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
Feeding A German Shepherd Puppy A Homemade Diet
Research has shown that in the past, poorly balanced homemade diets have been harmful to German Shepherd puppies.
There is now abundant information available to anyone who is willing and able to produce a safe and balanced diet. Also, diet bases can be purchased to add to homemade diets, This should help to provide all the important nutrients that your puppy needs.
However, modern cases studies have shown that well-meaning owners may still over-feed or create an unbalanced diet.
Many people can fall for the idea about some particular element of the food that: if some is good, more is better! Reports have shown that serious disorders can result from feeding a diet too rich and calcium or phosphorus. So, this is an area where you really can have too much of a good thing.
As with commercial foods, homemade diets must be properly formulated for a large breed dog. Do not deviate from recommended recipes as provided by a veterinarian. If possible, preferably a vet with a board certification in veterinary nutrition.
Recipes published in popular magazine and websites may not be nutritionally complete or suitable for a large breed puppy.
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.
Also Read: German shepherd 3 months old puppy? Time to Look at
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.
Read Also: Average Weight For Female German Shepherd
Get The Latest Recipes Right In Your Inbox:
Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe its cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies!
I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.
But when Butters recently fell sick with an upset stomach, our vet advised us to feed him a bland diet chicken and rice without any kind of seasoning. So thats what we did we poached a chicken, shredded it in a food processor, and mixed in some white rice and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.
Thats when I started to do some research on homemade dog food, and I have been so amazed as to how many different kinds of vegetables dogs can have. And with the help of Balance IT, you can create so many different recipes for your pup!
Now the best part about making homemade dog food just like making anything at home is that you know exactly what is going into the dog bowl, and not any of that questionable gelatinous gunk from the canned food.
But its important to note that dogs have different nutrient requirements than humans for their proportional body size, such as:
Now this recipe here has a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, but the ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your pups breed and/or needs.
German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Chart
Split up the total cups of dry dog food listed. Dont feed this amount at every meal or your dog might get sick. Instead, use the chart found below called How Often Should You Feed a German Shepherd Puppy? to determine how many meals throughout the day your GSD needs.
Keep in mind, these are guidelines and you should adjust them based on your dogs energy needs.
| Puppy Age | Total Cups of Dry Kibble |
|---|---|
| 2 months old | |
| 3 3.5 cups |
How Much Should a German Shepherd Puppy Eat *Guidlines only.
Offer your dog their food and 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.
If they refuse to eat 2 or 3 of their meals take them to your vet for a health checkup as refusing to eat could be a sign of sickness.
Always offer fresh water during their meal times. Keep the area they eat in calm and dont pester them while they eat.
I find sitting with a book reading, just keeping my GSD puppy company, encouraged my dog to eat their meals while giving us time to quietly bond.
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How Much Should A 60 Pound German Shepherd Eat
In summary, for adult dogs, feeding German Shepherds about 2.5 to 3.5 cups of quality kibble per day, twice a day, is a good starting point. Modify amount fed as required based on your dogs size, weight, age and overall daily activity.
Feeding A German Shepherd Puppy Kibble
There are many good quality kibble diets, but they arent always the best choice.
The FDA recently issued a notice alerting dog owners to a potential increased risk of a serious heart condition. This is called canine dilated cardiomyopathy .
The risk is in dogs eating foods that include peas, lentils, or potatoes instead of grains.
Some of these cases of DCM were in German Shepherds.
The underlying cause of these cases is not clear, but the FDA note suggests that caution should be used in selecting foods with these ingredients for German Shepherds and other large dogs.
Head over to our article on the pros and cons of feeding kibble to know more.
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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.
Month Old German Shepherd Puppy Feeding
From 3 to 4 weeks old, when it comes to feeding a German Shepherd puppy, we should start by letting them taste new foods and flavors.
At this stage, the German Shepherd puppys diet plan requires them to eat special wet food for puppies.
At around 6 to 8 weeks old, a German Shepherd puppy should be given a little dry dog food with water.
From their eighth week onward, a German Shepherd should be weaned and start feeding on solid food with a special puppy feed.
Puppies must have constant access to clean fresh water.
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How Much Should A German Shepherd 3 Month Puppy Eat
As a general rule, a 3-month old German Shepherd puppy should on average eat around 2 cups of kibble daily.
However, exactly how much youll need to feed your German Shepherd puppy to maintain their ideal weight depends on a lot of factors. The quality of the food, calorie density, your puppys activity levels, and any pre-existing health problems are things you need to consider when feeding your pup.
Dont forget, all dogs are individuals and your pup may have different nutritional needs than its littermates.
If you have any doubts about feeding your German Shepherd puppy consult your vet or a certified canine nutritionist. They will be able to tell you exactly how much you should feed your GSD puppy based on their unique nutritional needs and lifestyle.
A Few Tips On The Weight Of The Puppy German Shepherd Dog During Its Growth:
Growth of German Shepherd Dog female:
According to its size, the weight of the German Shepherd Dog female at 3 months should be between 8.6 and 11.9 kg.
At 6 months, the German Shepherd Dog female weighs on average between 16 kg for the smallest individuals and 22.3 kg for the largest individuals.
How much must a German Shepherd Dog Female at 1 year? Enter 21.3 and 30.8 kg.
