Quick Checklist To Judge A Premade Raw Dog Food And Company
You can safely use this short checklist to find the best raw food for German Shepherds.
I’m passionate about canine nutrition and I’m constantly studying new research and development in the field. I’d like to help you if you have any doubts or questions. So feel free to drop them in the comments below.
Hi GabriellaI am enjoying reading through every link, page and article on your site. I recently lost my GSD, she was a very healthy 11 ½ year old who died suddenly from Hemangiosarcoma. We rescued her at 6 years old, so dont have much of her history, but I fed her a combination of Raw and Cooked meals. She had Raw for breakfast, mostly the Fish mixes from Tuckers and then I prepared her dinner meal by using the Just Food For Dogs Lamb or Beef Recipes.We will be getting a 4 month old puppy from a VERY reputable breeder in August and I want to make sure I feed him the best right from the start! What are your thoughts on a Raw/Cooked combo like before? Have you heard of Tuckers and Just food for dogs?
Really informativeMy GSD is 2 yes old and weighs 105 lbs. She gets fed 4 cups of Iams a day and is ALWAYS still hungry.
German Shepherd Feeding Guide: Senior Years
Large breed dogs, such as the German Shepherd, age faster than most smaller breed dogs. This is evident by the fast decline in health, joint flexibility, and energy in older large breed dogs compared to same-age smaller breeds.
Because of this, its important for your dogs longevity and happiness to pay attention to signs of aging. When your GSD moves from the adult life stage to senior, you need to adjust her diet.
Large breeds reach the older stage around half of their assumed life expectancy. A German Shepherds life expectancy is anywhere from 10 to 15 years, which means theyd be considered older and borderline senior at around 5 or 6.
This is a good time to ask your vet if you should make any changes to her diet or if its okay to continue with her normal adult meals.
Inevitably, your GSD will need to switch over to a senior diet. Older large breed dogs have lower energy needs. They move slower or less overall and therefore wont need as many calories each day.
Older dogs also tend to slow down their digestion, so an increase in fiber might be a good choice for your senior GSD.
Since the calories in senior-specific dog food have already been adjusted, youll likely still be feeding the same measured amount based on your GSDs weight.
Do be sure to confirm this with your vet, however. Not all foods are created equal.
Eukanuba Breed Specific German Shepherd Adult Dry Dog Food
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Corn Meal, 3. Brewers Rice, 4. Dried Beet Pulp, 5. Fish Oil
Building on the belief that dogs thrive on a carnivorous diet, Eukanuba has made a breed-specific dog food for German Shepherds to fulfill their nutritional needs in all ways possible. Their recipe uses high-quality animal proteins to provide essential amino acids for muscle nourishment and contains both taurine and L-carnitine to support heart health.
Apart from that, the special diet also includes beet pulp and FOS to encourage better digestion. Another unique feature of this dog food is that it uses a DentaDefense System that prevents tartar buildup for up to 28 days, significantly improving your German Shepherds dental hygiene.
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German Shepherd Feeding Guide By Age
As mentioned above, the age and development stage of your German Shepherd will play a big part in what foods are best suited for him.
To make your research easier, were breaking down the GSD feeding guide into age-based categories. Simply find your dogs age or developmental stage below to find the right information at the right time.
Be sure to check with your vet before beginning, switching, or stopping a feeding program. The information provided here is for research purposes only. Always take your vets advice for your individual dogs needs.
Taste Of The Wild Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe
The Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe by Taste of the Wild is best for active dogs because it has some of the highest protein and calorie content amongst premium dry dog food brands.
Although its top protein sources are buffalo, pork, and chicken, this variant also contains roasted venison and bison, which imparts a unique flavor that German Shepherds love.
For fiber and carbohydrates, this dry dog food uses ancient grains. That includes quinoa, millet, sorghum, and chia seeds. For that reason, it is highly digestible and is naturally high in omega fatty acids and antioxidants. Additionally, it is rich in probiotics that support your GSDs gut and boost their immune system.
| Nutrition Facts Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe |
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| Top Ingredient |
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Holistic Select Large And Giant Breed Puppy Food
Holistic Select offers a dry puppy food formula in lamb flavor or lamb and chicken flavor. Both flavors are grain-free. The formula includes DHA from salmon oil, prebiotics and probiotics, live yogurt cultures, digestive enzymes, fruits and vegetables, and antioxidant-rich superfoods. Lamb meal and chicken meal are the first 2 ingredients on the list.
Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed puppy food contain 25% crude protein. Crude fat is 16% and crude fiber is 4.5%. The calcium to phosphorus ratio is 1.3% to 1%, respectively. Calorie counts results at 433 kcal/cup.
Overall, another solid choice for your German Shepherd puppy.
Does Raw Wild Meet Minimum Standards To Be A Complete And Balanced Food
Yes, Raw Wild formulates its food to meet the nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials .
And their food meets the dog food nutrient profiles for all life stages.
Raw Wild offers an impressive Guaranteed Analysis of:
- Crude Protein, minimum 18.0%
- Crude Fiber, maximum 0.45%
- Moisture maximum 70.0%
When I look that the guaranteed analysis of diet I formulate for my dogs using Animal Diet Formulator, it’s in the same range.
So I’m happy with what Raw Wild offers here in terms of guaranteed minimums.
