommend brushing your dog daily and scheduling regular appointments with a grooming service.
A monthly grooming appointment will go a long way toward managing any undercoat shedding that your German Shepherd exhibits.
When youre grooming your dogs coat, youll need to have the right tools in your arsenal. Heres a great article to tell you about which brushes are best to use on German Shepherds.
Should You Feed A German Shepherd Puppy Supplements
Required Vitamins and minerals are an essential part of a puppys diet. This is invaluable to a healthy puppys growth. If you want your dog to have healthy skin and a shiny coat, you should feed him vitamin A. You can give him vitamin E to help support his immune system.
Minerals act as a supplement to the vitamins and also ensures the healthy general function of your German Shepherds entire anatomy.
You need to be aware that just of the best vitamins and minerals for your German Shepherd puppy by visiting your vet and assessing his overall health.
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A Mixture Of Dry And Wet Foods
Most dog owners may prefer to feed their German Shepherd with a hybrid of both dry and wet foods. The beautiful thing about this food option is that your pet will enjoy the best of both foods. If your pet is on a dry meal diet, you may change to wet foods as toppings or a special treat.
However, it would help if you were sure that you are not exceeding your dog’s recommended calorie intake. Else, you may end up breeding an overweight, obese, and inactive dog.
Most dog owners mix both dry or wet foods in a bowl during each meal. Other people alternate both food types for morning and evening meals . In any case, you should seek your nutritionist or veterinarian’s advice to ensure that you are within the calorie limit for your pet.
How Much Should You Feed A German Shepherd Puppy
Watching your German Shepherd puppy grow from newborn to senior is a pleasurable experience but feeding them can get confusing for first-time dog owners. Newborn German Shepherd puppies require being fed at least once every 3-4 hours. As they grow older this will slowly decrease to only twice per day.
In this article, you will learn how much to feed a German Shepherd puppy and the diet restrictions of this friendly, hyperactive breed.
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Is Banana Good For German Shepherd
Bananas are one of the safest and most nutritious fruits that you can give your German Shepherd. The best part is that most dogs love them! For as long as you check for allergies, limit consumption, and keep the peel away, bananas should be an excellent addition to your arsenal of natural dog treats.
Victor Purpose Nutra Pro Dog Food
Rating:
Nutra Pro is one of 6 dry recipes evaluated in our review of the Victor Purpose product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, blood meal, whole grain millet, chicken fat, yeast culture
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Profile: All life stages
- Best for:German shepherd puppy or adult
Victor Purpose Nutra Pro derives most of its animal protein from chicken meal and blood meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 46% protein, 24% fat and 22% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 52%.
Nutra Pro is also rich in low-glycemic carbohydrates for sustained energy and omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. Highly recommended.
Sample buyer reviewThis formulation is new to the rotation for my 2 Australian Shepherds. Magic happily gave it 4 paws up after her first bowl. Loki, my fussy eater, was a bit skeptical at first, til he had the experience of eating this food being dispensed by a moving toy. Now his review is also 4 paws up. // I was able to transition to this food with no GI upset or poop changes. If you regularly change food brands or formulations, consider adding this food for your energetic canine partners. Highly recommended!
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Meal Plan / Feeding Guide By Weight
There are lots of German Shepherd food brands out there. However, you need to look for foods that meet your pet’s unique dietary requirements.
A few great recommendations from Hungry Bark include:
- Superfoods with Chicken, Turkey + Brown Rice
- Superfoods with Turkey + Duck
- Superfoods with Lamb + Turkey
- Superfoods with Salmon
If you doubt how much food your dog needs, you should check the meal pack. Most dog food brands provide feeding calculators to help you work out how much your pet needs.
Dry Foods
Hungry Bark recommends these daily serving amounts for your German Shepherds.
- 3lbs: 29-43 grams daily
- 80lbs: 431-517 grams daily
- Above 36kg : You should add half a cup for every additional 7kg .
Lactating German Shepherds need more calories than other adults. So If your female pet is lactating, you should visit your vet or pet nutritionist to recommend the best feeding schedule and amounts for your pet.
Puppies typically need three times the amount of food as adults. And Hungry Bark recommends thrice of daily adult servings for German Shepherd puppies. However, if your puppyâs activity level is low, you should stick to twice the daily adult servings to avoid obesity.
If you are transitioning to Hungry Barkâs dry food, you should feed your pet 75% of the old food and 25% of the new food in the first three days. Within the next 4-6 days, you can serve your pet 50% of the new food and 50% of the old food.
Wet Canned Foods
Healthy Homemade Dog Food
Our Tasty Low Carb family not only consists of Joanie and Chris, but also two Havanese Sisters Lulu and Kiki! If you have pets you know how they become part of the family and an integral part of your life. Our dogs are dependent upon us for virtually everything in return they offer unconditional love and lots of fun. For that reason, we only make them Healthy Homemade Dog Food! We use only the best ingredients with no fillers or added sugars or spices. We also make all of their dog treats at home. Their food is very low carb!
Our furry family members are Chocolate Havanese. Often called silk dogs, most in this breed are white with brown or black markings. Some are brindle in color. Lulu and Kiki are each about 9 1/2 pounds in weight, although they look heavier with all their fur. They do require frequent brushing, but they are hypoallergenic and they do not shed. As you can tell, they are very much a part of our low-carb family you do get attached to your pets!
