Best Food For Gsd Puppy

How To Avoid Bloat

One common condition that German Shepherds face is bloat. Bloat is a deadly problem where a dogs stomach fills with air and rotates on its axis. This can cut off blood flow to the intestines.

Half of all dogs that get bloat will die from it. Even with emergency surgery, 1 out of 3 dogs dies from bloat.

So how can you help your German Shepherd avoid bloat?

The best way to prevent bloat is to feed your German Shepherd at least twice a day. Gulping one giant meal is more likely to cause problems.

You should keep your dog calm for a while after they eat, too, as exercise can agitate the food in your dogs stomach and cause gas to build up.

If your German Shepherd likes to gulp their food, look for ways to slow them down. That may include putting a clean rock in their food bowl, buying a puzzle feeder, or giving some of their kibble in a treat ball.

Do They Have Any Special Dietary Needs

All dogs require a healthy, balanced diet rich in protein and healthy fats. The German Shepherd is a large-breed dog, so protein is even more important to help him maintain lean muscle mass. As a puppy, youll need to control your German Shepherds fat and calorie intake to keep him from growing too fast because overgrowth in large breeds can lead to an increased risk for musculoskeletal problems.

Generally speaking, the German Shepherd is a fairly healthy breed. As is true for all dogs, however, poor breeding practices can increase the risk of genetic health problems. This, combined with the fact that the German Shepherd is a large breed, means that he is at risk for things like hip dysplasia, though responsible breeding can help keep that risk to a minimum.

Here are some of the other health problems to which the breed is prone:

• Elbow dysplasia
• Cardiovascular disease

When it comes to dietary needs, most of the conditions on this list dont have any special dietary implications. You do, however, need to be mindful of how much and how quickly your dog eats. Eating too quickly or too much at once puts your dog at risk for bloat, a life-threatening condition in which the stomach twists, cutting off blood flow to the organs.

German Shepherds With Sensitive Stomachs

The German Shepherd dog, like many pure-bred dogs, can be predisposed to certain diseases. Some of these diseases may require a special diet for the GSD. Specifically, if you have concerns about his digestive health, work closely with your veterinarian to make sure your dog gets what he needs and hopefully, a proper diagnosis.

Notable diseases that are prevalent in this breed and which may affect the type of best dog food for German Shepherds you choose include:

• inflammatory bowel disease
• exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
• antibiotic-responsive diarrhea )

These diseases tend to cause GSDs to lose weight or not be able to gain weight effectively. In general, small, frequent meals are best for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Ask your veterinarian about diets like Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Dog Food, as it may help your GSD gain weight if he has those problems.

There’s also an article listing 15 best sensitive stomach dog foods, and a lot of these can be applicable for GSDs with a stomach upset or diseases. Bring those names up with your vet. I recommend you also read this article on upset stomachs from Dana Brown, DVM.

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Nutritional Profile That Is Balanced:

German Shepherds are extremely energetic and have voracious appetites. They will require adequate calories as well as a healthy balance of food categories to maintain their energy and keep them robust and smart. Although the caloric demands of a GSD vary depending on weight as well as other characteristics such as age, gender, and activity level, the ideal range for dogs of their size is between 1,700-2,400 calories per day. They require more than simply adequate calories. The finest food for a German Shepherd dog is one that is not only high in energy but also carefully prepared to satisfy the breeds nutritional requirements. Protein, healthy fats, carbs, fibers, omega 3, and omega 6 are a must in their diet. So, choose food with these nutritional values.

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German Shepherd Homemade Food Tips

Once you pick a recipe for your GSD or GSD puppy, its time to prepare it. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

• Set a feeding schedule and stick to it
• Feed your dog twice a day, puppies under 5 months, 3 times a day
• Set time aside weekly or monthly to prepare and portion the diet
• keep meals frozen for 2 3 months or refrigerated for about 5 days
• When the supply is getting low, its time to make a new batch
• If you like to feed different recipes, you can make multiple batches and color code by ingredients, rotating out the different meals
• The food can be prepared in bulk and portioned into containers
• Increase portions appropriately as your puppy grows. Monitor weight to make sure you are feeding the proper amount of calories

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Wet Food For German Shepherd Puppies

Wet or canned food is one step closer to a real food diet for your GSD puppy. There are a number of benefits to wet food, but they typically come at a greater premium. GSD puppies can be fussy eaters with kibble, but this usually isnt the case with wet food.

