What Is The Best Dog Food For My German Shepherd
When shopping for a new dog food for your German Shepherd you need to find a product that offers complete and balanced nutrition from high-quality ingredients. Large-breed dogs need plenty of protein in their diets with moderate fat content, unless your dog is particularly active or trained for work. To make sure that your German Shepherds basic nutritional needs are met, start with a large-breed specific formula and see how your dog does on it for a few weeks. If he loses weight or appears to be low in energy, you may need to increase his daily ration or switch to an active breed formula. Below you will find reviews for several high-quality dog food formulas that could be a good choice for your German Shepherd:
Healthy Ingredients : Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrotsKey Features :
Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Sweet PotatoesKey Features :
Healthy Ingredients : Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, PeasKey Features :
Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Lamb, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Starch, Pea ProteinKey Features :
Homemade Dog Food Delivery Service
If you are a German Shepherd pet owner struggling to find time to cook for your GSD and wish your dog could eat whole, fresh homemade foods more often, a homemade dog food delivery service might be a great fit.
Nom Nom is one of our favorite options. They deliver fresh, prepared homemade dog food tailored to your pups dietary needs straight to your door. Everything is made from real, human-grade ingredients
Their food is developed with the input of a veterinary nutritionist and following the AAFCO nutritional guidelines. They do all the cooking for you, so you never have to worry about using the wrong ingredients, proper nutrition guidelines, portion sizes, and more.
All their meals are customizable to your dogs unique dietary needs, age, nutritional goals, and other key factors. For instance, if your GSD has food-related health issues like allergies or an illness, they will create a recipe that caters to this.
In our experience, its a huge time-saver, and you can spend time on more important things like walks or training. Plus, you avoid all the hassle of planning, shopping, and cooking. We think its worth the cost after you add up the prices of all the ingredients youll need to cook a recipe.
Our readers have access to save 50% off your first order of Nom Nom. Just use this link to get your GSDs first homemade meal.
Check out Canine Bibles GSD Khaleesi trying out Nom Nom homemade dog food. She recommends it!
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:German shepherd puppy or adult
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..
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Why Commercial Dog Food Is Non Okay
The thing is, German Shepherd is one of those breeds which are very prone to diseases. You need to buy a high quality dog food to keep your German Shepherd healthy.
This doest mean your dog will barf after eating the cheap food, but it greatly incleases the risk of your dog catching a disease and dying too soon even because of overall weakness. In this case, your best option is to make cheap food yourself.
Choosing The Best Dog Food For Your German Shepherds Can Prevent Illnesses
As a medium to large breed dog, Germans are predisposed to hip dysplasia.
Having the appropriate nutrients as a puppy can help prevent the joints from growing too quickly and malforming.
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.
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Best Homemade German Shepherd Dog Food Recipes
Weve compiled our favorite German Shepherd homemade dog food recipes to share with you.
Additionally, we give you a special treat recipe for German Shepherds that is not only tasty but packed with impressive health benefits. We kid you not. This recipe can do a lot for your GSDs health and wellness. It has our favorite secret ingredient, dog CBD oil.
For even more German Shepherd food recipes and cooking options, cookbooks can come in handy to have an array of dog food recipes at your disposal. We love Home Cooking for Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes for a Healthier Dog.
Note: Please consult with your pets veterinarian & use personal judgment when applying this information to your dogs diet. The recipes below do not include serving size because portion sizes will vary depending on breed, weight, activity level, age, and your dogs health. A common recommendation is to feed your dog a comparable amount of ounces/cups to what you would usually feed in kibble BUT check with your vet to be certain.
Best Dog Food For German Shepherd Puppies
Puppies need the best nutrition to help them reach their full potential. When choosing a puppy food for your GSD, you should keep an eye out for high protein.
They should be getting at least 22% protein from their daily meals.
To keep up with a growing pups caloric requirements, you should feed them a high-quality large breed puppy formula.
This is because growing puppies usually need twice the amount of nutrients as adults of the same breed.
Here are our top picks for growing Shepherd puppies.
1. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Chicken & Turkey Recipe Dry Dog Food
Top ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey MealType: Dry
Fortified with antioxidants, probiotics, omega fatty acids, and Glucosamine, this formula will ensure that your puppy grows steadily and healthily.
The large kibble encourages proper chewing, which can minimize risk of bloat. The downside is that it can get slightly pricey.
2. Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Puppy Health Dog Food
Top ingredients: Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, OatmealType: Dry
Each kibble is jam-packed with digestive enzymes, active probiotics, and healthy fiber which will keep your pups digestive health at its finest.
The kibble is also of a larger variety, made for large breed pups. An American product with quality ingredients sourced from all over the world.
3. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Top ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Whole Grain Brown RiceType: Dry
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German Shepherd Nutritional Needs
German Shepherds are high-energy working dogs, so the best dog food for German Shepherds is generally formulated around those breed specific energy levels. Since they are so intelligent and a large breed with a lot of muscle mass, they are often used as police and military rescue dogs, farm and ranch helpers, therapy and seeing eye dogs, and guard dogs. So they require a lot of energy from their food.
A food that is rich in protein and amino acids is required to help them maintain a healthy weight and keep their muscles strong.
A good dog food for German Shepherds should also have a balance of complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to provide them the sustained, long-term energy they need to work long hours. German Shepherds also need more calories per day than other breeds. An adult German Shepherd at a healthy weight requires between 1700-2100 calories a day so you need a food that has a high kcal amount.
Taste Of The Wild High Prairie Canine Grain
If you want your puppy delighted with its meal and for him to grow into a big boy, then Taste Of The Wild High Prairie is the healthiest pick of the day. Its a superior quality formula that is suitable for German Shepherd with delicate tummies.
The blend contains no grain, so there is no question of gluten-related problems. There are no fillers in the meal. And, it has only 100% natural ingredients to guarantee the absolute healthful development of your puppy. Even the smaller-sized kibble is to make chewing and digestion easier for your little fluff ball.
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What To Look For In A Good German Shepherd Dog Food
When it comes to choosing the best German Shepherd dog food, you need to make sure it is complete and balanced for your dogs minimum nutritional requirements. Look for a recipe that is protein-rich with moderate fat and calorie content, unless your dog is highly active in which case, he may need more calories. Digestible carbohydrates provide fiber and essential nutrients with vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure nutritional balance.
Here are some things to look for in a good German Shepherd dog food:
Now that you know more about your German Shepherds nutritional needs, youre ready to start shopping for the best food for German Shepherd dogs. Keep reading to see our top 10 picks.
Do Adult German Shepherd Dogs Need Special Nutrients
German Shepherds often develop digestive problems due to a shorter colon. This can lead to a sensitive stomach. Therefore, it is important to give a very precise diet to avoid triggering the sensitivities and also contribute to optimal health maintenance. Provide your adult German Shepherd a balance of meat protein, fiber, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, and vitamins.
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Best Dry Food For German Shepherd Puppies
Today, many puppies are weaned directly onto softened kibble, or transitioned from wet food to dry food at around 12 weeks. So they are likely to be already eating dry food by the time they come home with you. In fact they will probably arrive with a bag of the kibble they were weaned onto. These are our picks of the best dry dog food for German Shepherd puppies.
Best dry food for German Shepherd puppy
Royal Canin is one of the worlds largest and most popular dog food manufacturers. This kibble is tailor-made for German Shepherd puppies* and contains everything your dog will need during his growth period.
The formula is balanced to avoid digestive sensitivity, and also contains calcium and phosphorus for healthy joints and bones. Vitamins E and C, together with taurine and lutein help to maintain your pups vulnerable immune system. The diet is designed for pure bred German Shepherd puppies from age 8 weeks to 15 months.
Best food for GSD puppy
Hills are another major specialist diet dog food manufacturer. Their large breed puppy dry dog food* is a good food for German Shepherd puppies up to 12 months old. The diet contains optimal levels of calcium to ensure that bone growth is controlled in order to prevent the onset of health conditions, including hip dysplasia.
Good puppy food for German Shepherds
Best large breed puppy food for German Shepherds
German Shepherd puppy food
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!