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Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Adult
Coming in fourth is Wellness Large Breed dog food specifically designed to meet the needs of large breed dogs.
It contains four high-quality protein sources, but, like Whole Earth Farms, is lower in protein than the top two . This makes it suitable for less active dogs.
Another plus is that Whole Earth Farms also includes glucosamine and chondroitin for your German Shepherd’s bone and joint health.
This dog food also contains a range of fruits and vegetables, including, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, apples and sweet potatoes, which makes the formula very vitamin-rich.
Wellness products are also free from preservatives, chemicals, additives, and by-products, as well as common allergens like corn, soy, and wheat.
This product lacks most common allergens. However, it does contain rice, which may still cause allergic reactions in some German Shepherds.
PROS
Is Chicken Bad For German Shepherds
Your German Shepherd can eat chicken. This high-protein food provides your dog with lots of energy. Make sure the chicken is plain and avoid the skin as this is high in fat. Don t feed raw chicken due to the risk of salmonella unless your dog is used to a raw diet and you buy specially prepared raw food for him.
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German Shepherd Diet Guide
There is actually a lot to learn about your dogs diet, and not only do dogs have different nutritional needs at every age, but also this can change from one dog to another depending on many things.
Things your dogs diet depends on:
So, yeah, there is actually a lot to learn about your dogs food, but I promise you we will keep it as simple as possible.
Enroll Your Dog In Any Health Insurance Plan
A responsible owner always cares for his GSDs needs. Its good to plan for the future. A complicated health issue like elbow dysplasia can turn out to be a financial burden to any owner. However, dog health insurance can help relieve that burden.
Additionally, you can consult your vet on the best insurance coverage plans for your dog. However, my take is that any n pet insurance plan can save you in times of need.
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Best Diet For German Shepherds
German Shepherds grow to a large size dog breed between 60 to 90 pounds that is well muscled, slightly tapered, angular and longer than deep chested when fed a breed appropriate diet. Adult German Shepherds require 1,300 to 1,600 calories per day of high quality dog food for senior or less active dogs, and from 1,700 to 2,400 calories daily for active or working dogs.
If choosing a dry kibble diet, select a a quality formula like these Recommended Dog Food Brands with protein level around 24% and fat levels around 14%. Shepherds require quality protein which should come from a named meat source. Most premium kibble formulas work and Raw Dog Food is even better. Grain free kibble is another option but is very calorie dense and high in protein. We mention this with caution as some German shepherds seem to have difficulty tolerating grain free kibble and end up with soft and runny stool. For excellent insight on choosing a quality kibble to feed your German Shepherd, take a look at our Feeding Dry Dog Food section.
Arden Grange Puppy Junior Large Breed
Just like us, German Shepherd puppies may have allergies and are sensitive to certain ingredients. The Arden Grange Puppy Junior Large Breed is from a renowned brand that produces hypoallergenic products. No allergy breakout means unhindered growth! Besides, your pup will love its chicken flavor while the additional glucosamine and chondroitin protect him from hip dysplasiaa condition when a dogs hip joints dont develop properly.
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Homemade Dog Food Sources
- Meats: chicken, turkey, beef, bison, pork, lamb, venison
- Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, summer squash, spinach, kale, collard greens, chard, thawed frozen peas
- Complex carbohydrates: brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, lentils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, winter squash
Recommended Serving Amounts
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Every dog’s dietary needs are different. Please consult with your veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
How Much And How Often To Feed A Senior German Shepherd
Senior German shepherds tend to experience weight fluctuation, meaning that the amount of dog food your dog should eat varies greatly depending on your dogs body condition. Generally, senior dogs will be benefited from eating more often with less portion size.
Lets say if I used to feed my dog twice a day, then I would feed him three times a day during his senior year. Three meals per day is a maximum you should give unless your vet specifies otherwise.
As for the portion size, I would suggest speaking to your vet to get an optimal ration. One last thing that Id like to add is that water is an essential part of your dogs diet. Its necessary to aid in digestion, flush the toxins out, and maintain a body temperature, so dont forget to provide easy access to clean, cool fresh water at all times.
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How Many Calories Does An Adult German Shepherd Need
An average German Shepherd needs to consume almost 1740 calories at minimum and 2100 calories at maximum, but the calorie intake depends if your pet is active.
And if your pet is less active than the average German Shepherd or your pet is an older dog, then the calorie intake should be at a minimum level.
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Merrick Grain Free Large Breed Dry Dog Food Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe
- Type of Product: Dry large breed adult food
- Life Stage: Adult
- Best for: Low-Calcium
- AAFCO Statement: formulated to meet the nutritional needs established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance
Featuring a protein-rich formula from animal sources, this food is lower in calcium. The product has a moderate fat content and digestible carbohydrates for an active lifestyle.
Healthy fats from omega fatty acids support a healthy coat and skin. Natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin promote cartilage health and joint function.
Whole food ingredients and probiotics help aid digestion. There are no artificial ingredients, corn, wheat, soy, or gluten in the formula.
Customers say their pups love the food and have energy when they eat it.
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