The German Shepherd Dog female will end up growing at 16 months.
Growth graph of German Shepherd Dog female:
Growth of German Shepherd Dog male:
According to its size, the weight of the German Shepherd Dog male at 3 months should be between 11.4 and 14.3 kg.
At 6 months, the German Shepherd Dog male weighs on average between 21.2 kg for the smallest individuals and 26.7 kg for the largest individuals.
How much must a German Shepherd Dog male at 1 year? Between 29 and 37.8 kg.
The German Shepherd Dog male will end up growing between the age of 16 months for the smallest sizes and the age of 19 month for the bigger ones.
Growth graph of German Shepherd Dog male:
Also Check: German Shepherd Dog Growth Chart
Do You Have Everything You Need About Your Gsds Growth
Theres so much to learn when it comes to your GSDs development in terms of physical and mental growth.
Always bear in mind that the weight charts or height charts you come across are just guides. As long as your German Shepherd puppy is growing at a steady pace, you shouldnt worry too much.
We hope weve provided you with the information you need to care for your puppy. When in doubt, you should always speak to a vet.
Recommended Serving Amounts For Homemade Dog Food
As a general rule, dogs will eat around 2 to 3 percent of their ideal body weight in fresh food daily. Larger breeds may need as little as 1 1/2 percent, and smaller breeds may need as much as 4 percent.
This works out to be approximately:
- 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
There is much variation in what the ideal amount should be as it depends on how much your dog weighs and how active she is.
I feel that the best approach is to feed and watch if your dog is losing weight, give more, and if your dog is gaining weight, give less.
For our pugs, we feed a scoop each in the morning and a scoop each in the evening, plus all their supplements.
We have an easy system for this: homemade food is refrigerated in a sealed container with a measuring cup , and all the supplements are lined up together in a cupboard in the kitchen. Keeping your ingredients organized and accessible will make feeding time fast and smooth.
Compared to feeding commercial food, where you might scoop out kibbles or open up a can, feeding homemade food with all the supplements takes maybe 10 seconds more. And even if it took 10 minutes more, fresh wholesome food for our furbabies is worth it.
Read Also: When To Start Training German Shepherd Puppy
Health Conditions That Can Appear From Improper Diet
Weve already mentioned that German Shepherds are prone to many health conditions. Of course, the best way to prevent them is to buy from the best German Shepherd breeder you can find.
Good breeders will conduct many health tests on their breeding dogs to make sure that they are in perfect health. None will breed a dog that isnt at least one year old and many will wait until their studs and mother dogs are much older.
At the same time, theyll conduct genetic tests to make sure their dogs are free of many health issues, including hip dysplasia.
However, many health problems, especially musculoskeletal disorders, can be avoided with proper nutrition and feeding your dog high-quality dog foods, such as Royal Canin.
This is because many health conditions come from malnutrition and inflammation. The most common cause is calcium deficiency. A healthy dog needs to consume a perfect amount of calcium and phosphorus to stay strong.
On the other hand, dogs with an overabundance of protein in their diet can have kidney problems. Pancreatitis is also common in dogs that eat food high in fat or if they eat lots of human food and table scraps.
Heart diseases are also common, especially in dogs that eat too much fat and salt. These conditions can be deadly, and they can abruptly shorten a German Shepherds lifespan.
Tips For Feeding A German Shepherd Dog
You can find a ton of dog feeding guides online, and while they each hold merit, its best to talk to your vet about your dogs specific feeding needs.
Getting a personalized recommendation from your veterinarian is worth the time, expense, and effort. That said, there is still plenty of good information in this article that should give you an idea of your dogs nutritional needs at each stage of life.
Its likely that your vet will give you plenty of options, including suggesting you follow this guide and make small adjustments as needed.
Recommended Reading: Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Guide
German Shepherd Dog Feeding Chart
It is important that German Shepherd owners know the amount of food that their dog requires on a daily basis. Feeding too much or too little can cause health problems in GSDs. If you feed a lot of fat to your pup, it will develop hip dyslexia.
Depending on how youre deciding to feed your puppy either a natural, real meat / bone / vegetable diet, or if youre giving them off-the-shelf dog food, youll want to follow the recommendations below to help ensure they properly develop their internal systems, and maintain their energy levels.
Your German Shepherd is going to grow rapidly over their first 12 months of life, so youre going to want to increase the amount of food they have as they get older. Ensuring they have the proper amount of nutrition, in the proper ratios is critical to them developing into healthy adults.
How Do I Train My 8 Week Old German Shepherd Puppy
Principles of German Shepherd Puppy Training Initiate Your Dog to Being Handled Gently. Let Your Dog Know That You Are the Alpha. Reward Your Dogs Positive Behavior. Stub Out Negative Behavior As Early as Possible. Call Your Furry Friend by Their Name. Start With Basic Skills and Commands. Make Commands Only Once.
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How Much Should A 3 Month Old German Shepherd Eat
A three-month-old German shepherd puppy has to be fed 4 times a day, and you need to know how much food to give him so that he grows into a healthy adult.
To feed your puppy properly, you have to understand his nutritional needs at each stage of life. This is particularly important in the first year when growth rates are high and puppies can easily become overweight if overfed.
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.
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