What Dog Food Is Best For German Shepherds

How Much Water Should A German Shepherd Drink

Adult German Shepherds should drink one ounce of water daily for each pound that they weigh. Puppies will generally consume more, despite their smaller size. Some variables include age, size, activity level, type of food eaten , weather, medication, or lactating.

Make sure you keep your dogs water bowl filled up and frequently change it throughout the day. If your dog is not drinking enough water, here are some fun ways to keep him hydrated:

• Give your dog ice cubes.
• Make doggie ice pops.
• Add water to dry food.
• Make fun playtime with a hose in the summer.

PRO TIP! Get a dog water fountain such as the PetSafe Drinkwell from Amazon. I like this one as it has an adjustable water flow to suit your pup and even comes with filters to prevent bacteria growth.

Food & german Shepherd Helth Concerns & Risks

So, why is it important to feed your German Shepherd the right food and understand the breeds specific nutritional requirements and health risks associated with poor nutrition?

According to a study on nutritional risks of large-breed dogs, large dogs like German Shepherds have a higher risk of developing skeletal diseases such as hip dysplasia due to improper nutrition. Over time, skeletal disorders and obesity can lead to osteoarthritis.

GSDs tend to suffer from Gastric dilatation and volvulus bloat. Monitor your GSDs eating habits. Fast eating and gulping can increase the risk of these health problems. Feeding 3 smaller meals a day instead of one large one can also prevent this problem. Making sure your GSD does not do any strenuous physical activity after eating is also necessary. A slow-down dog bowl can also help.

Furthermore, 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.

Because GSDs are prone to food allergies, we highly recommend doing an at-home food allergy test like 5Strands food allergy test. This particular kit can test for up to 255 ingredients and tell you which ones may cause allergies or sensitivities in your dog. After receiving the results, you can use the list to avoid dog food formulas with these potential allergens.

Other significant German Shepherddog foodhealth-related risks to be aware of include:

Best Dog Food For German Shepherds With A Sensitive Stomach

Hills Science Diet is an adult dry dog food highly recommended by vets. And its easy to see why. It contains high-quality ingredients and is loaded with nutrients such as Vitamin E and Omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. It is also loaded with prebiotic fiber to balance out the good bacteria in the gut. In addition, the food is easily digestible and gentle to the stomach, so it wont aggravate your dogs already upset stomach.

Blue Buffalo Basics is a limited-ingredient diet containing just a single protein turkey which is least likely to cause allergies and stomach upsets. It is also grain-free and made with the highest quality natural ingredients containing nourishing vitamins and minerals such as omega-3 & 6 fatty acids for healthy skin. Its an all-natural diet containing no artificial flavors, corn, wheat, eggs, dairy or any other ingredients known to aggravate a sensitive stomach. This easily digestible food is suitable for adult dogs of all sizes.

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What Makes Dog Food Good For German Shepherds

Food that can sustain his lifestyle and meet his nutritional needs is good food!

Look for high-quality ingredients and a recipe that is gentle on his digestive system.

Your adult German Shepherd will benefit from animal protein-rich foods and minimize any health issues that might arise from a bad diet.

Have you tried any of the dog food above? Let us know whether fido likes it in the comments!

Meal Plan And Feeding Guide

healthy weight.

The diet of a German Shepherd must take into account the size of the dog, her level of activity and exercise, along with any preexisting conditions that might need special consideration.

Therefore, if you want to know how much your German Shepherd needs to eat, youll need to know their age, weight, and activity levels. Typically a full-grown German Shepherd should eat at least 3 cups of food per day, but may eat upwards of 5 cups of food per day or more if they are fairly large and routinely active.

Let these cup measurements be your guide, but dont let them dictate the exact cups of food to feed your German Shepherd.

Your dogs health will flourish if you adjust the cups based on your dogs specific nutritional and caloric needs.

Now, lets take a look at what really is the best food to feed a German Shepherd.

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Best Raw: We Feed Raw Beef Patty Recipe

This raw beef diet contains everything a growing German Shepherd puppy needs. Its one of the best German Shepherd puppy foods because its a great source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, and promotes a healthy heart and immune system.

This raw food has beef as its primary ingredient. Raw meat is highly digestible for puppies, and this high-quality diet is low in carbohydrates but high in protein and fat for the best possible puppy nutrition.

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American Bully Puppy Feeding Chart

American Bully is one of the dog breeds that need proper care and nutrition to maintain their physical health.