One of the biggest benefits of a wet food diet is how easy it is to identify low-quality food. You want to be able to see visible chunks of meat in the food. If you cant, it is likely it is not the very high quality.

German Shepherd Puppies’ Dietary Needs

Curious, confident, courageous, and vastly cuddly, these canines will gladly risk their lives to save yours. But, German shepherds usually need proper care and attention as they undergo drastic growth in the initial year of their life. Any neglect of nutritional needs results in serious health complications in their adulthood.

To begin with, you have to understand that GSDs are a large breed of dogs. So, it would be best if you gave them a large breed formula. You see, GSDs need extra minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and calcium. These nutrients support a healthy joint structure and promote buccal growth and a shiny coat. They also need a higher calorie intake as they tend to burn off the energy quickly. The German shepherd puppy sprouts super fast in the first eight months of their lives. That is when they need you to give them extra TLC.

On average, the GSD puppy requires 500 calories a day. And, by the time the puppy is 15 months, it needs 1600 calories. The protein intake should be around 18% to 22%. Moreover, there should be about 8-12% fat content in the diet to sustain the growth of your doggy.

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Best Brand Of Dog Food For German Shepherd

Royal Canin German Shepherd Dog Food

Royal Canin has mastered themselves in formulating unique diet meals for German Shepherds. The main factor that makes them stand out among others is that they offer effective nutritional dog food from pure and original ingredients. Not just improving your pets body structure but also providing complete overall body development.

Natural Balance Dog Food

Natural Balance combination of love for pets plus their innovative knowledge of dog food formula makes them unique in creating premium dog food products. They are known to make products that meet the high nutritional, good taste, and clear all safety standards. Their innovative L.I.D is a hit with providing simple and specific nutritional formulated formula diet food for your pet.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food

Blue Buffalo has always indulged in producing dog food with the finest high-quality ingredients from the very beginning of its journey. None of their German Shepherd dog food contains soy, wheat, or corn. Blues every bite is rich in antioxidants that help improve your pets immune system. All of the pet food is slowly processed and not overcooked since overcooking may eliminate its nutritional value. We would recommend Blue Buffalo if you are looking out for a premium quality dog food product.

Purina Dog Food

Merrick Dog Food

What Causes A Sensitive Stomach And Diarrhea In German Shepherds

You might not always know what causes stomach sickness in your GSD.

There are multiple causes why German Shepherds can have diarrhea. This could range from eating something they should not to a sudden change of food.

If you are inclined to change your dogs food, remember to do it gradually over at least a seven to ten-day period. You can do the food switch by mixing a small amount of the new food with the original food. As each day passes continue to add more of the new food while including less of the original diet.

If at any point your German Shepherd gets upset to the stomach or has diarrhea, stop the new diet and let them have a few days of rest on their original normal diet before trying with the introduction of the new food again.

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Diamond Naturals Adult Dog Beef Meal & Rice Formula

The Adult Dog Beef Meal & Rice Formula by Diamond Naturals uses pasture-raised beef as its main protein source. This is enhanced by superfoods like quinoa and chia seeds, which are not only rich in protein but also offer several health benefits.

Additionally, it is enriched with the proprietary K9 Strain probiotics, which is incredibly beneficial to your German Shepherds gut health and immune system.

This dry dog food is also rich in omega fatty acids, thanks to its addition of flaxseeds and coconut. These help your dog maintain healthy skin and a shiny, luxurious coat.

Lastly, it is rich in fruits and vegetables like blueberries, papaya, spinach, and kale. These arent just a healthy source of fiber but are also powerful antioxidants that keep your dog young and energetic.

• Maintains healthy skin and coat

Potential Cons:

How Often Should I Feed My Adult German Shepherd

For most adult German Shepherds, feeding twice per day, around 10 to 12 hours apart is healthy.

Regardless of the feeding schedule you choose, avoid allowing your German Shepherd to exercise vigorously after consuming a large meal for at least 1 2 hours. This is especially true if your dog eats its food rapidly.

Giving your dog time to fully digest their meal will help minimize problems with bloat, intestinal obstruction, or other serious digestive disorders.

