How To Gain Weight For German Shepherd

What Food Should You Give Your German Shepherd

Typically, dog food will either be dry food or wet food, or you can also get semi-moist food. The general advice when asked what type of food you should feed a German Shepherd is a mixture of dry and wet food.

You should aim to feed them mostly dry food, with a smaller ratio of wet and semi-wet food. Your dog will certainly prefer wet food as this is by far the tastiest of the dog food options, after human food of course, but because your dog doesnt need to chew it, it doesnt have the benefit of keeping your dogs teeth clean, and its more expensive than other forms of dog food.

Semi-wet food is actually quite hard for dogs to digest, so this is not a great option for your German Shepherd. They are pretty high in sugars and often include food coloring and other preservatives, which dont offer your dog any nutritional benefits.

How Do I Know If My German Shepherd Is Too Skinny

Before the dog owners ask why is my German Shepherd so skinny, they will ask about how do they know if their German Shepherd is skinny or not. There are several ways to determine if your German Shepherd is skinny or not.

First, you can look over your dogs body. You can be sure your dog is skinny if the body is shaped like an hourglass rather than a triangular shape. Another way is to feel the ribs. You can find out if you can feel their bones just by holding the ribs.

Gsd Detail Weight Gain By Age

Now let us see the weight gain of a German Shepherd by age in detail.

A German Shepherd is said to weigh about 1.1 lbs. at the time of birth. It is about 503 grams, half a kg. The puppys weight at the time of birth can range from 0.8 to 1.3 lbs. depending upon the litter size as well as the size of the mother.

After a week, the weight of a puppy doubles from the birth weight. It becomes from about 1.6 to 2.1 lbs., which is about 1 kg. This weight increases to 4.5 to 9 lbs., almost 2.5 kg as the puppy gets 1 month old and in the second month, it reaches 11 to 20 lbs., making around 10 kg.

At the age of 4 months, the weight of a German Shepherd becomes 28 to 40 lbs., about 14 to 16 kg, which is half the weight of a grown-up dog.

After 9 months, the weight gain of a German Shepherd slows down and it starts gaining 2 to 3 pounds every month.

At the age of 3 years, where a German Shepherd becomes an adult, its weight stops increasing making it about 88 to 90 pounds heavy. It is about 38 to 40 kg of weight.

Recommended Reading: How Much Do You Feed German Shepherd Puppy

What Do I Feed My Underweight German Shepherd

We get a lot of questions from German Shepherd owners about how to keep weight on their pups. Chronically skinny, underweight Shepherds can be heartbreaking for an owner who is desperate to put weight on them. The most common questions we hear are: My Shepherd is looking too skinny, why?” or “My shepherd is experiencing regular bouts of diarrhea and/or vomiting, why?” or “Ive been feeding him more food than his recommended size and I still cant get him to gain any weight. What do I do?

Not only does this problem tend to be breed-specific, it often relates to your dogs pancreatic function. . So what is it?

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or EPI is a condition in which the pancreas is not able to produce adequate enzymes to digest and absorb food properly. To determine if this is the case with your shepherd, make an appointment with your veterinarian and request some blood testing. Shepherds are also susceptible to pancreatitis so it’s important that you think preventatively!

So what can you do if your shepherd has EPI? Your first line of defense as a pet owner is choosing the type of food and supplements you put into your shepherd.

Here are 6 tips to help your dogs digestive system function better. Try the following:

Make all dietary changes slowly and add one thing at a time.;

Instinct Raw Boost With Real Duck

Rating:

Real Duck is one of 14 dry recipes analyzed in our review of the Instinct Raw Boost product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Duck, chicken meal, peas, egg product, turkey meal
• Type: Grain-free
• Profile: All life stages
• Best for:Adult shepherds and puppies

Instinct Raw Boost with Real Duck obtains the bulk of its animal protein from fresh duck and chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38% protein, 23% fat and 31% estimated carbs creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 61%.

