The best food for German Shepherds: diet, features and recommendations

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Many German Shepherd owners mistakenly believe that the best pet food is food from the human table. But breeders and veterinarians strongly do not recommend it. The fact is that our food contains many elements harmful to the animal, such as s alt and spices. This also includes the method of cooking.

You can't feed your dog porridge with meat or even pure protein. The best food for a German Shepherd is a balanced diet, where all the necessary substances are present: the optimal proportion of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, as well as minerals and vitamins. Compiling such a menu on your own is troublesome and expensive.

Features of food

In this case, dry food for German Shepherds is the best option. Such solutions are easy to use and do not require any additional hassle. No need to boil a pot of soup for your pet and worry that his food will go bad. You should also not worry about vitamins for young animals. A good dry food for German Shepherd puppies contains all the minerals and vitamin groups necessary for a growing body.

Separateit is worth noting that if your pet suffers from problems such as allergies, skin rashes, obesity and diseases of internal organs, then you can’t do without the right food.

We will try to find out what food is best for a German Shepherd. Consider popular brands that are respected among breeders and have a lot of positive feedback, as well as analyze the features of feeding a pet.

Popular German Shepherd Foods

Meals of this plan are divided into categories. The simplest solutions belong to the economy class, higher-quality feeds are premium, super-premium. The best food is the holistic class. It has the most pure meat and only natural additives. There is no flavor enhancer and flavorings. In addition, such products can be eaten by a person, which says a lot about their quality.

Holistic

What is interesting: the cost of food for holistic German Shepherds is sometimes noticeably lower than the price of super-premium and even premium food. The fact is that the manufacturers of the latter spend a lot of money on promoting the product, which is why the price is so inflated.

Best food brands for holistic German Shepherds:

• Akana.
• Artemis.
• Orijen.
• Innova.
• Canidae.
• Felidae.
• Evo.

This is the best food for dogs - balanced and without a hint of harmful chemicals. But you will pay good money for exceptional quality.

Premium

Premium and super-premium German Shepherd foods also contain meat products, but to a lesser extent. Predominantly semi-finished products predominate here. In addition, these classes offer a host of specialized solutions. For example, food for German Shepherd puppies or pregnant animals.

Top premium and super premium brands:

• "Frolik".
• Hill's.
• Pro Pack.
• Royal Canin.
• "Dr. Alders.”
• Eukanuba.
• Purina Proplan.

Economy

Here we have inexpensive foods that can be found in almost any store, while more noble classes are sold at specialized points of sale. These solutions do not contain meat, but only offal, such as hooves, feathers and fat.

In addition, these foods are richly flavored with cereals and soy. Breeders and veterinarians believe that it is not worth giving economy class food to your pet. This is especially true for pregnant animals and young animals. Of course, what kind of food to feed a German Shepherd puppy is a personal matter for everyone, but in this case, the pet will not receive all the elements necessary for the growth of the body. Due to the lack of vitamins and minerals, immunity will be weakened, and the puppy will become more susceptible to diseases.

Popular economy food:

• Chappie.
• Baron.
• Our brand.
• Purina Dog.

If you feed your pet with such products, then do not forget to give him additional vitamin complexes. The latter will be helped by breeders or veterinarians.

German Shepherd Feeding Rules

The first step is to get the right bowl for shepherd dogs. It should be high enough so that the pet does not eat from the floor. Otherwise, the musculoskeletal system will suffer. It is also worth considering some individual characteristics of the dog.

How active she is, her age and gender. Be sure to pay attention to wool and stool. All these factors affect the choice of food. Experts do not recommend protracted experiments with nutrition. If your pet loves one brand and eats it with pleasure, then you should not switch to another. At least not more than once a quarter.

In addition, you can not immediately change one food for another. New food must be added in small portions, gradually replacing the old. That is, it will take at least a couple of weeks to completely replace one solution with another.

Also, experts do not recommend mixing pasture from the human table with industrial rations. In principle, no one forbids giving natural products to a pet, but only at a separate time, and not with dry food.

Portions and frequency of German Shepherd feedings

Breeders and veterinarians recommend feeding this breed no more than twice a day. It is also worth choosing a specific time and strictly following the daily routine. The dosage depends on the nutrient content and must be indicated on the product packaging.

Holistic feeds are more practical in this regard. A small portion is enough for a shepherd dog to be completely satiated. While economy-class solutions are consumed much faster. In a good half of the cases, a 10-kg package of premium food lasts for a month.

Vets strongly advise against overfeeding dogs and German Shepherds in particular. The breed, although not prone to obesity, but a “kind” owner can turn a pet into a kind of ball on its paws. It is good if the problem is only with excess weight, but overfeeding is fraught with intestinal volvulus. And this is the risk of death. So do not fall for the compassionate eyes of your pet, but strictly follow the daily routine and menu.

Feeding German Shepherd Puppies

It is important to know that up to a month and a half, young animals should eat only and exclusively milk. And he does this at least 10 times a day. Upon reaching the age of one and a half months, cereals, soups, mashed potatoes and pure protein in the form of meat and fish can be added to the diet.

Only when the puppy is three months old, it must be slowly transferred to dry foods. This should not be done immediately, but gradually, replacing natural food with industrial food. Breeders recommend adding 25% store-bought solution every three days.

At about four months of age, the quantitymeals should be reduced to 4 times a day. Six-month-old shepherd dogs are fed three times a day. And after a year they are transferred to an adult two meals a day.

Puppy foods differ in composition from those of adults. As mentioned above, veterinarians strongly do not recommend buying economy-class solutions for young animals. During the first year and a half, the dog's skeletal system is formed, so for this period it is better to spend money on holistic food or at least super-premium food.

Natural nutrition

Veterinarians strongly advise against feeding a German Shepherd both natural food and dry industrial products. But breeders do not have such an unambiguous opinion on this matter. They sometimes spoil their pets with fresh beef or vegetable stew.

But here it is necessary to monitor the well-being of the animal and especially the chair. If after such experiments it has become liquid, then it is better to refuse such feeding. In addition, treats should not be too frequent. Natural food can be given no more than once a week. It is also worth remembering the products prohibited for shepherd dogs.

Forbidden foods:

• any fried food;
• sweets;
• smoked meats;
• pastry;
• s alty food;
• fatty foods;
• starchy foods.

The use of the above products can lead to serious consequences: problems with the gastrointestinal tract, deterioration of the hairline, loss of activity andetc. If you are not sure if the natural food from your table contains these elements, then it is better to refuse such bait altogether.

Water

It is also worth noting that the pet should always have access to clean drinking water. If you are planning a long walk with your dog, be sure to take a bottle of water with you. The fact is that dry food is called “dry” for a reason. It has all the necessary nutrients, but it completely lacks the liquid that is so necessary for everyone. You can skip the next feeding, but you should always have access to water.