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Is Rice Good For German Shepherd
My dog is a German Shepherd. I chose to feed my dog rice as one of the ingredients in her diet because it provides good quality protein to support strong muscles and joints, carbohydrates for energy, antioxidants for overall health, amino acids for skin and coat condition.in general,rice has many nutrients that provide multiple benefits.The RSPCA says Cereal grains which are rich in vitamins and minerals are an important part of your pets diet animal proteins sources need to be given together with calcium So if youre concerned about these things then maybe this would be a good choice. However, there are other types of food you could use instead which could have better benefits without all the.
The Different Types Of Diets
Before you can know how to properly feed your German Shepherd, you need to decide what type of diet will be best for them. There are a few different kinds of diets you can feed your dog, so knowing which one will be best might be a bit confusing. Take a look at the diets below and make a careful decision on whats best for your German Shepherd.
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Blackwood 3000 Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Everyday Diet Dry Dog Food
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Lamb Meal, 2. Brown Rice, 3. Oat Groats, 4. Millet, 5. Chicken Meal
Your shepherd needs much more than the regular nutrients. This Blackwood 3000 recipe is nutritionally balanced for adult, large-breed dogs and therefore, serves as a perfect diet for your German Shepherd. The supreme-quality protein is derived from animal-based sources, mainly lamb. So if your dog is fond of a special flavor diet, hes surely going to fall for this one!
How To Prevent Diarrhea In German Shepherds
It would be impossible for your German Shepherd to never suffer from the odd case of diarrhea. But there are some things you can do.
To prevent diarrhea in your German Shepherd, feed a complete and nutritious diet, and avoid table scraps and titbits that your dog is not used to. Avoid anything toxic and ensure your GSD does not get into the garbage. Ensure worming treatment and vaccinations are up to date.
Follow these simple guidelines to prevent diarrhea:
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Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Puppy Health Lamb Meal & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food
This dry food option by Holistic Select is a popular choice amongst German Shepherds pup owners thanks to the vital nutrients present in the blend specially crafted for large breed puppies. The formula isnt just great for pups with sensitive digestion, but also contains quality sources of nutrients to nourish little puppies right from the start so that they grow into big, beautiful shepherds!
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!
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Preferred Vegetables For German Shepherds
Although meat is the base of most dog diets, produce should also be included.
Wild members of the dog and wolf family eat the meat of their prey, along with partially digested vegetable matter remaining within the prey animal. It is important to try to replicate this in the modern dog diet.
Breed-specific vegetables for German shepherds include alfalfa, cabbage and leafy greens. If not accustomed to vegetables, feed small amounts in cooked form.
What Might Be The Minimum Standards Commercial Dog Food For German Shepherds Has To Meet
Pet food generally doesnt have its own specific and enforceable regulations in any country.
There are general regulations for animal food in some countries.
In the US for example, The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled
Theres also a voluntary membership association called AAFCO that outlines some standards in the US.
In Australia, Pet food is essentially self-regulated with voluntary industry standards applied through the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia
In different countries, regulations, standards and labelling requirements can differ.
So, be aware of what these are, and where the gaps and limitations in them might be.
You will be required to do additional research to ensure what you are getting in each pet food product, and cover information you might not get given on a label.
Note that standards are the minimum, and not the standards you should necessarily follow for optimal health.
Also note that certain phrases like organic dog food mean different things in different countries.
Check what different phrases mean by law in your country.
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How Many Calories Does A Puppy German Shepherd Need
German Shepherd puppies need the right balance of protein, fat, calcium, and phosphorous. Ideally, puppy formula will have a protein content of 18% to 22% and a fat content of 8% to 12%. The formula should also have a 1/1 calcium to phosphorous ratio. German Shepherd puppies should have 500 calories per day at an increasing level as they grow. Once the pup is a young adult, he should consume 1,500 to 1,700 calories per day.
Be wary of formulas with too high protein content. Puppies can be sensitive and may get an upset stomach or loose stool. Additionally, never supplement extra calcium into a large breed puppys diet. Too much calcium encourages hip dysplasia earlier in life.
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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Tips To Feed German Shepherds Puppy
- Puppies should be fed 3 times per day from 8 to 12 weeks and twice a day after that
- Increase the amount of food for puppy feeding gradually.
- Raw food should not be fed as the puppy immune system is not fully developed
- Do not feed spicy food as they may cause diarrhea and stomach upset.
- Keep track of the weight of the puppy. Overweight can lead to joint problems.
- Unless your vet advises, do not give them any extra vitamins and minerals.
Why Is My German Shepherd Always Hungry
German Shepherds tend to have a healthy appetite so it can feel like they eat a lot. If you ensure that the food you give is properly measured and that you have chosen food that is suitable for large breeds, then the following are reasons that your GSD could be showing signs of being hungry all the time.
- Lots of Exercise The more exercise your dog gets, the more energy they burn off, and the greater their requirement for food to replenish this energy source. One hour of moderate exercise per day is considered a minimum for this breed. Any more than this and your German Shepherd may require more food.
- Anxiety and Stress Anxiety and stress not only cause a lack of appetite but may lead to stress eating. Find out what is causing anxiety in your dog, and remove these stressors.
- Illness Diabetes, Cushings disease, malabsorption syndrome, and SIBO are some of the illnesses that can cause your dog to want to eat more. Look for other symptoms of illness and consult with your vet if your dog is showing any signs.
- Bad Habits Dogs are creatures of habit, and this means that they will benefit from having set meal times and routines. Try to feed your dog at the same time every day. If you feed a meal early, they may still expect food at their usual allotted time.
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