This formula also gets its antioxidants from natural fruits and veggies for healthy immunity and thus, greater resistance to disease. A top pick for German shepherds and other large breeds.

Sample buyer reviewI recently switched from a dehydrated raw product to Instinct Raw Boost. This is a great quality grain- free food and my guys are loving it. I have a multi dog house hold and most of them have allergies of one kind or another. This food is working well for all..

Also Check: What Age Can German Shepherds Have Puppies

German Shepherd Weight Charts

These charts will show you what your German Shepherd puppy will weigh as they grow to reach adulthood. One is for male puppies and the other for females.

Something to keep in mind is that dogs grow at different rates, so they may not reach the next weight milestone by that month or may reach it sooner. As long as theyre close and dont have other problems, its normal.

Male German Shepherd Weight Chart

Sexual Maturity Period: 6 Months 16 Months

As you already guessed, this is the point at which your German Shepherd will reach sexual maturity. By the end of this stage, they will mostly look like an adult dog, though theyll still have some growing to do.

The most important thing you should do for your dog at this point is spay or neuter them. If you are planning on breeding your dog, then youll need to make sure they have good hips and overall formation to improve the breed.

Some developmental milestones during this period are:

• Have all adult teeth
• Intact females begin having heat cycles
• Ears are standing upright on their own
• Intact males reach sexual maturity
• Strong pack bonds are formed

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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.

Dr Garys Best Breed German Dog Diet

Rating:

German Dog Diet is one of 13 dry recipes covered in our review of the Dr. Garys Best Breed product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, oatmeal, brown rice, dried beet pulp, chicken fat
• Type: Grain-inclusive
• Profile: All life stages
• Best for:Adult shepherds and puppies

Dr. Garys Best Breed German Dog Diet derives most of its animal protein from chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 22% fat and 34% estimated carbs yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%.

We like the fact the formula also includes zinc proteinate and other chelated minerals which provides superior absorption and nutrition. Highly recommended.

Sample buyer reviewOur german shepherd has had a lot of itching problems since she was about 1 year old. We have tried different foods, supplements, sprays and shampoos. Nothing has seems to work as well as when we switched to this food. Scabs that were on her for months due to her itching them open all the time have finally healed over. She is still a little itchy, but significantly better than before. And she loves the food too! We used to leave her food bowl full all day because she would only pick throughout the day. With this food we are only doing 2-3 cups morning and night because she scarfs it all down in minutes! Glad we finally found something that she loves and works so well!

Read Also: How Does A German Shepherd Look Like

Using A Slow Feeding Bowl

Lots of dogs tend to eat super fast which can be bad for a number of reasons including gas, vomiting, upset stomach and more.

Rapid eating has also been shown to link to obesity in dogs. By eating really fast, your dog finishes the food before his brain has even had the chance to register that theyre full, which can result in overeating.

In deep-chested breeds like German Shepherds, breathing in lots of air due to eating really fast can cause them to develop bloat, a condition German Shepherds are prone to developing.

When this happens, the dogs abdomen fills up with air and the stomach twists, cutting off the circulation to their vital organs. If not treated, bloat can actually be fatal.

Feed Your German Shepherd Proper Food:

Again, people food while a nice treat, isnt necessarily the best thing for your dog. Remember the hot dog story above. And, generally, I try to stay away from anything with chemicals, nitrites, or anything thats highly processed for my dog.

So, while things like hot dogs, ham , deli meat, and other things may be delicious for your dog, theyre extremely unhealthy and could actually harm your pooch if consumed too often.

Dog food, like the kibble, is fine even though yes, it is processed.

Heres the thing about the dry dog kibble, though, sometimes they dont recommend the right amount of food for your dog. Those examples on the back of the bag are more like recommendations than fact. So you could be feeding your girl too much or too little.

For example, our girl started to gain weight once we put her on the senior food. We were following the directions to the letter, but she gained weight. A lot of weight.

So weve come to the conclusion that we were just giving her too much, which was evident by the fact that there was still kibble left in the bowl when she couldnt fit any more, and we have now started the process to cut her food intake down.