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How To Choose A Quality Pet Food
Contrary to popular belief, the labels on dog food arent that useful. Veterinary nutritionist, Dr. Lisa Freeman, goes in-depth on the matter in her article, Stop reading your pet food ingredient list!, as well as in a co-authored article titled Why you shouldnt judge a pet food by its ingredient list.
She discusses how labels are largely marketing ploys as they often include ingredients that are attractive to customers but arent nutritionally valuable.
Worse, foods with meat or poultry as the first ingredient make you believe the food has a high meat content, which isnt necessarily true.
These cuts of meat are comparable to what we would see at the grocery store, and thus they have a considerable amount of liquid in them which increases their weight.
Therefore, a food with chicken as the first ingredient may actually have less chicken in it than a food with chicken meal as the second or third ingredient.
Lastly, ingredient lists tell us nothing about the quality of the ingredients.
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Puppy
The Wholesome Essentials Puppy kibble by Nutro uses farm-raised chicken as its main source of protein. It is rich in omega fatty acids that support overall development, which is critical while your dog is growing.
Additional essential fatty acids come from its fish oil content. This kibble is also enriched with calcium to support your puppys bone development.
This Nutro variant of dry dog food uses oatmeal as its main source of carbohydrates and fiber. This is a gluten-free grain that is especially beneficial to dogs with food sensitivities.
Additionally, oats are rich in B vitamins, which help convert carbohydrates into energy more efficiently.
| Nutrition Facts – Nutro Wholesome Essentials Puppy |
|---|
| Top Ingredient |
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Best Dog Food For German Shepherd At Walmart
The best dog food for German Shepherds we found at Walmart is NUTRO Wholesome Essentials Large Breed Dry Dog Food.
This formula has all the ingredients your GSD needs to grow up strong and healthy.
Made with farm-raised chicken, brown rice, and sweet potato, this recipe contains all the ingredients your GSD needs to grow up strong and healthy.
It has natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy joints in your GSD. It tastes good and is crafted with essential antioxidants for healthy immunity.
Next time you are at Walmart looking for the best dog food option for your GSD, you know what to pick. Amazon & Chewy carry this dog food.
Cons
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Each Type Of Dog Food
I have put all this information in a handy table for you as it is easier to compare the pros and cons of each type of dog food and hopefully help you decide on the best diet for your German Shepherd.
Before transitioning your dog from one type to another, you may wish to talk to your veterinarian about the individual benefits and risks.
| TYPE OF DOG FOOD |
|---|
| No proven health benefits except for better digestionExpensive and time-consuming if preparing at homeRegular health checks advised |
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Things To Consider Before Choosing The Best Dog Food For German Shepherd Puppy And Adult Dogs
Before selecting the best dog food for German Shepherd, there are certain things to consider, and they include:
How old is the dog?
The thing is, age plays a significant role in determining what nutrients and what quantity your dog will need them.
Young growing puppies are more active. They expend more energy and are, of course, still growing.
This means theyd need more high calories than older dogs to supply them with the fuel they need, and a lot more protein to aid in their growth.
Elder Gods add weight more easily, are less active, and hence its imperative to cut back on the level of carbs they consume.
Hence, taking into consideration the age of your pet is essential if you must purchase the right dog formula thats best suited to them.
What is the Dogs size?
German shepherds are a generally big breed, which means they can grow to be anything between 70 to 100 pounds.
A perfect blend of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals is needed to fuel and maintain this massive body size.
So you see, it is not just enough to feed your GSD any food its vital that you research the nutritional value of the dog foods you intend purchasing to be sure it contains all the nutrients your dog needs and that they are in the right quantity.
How active is the dog?
The last point to consider before making your purchase is considering how active your German shepherd is.
The fact of the matter is, not all dog foods are created equal.
Protein Content
Fats
Turkey Rice And Veggie Mix
Delicious wholehearted food low-fat recipe for German Shepherd who may want to maintain a healthy weight. It provides a good balance of lean animal protein, healthy carbs, and veggies.
Ingredients
- 1/2 diced apple
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
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