Therefore, as an owner, you should have an American Bully puppy feeding chart to help you understand how much to feed an American Bully puppy to ensure that they get that bulky muscular body as adults.

Choosing high-quality puppy food and an outstanding feeding plan will ensure that your puppy gets all the essential nutrients that they need for healthy growth and development.

This article will highlight some of the best puppy food for American Bullies, how much you should feed them according to age, their nutritional requirements, and many more.

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How Much Food Should My German Shepherd Eat

Understanding what to feed your German Shepherd is one thing understanding how much and how often you should feed your dog is another. The amount of food you give your dog depends on several factors: your dogs age, activity level, and ideal weight.

Puppies need to eat three times per day between the ages of eight and 12 weeks old. After this period, you can begin feeding it twice per day, which is how often you should plan to feed an adult. When youve just brought your puppy home, you should plan to give it whatever the breeder fed it to prevent any stomach problems. You can gradually mix new food into the old food over the course of about a week until your dog is eating all new food. Make sure not to overfeed your puppy, as growing too fast or becoming overweight can lead to problems like hip dysplasia, which is common in large breeds like German Shepherds.

In order to determine how much you should be feeding your dog, you can utilize feeding guides such as this one. According to the chart, if your German Shepherd is 70 pounds, you should feed him 3.5 cups of food per day. However, if your dog is very active, he may need more. If he is old, he may need less. Talk to your veterinarian to create an eating plan that will work for your dog.

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Why Do German Shepherds Need Different Food

German shepherds are large dogs that usually weigh 60 to 90 pounds. According to the National Research Council of the National Academies, if you have an inactive or older dog, they require between 1,272 and 1,540 calories per day.

Furthermore, active dogs need between 1,740 and 2,100 calories per day. This type of nutrition can only be provided by food specific to this breed.

Also, unlike other dog breeds, German Shepherd pups are given a puppy-specific diet for only six months . This is done so that rapid growth in the pup is limited as it can cause problems in their bones and joints.

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Merrick Grain Free For Large Breed Adult Dogs

Top ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey MealType: Dry

With the first ingredient as deboned chicken, you know youre getting a high-quality feed.

Their recipe touts a 60% protein and fat inclusion, with the remaining 40% for fat, fiber, and other necessary ingredients which are both natural and beneficial to your adult dogs health.

Best Food For German Shepherd To Gain Weight

If your German Shepherd needs extra calories, Purina Pro Plan Sport is your best option.

Perhaps your German Shepherd is underweight, needs to bulk up, or is a highly active dog that burns many calories, and you need to replenish them to maintain a healthy weight whatever the reason may be, this formula contains 496 calories per cup to help your GSD gain weight by building lean muscle.

It has almost 100 calories more than your standard kibble calorie count per cup. Packed with 30% protein and 20% fat to help metabolic fuel needs, avoid calorie deficiency, and maintain lean muscle.

But is it suitable for GSDs? GSD dog parents report its worked well on their pups. This formula is also enhanced with amino acids to support muscle development, fish oil, vitamin E, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and other essential vitamins and minerals that support healthy joints, maximum mobility, and overall mobilityhealth.

Its antioxidant-rich recipe nourishes your dogs immune system and helps defend it against free radicals.

Cons

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Choosing The Best Dog Food For Your German Shepherds Can Prevent Illnesses

As medium-to-large breed dogs, German Shepherds are predisposed to hip dysplasia.

Having the appropriate nutrients as a puppy can help prevent the joints from growing too quickly and malformed.

Obesity can exacerbate this problem, so you should try to keep your GSD at an optimum weight.

Bloat or stomach twists usually affect dogs with deep barrel chests. The German Shepherd falls in this category.

Certain kibble helps prevent this by making them into a doughnut shape as this will force dogs to slow down when they are eating.

There are also slow feeders that you can use but its advisable to feed Germans 2 3 small meals a day to prevent them from scarfing their meals just because they are hungry.

The Importance Of Good Nutrition

Dog food sales in the United States are a huge business.

There is tremendous competition among manufacturers, with many of these companies goals including making a large profit.

German Shepherd owners must not only stay alert as wise consumers but also monitor the health of their beautiful breed, which is an indicator of the quality of food you feed them.