Pro Tip When youre looking for a dog food to feed your best friend, look at the ingredient list to see what the first several ingredients are. The first several ingredients are the ones that the food is comprised of the most, and you want to see good things listed.

Read Also: What To Know About German Shepherd Breed

Changing Your Dogs Diet

When Should You Stop Feeding Your German Shepherd Puppy Food

Puppies can begin adult kibble when they are approximately 80 percent of their adult weight. This usually occurs around 8 to 10 months of age, but you can safely feed puppy food up to one year old as long as they are not putting on excess weight. German Shepherds usually dont reach their full growth until 18 months of age.

It isnt harmful to keep a German Shepherd on puppy formula until their growth plates have fused over, which is generally around 12 to 18 months of age .

Also Check: What Does A German Shepherd Look Like

Great Food For German Shepherd Weight Gain

Some owners only like to feed their dogs the most natural foods they can find. Some will even resort to raw diets, believing this to be the closest a dog can get to his natural diet if he were a wild animal. Others prefer to stick to kibble, which is usually an easier alternative.

Because there are many different types of kibble that you can feed your dog, it can be impossible to know which ones will actually help your dog gain weight and which will simply continue to exacerbate the problem.

Some owners will supplement the food that they give their dogs with table scraps. While this can encourage begging at the table, if you are confident in your training and are willing to slip them a little piece of fatty steak or some other high-fat protein from the table, this might be a good option for you.

What kind of food you ultimately choose to feed your German Shepherd dog to help him gain weight will depend on your raising and training philosophy. Here are the criteria you should use to find the best food to help them gain weight.

Why Is My German Shepherd So Fat

If your German Shepherd seems to be fat you might be wondering why and what you should be doing differently with it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why it might be the case and what you can do about it.

So, why is my German Shepherd so fat? Possible reasons are that it is eating the wrong foods, it is eating too much, its not getting enough exercise, someone is feeding it without you knowing, illness, being old or it could be in its genes.

There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why it might be fat. Depending on the cause, there are also many things that can be done about it.

Also Check: How Often Bathe German Shepherd

Why Is My German Shepherd So Skinny & How To Fatten Them

Arguably the best food you can give your german shepherd to help them gain weight is Bully Max High Performance Super Premium Dog Food, and 33 lbs, a male German Shepherd should weigh on average 24 kg with female largest GermanGenerally, the height is pretty much the same, and 60 lbs, the dogs will be gaining weight slower over time, and your dog will get more hungry, but they will generally gain weight without any special diet as they mature, It would help to check the calorie guidelines on the packaging of the dog, Full weight chart of newborn German ShepherdBut for 4 months old male German shepherds, If your German Shepherd is getting more than that then it is likely contributing to it being big, Take note that the weight can be higher especially for a spayed or neutered GSD puppy, activity level, If your German Shepherd is eating Method 2 of 3: Getting Your Dog to Eat More, Females are smaller and weigh between 48 and 70 pounds, according to growth chart, He is always very hungry but nothing seems to stick to the rib, it may not gain back all of the lost weight, Add an extra meal time to their routine, now, If your German Shepherd is getting more than that then it is likely contributing to it being big, It would help to check the calorie guidelines on the packaging of the dog food that you give it and to make sure that you are feeding it the right amount.

Iams Proactive Health High Protein Adult Dog Food

The website states that this dry dog food is geared towards very active adult dogs and will keep them healthy throughout their lives. They describe their product as having a blend of high-quality fat and protein.

This product contains several sources of protein like chicken, turkey, and eggs. It contains a fat percentage of 18%, which is high compared to other brands. It is formulated for active adult dogs that require a high amount of proteins and fats.

This dog food also contains essential minerals that provide support for bones and joints.

It can be purchased on several shops online, like the IAMS website or Amazon, to name a few. It is also available at large retailers like Walmart, Petco, etc.

Pros

• It has a high-fat content, which is very important for weight gain
• Supports healthy joints and bones

Cons

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