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Orijen Adult Dog Food

This protein rich recipe is one of the richest around, with 85% of the ingredients being poultry, fish or egg products. Approximately two thirds of the meat content in this recipe are all fresh or raw, meaning that your German Shepherd will be getting his nutrients in the most nourishing form.

It is 100% grain and gluten free and it is packed with a variety of fruit and vegetables to provide your German Shepherd with his vitamins and minerals. It also comes in three different flavors the Original, Regional Red and Six Fish, so if you have a fussy pooch then there a few choices for him to choose from, and all of their recipes have whole fish in which helps to maintain a healthy heart.

We love that this is biologically appropriate, in that the recipe is based on a whole prey diet that mirrors the ratio of a wild diet. It incorporates a balance of meat, organs, bones, and cartilage. While that might not sound too appealing to you, your German Shepherd will love it!

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.

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Feeding Treats To A German Shepherd

You can include small portions of fresh components to your puppys dry kibble for taste and flavor. But dont add more than a spoonful or two so your dog doesnt eat only the fresh ingredients and ignore the healthy kibble!

These components shouldnt make up over 10% of their daily calories to avoid them gaining excess weight.

GSD puppies enjoy eating:

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed Adult Farm

Lean protein and essential nutrients are the keys to optimal health for your German Shepherd and this Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed Adult Farm-Raised Chicken Recipe has both. Featuring fresh farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient, this recipe is rich in lean protein to support your dogs lean muscle mass. It also contains digestible whole-grain carbohydrates like whole brown rice and whole-grain sorghum for supplemental energy and fiber. This recipe contains natural sources of joint-supporting nutrients like glucosamine and chondroitin with plenty of fiber for healthy digestion. Dried fruits and vegetables provide natural sources of key nutrients while vitamins and chelated mineral supplements are included for balanced nutrition. Overall, this recipe provides 21% protein with 13% fat and 330 calories per cup and it is full of real chicken flavor your dog will love.

• Pros: Real farm-raised chicken first ingredient, digestible whole-grain carbohydrates, dried fruits and vegetables, joint-supporting nutrients, chelated minerals
• Cons: Not a grain-free recipe

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Is It Time To Get A New Best Food German Shepherd Puppy

Youre looking for a new best food german shepherd puppy. Think about it. It’s impossible to foresee pricing fluctuations in the future. The sooner you buy, the better off you’ll be if manufacturing doesn’t slow down. If, on the other hand, production is falling and prices are expected to climb, you might want to hold off on making a decision until the hype has calmed down.

How Much Should A German Shepherd Puppy Eat

On average, adult German Shepherds should eat at least 1,272 calories to 2,100 calories daily. This amount depends on their age, existing health conditions, and activity level. Older and less active German Shepherds eat around 1300 calories daily to maintain a healthy weight. Meanwhile, an active and energetic older GSD may eat at 1700 calories a day.

But what about a German Shepherd puppy?

How much should a German Shepherd puppy eat?

The answer will surprise you!

German Shepherd puppies eat twice the amount of calories per pound of weight when compared to adult German Shepherds. This means an 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy can eat double the food of an adult GSD! Puppies eat double their adult counterparts in order to maintain growth and development. Their caloric intake is crucial to keep their bodies strong and give them necessary energy to grow.

A German Shepherd puppy that is younger than four months old will need at least 80-90 calories per pound of body weight in order to grow and develop. Once a German Shepherd puppy reaches four months of age, then you can reduce his calorie requirements to around 40-60 calories per pound of body weight. Weigh your puppy routinely, check on their overall body condition, and adjust their calories to support their growth.

Remember, calories vary greatly between brands and manufacturers. Always read the feeding label and nutritional guidelines on the package of food you are feeding your GSD.

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Vet Recommended Dog Food For German Shepherd Puppy

• Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy Food

This is a top of the line food that comes in dry or wet. It is made for German Shepherds and has everything good for your puppy. It also has a taste that puppies love, which makes it easy for them to eat. This dog food is also formulated with nutritionists who created this high quality formula with just what your puppy needs from puppyhood through adulthood. The formula includes vitamins and minerals as well as probiotics, antioxidants and omega-3s to promote healthy skin and coat. Plus it helps maintain joint mobility by providing chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine to support cartilage development during playtime activities like climbing the stairs or chasing after their ball! Your German Shepherd pup will grow up strong and healthy thanks to this premium kibble diet designed by vets specifically for growing puppies!