A healthy German Shepherd has:

• bright, alert eyes
• energy for their daily activities
• and a glossy coat

The old saying You are what you eat is also entirely true for dogs, as well as people. Many German Shepherds can carry on for a long time on a substandard diet, but inadequate nutrition can lead to more than health problems.

In fact, poor nutrition could cause your German Shepherd to develop:

• behavior problems
• susceptibility to disease
• and even shorten their lifespan!

Keep in mind that everything your dog eats becomes part of their daily diet, whether its good for them or not.

Nutrition for your German Shepherd is affected by not only what they eat, but also:

• the foods digestibility
• how their body uses the food
• and what underlying health issues they might have

Lets take a quick peek at the nutrients in your dogs food.

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What To Look For In A High

Before discussing the specific characteristics that are desirable in a German shepherd food, it is important to outline some of the ingredients and traits that characterize all high-quality dog foods and are desirable when selecting a food for any breed.

Select dog foods made in the USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, as dog food made in these countries are usually subject to stricter dog food safety protocols than those made in other places. By purchasing foods from these western countries, youre less likely to see it show up on a recall list or make your dog ill.

Look for a high-quality protein as the first listed ingredient. A few high-quality dog foods list a carbohydrate as the first ingredient, but most of the best dog foods for German shepherds feature a whole-protein source first.

Its always a good idea to avoid dog food with unnecessary and potentially harmful additives, such as artificial colors and flavors, but it is especially important to avoid feeding such foods to breeds prone to food allergies and intolerances, such as German shepherds.

Meat-meals are not necessarily poor ingredients, despite the claims of some. Many of the products used to make meat-meals provide great nutrition for your dog even if some of them seem gross to humans. However, it is important to avoid dog foods that do not indicate the species from which the meal was obtained.

German Shepherd Dog Food Nutritional Guidelines

Now that you know which type of dog food best fits your German Shepherds needs, you need to make sure the food meets all the nutrients requirements established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials .

A GSDs complete and nutritionally balanced formula in line with AAFCO nutrient profiles will need to have water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins.

Whether you are feeding commercial dog food or homemade food to your GSD, these six essential nutrients must be present in his diet.

Check the table below for a more detailed explanation of each nutrient and its importance.

If these six components are present, your German Shepherd should grow up strong and healthy.

Pro Tip: If you choose to feed commercial dog food, always check the packaging for what is known as The Nutritional Adequacy Statement or AAFCO Statement. This statement ensures the dog food you are buying meets nutrient profiles established by the AAFCO.

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How To Decide On The Finest German Shepherd Puppy Food As A Consumer

Consider the following advice when you shop for puppy food for your German Shepherd.

Calories

To meet the energy demands of a developing puppy, puppy food is often fairly calorically dense.

Protein content tends to be high as well. A high-protein, high-calorie diet will sustain your puppy’s growth and development, providing the energy they require.

DHA

Because of its beneficial effects on the brain and eyes, DHA is typically specified as an added ingredient in puppy food.

Supporting the puppy’s central nervous system with this vital ingredient generated from omega-3 fatty acids will promote better eye function and brain development.

Vitamins and Minerals

Your puppy will get a lot of the nutrients he needs from the food you feed him. Bone and tooth development are supported by the vitamin and mineral supplements often found in puppy diet.

You need to find the sweet spot since rapid growth in large breed puppies might cause deformities in the bones. If you want to make sure you’re giving your puppy the appropriate kind of food and the right amount of it, you should see a veterinarian.

Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin And Sensitive Stomach

Image courtesy Purina

Purina has been in operation for more than 85 years and produces a wide range of goods. The Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Sensitive Skin & Stomach is one of their most popular, with over 2,500 positive reviews.

You can feed your dog either dry or wet food, and he may sample two distinct flavor profiles: rice and oatmeal for salmon. This recipe is high in protein and has a total of 30% dry basis protein content, primarily from real meats with no poultry by-product meal.

Because it contains no allergens like wheat, corn, or soy, there’s less of a chance that your dog will suffer an upset stomach. It also includes omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, which help to promote skin, coat, and joint health.

Image courtesy Blue Buffalo

If you’re searching for high-quality, all-natural wet dog food, Blue Buffalo Wilderness is a wonderful alternative.

This dog food is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for an entourage diet. It’s made with real beef and chicken, can be served as a delicious treat, or blended into your dog’s regular dry food.

The Blue Buffalo puppy food contains no chicken by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial flavors or preservatives making it a healthy choice for your dog.

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