The ideal daily diet for your German Shepherd should be in accordance with the diseases to which this breed is most prone, and the vitamins they need to combat them.
Key Takeaways:
- What is the ideal daily diet for a German Shepherd?
- Can I give my German Shepherd treats?
- Can I give my German Shepherd natural food?
- Diseases that your dog can have in old age.
- How to know if my dog is in good health.
- Learn about canine behavior.
When you think of a German dog breed, the first one that comes to mind is the German Shepherd. They are muscular in build, but at the same time lean and stretched. Their life expectancy is around 13 years, which is great for a large dog breed.
As herding dogs, German Shepherds have a highly developed family spirit and protective instinct, which is why they generally love children. They are very patient, self-confident and courageous. In addition, they are often fearless and combative in dangerous situations.
The German Shepherd’s innate obedience and eagerness to please the human makes it an ideal candidate for sports. As well as for training rescue, search and police dogs.
The ideal daily diet for your German Shepherd
The ideal daily diet for your German Shepherd is a diet rich in high quality protein consisting of 18-22% protein. Our pets also get nutrients from grains, fruits and vegetables. However, we must make sure they have the right mix of protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber for optimal health.
Puppy food
From 3 – 4 weeks of age, the German Shepherd puppy should be initiated to try new flavors, apart from mother’s milk. Basically, it will consist in licking some kind of porridge or special wet kibble for puppies of this breed.
From the eighth week on, the German Shepherd should be weaned and start its totally solid food with special types of kibble for puppies and if they are specific for the breed in particular, so much the better.
The veterinarian should indicate the dosage, amounts and types of kibble suitable for the puppy. Milk should be eliminated from the puppy’s diet, as it will cause diarrhea. It is vital that puppies have clean water and sufficient water to drink at all times.
Puppies and young dogs of this breed need a food with a moderate energy content adapted to their individual needs so that they do not grow too fast.
The recommendation of food quantities for a puppy is governed, on the one hand, by the puppy’s weight and, on the other hand, by the final weight it will have as an adult.
The stipulated weight is determined by the weight of the parent of the same sex, for example, in the case of a male, the weight of the father would be taken as a guide value. The degree of activity should also be taken into account when calculating the daily rations.
Food for adults
The final weight of a dog is genetically stipulated and can be reached or even exceeded too early due to excessive energy intake through food, even though the locomotor system is not yet very stable.
This overloading can cause misalignment of the limbs. Since the German Shepherd has a tendency to deal with joint diseases, an adapted diet is very important for this breed.
Whether a German Shepherd Dog is a rescue, search, police or family member can influence its nutritional needs. Depending on the area of application and the activity of the sheepdog, its dietary requirements vary.
As a companion, rescue, search or police dog the energetic need for food and quantity is higher. But even as a family dog, the German Shepherd needs the same level of activity for body and mind, either through sporting exercises and long walks or with different types of games.
However, in these cases the energy requirement of the food is somewhat lower than that of working dogs. But not only activity, breed and weight create certain nutritional needs, each dog has different characteristics and therefore individual requirements.
Feeding for older German Shepherds
As dogs grow older, their bodies change and so does their metabolism and, with it, their dietary requirements. It is normal that the energy requirement decreases, as dogs are no longer as active as they used to be.
Therefore, the energy intake of food should be reduced according to the degree of activity so that the senior dog does not gain weight. In addition, in some senior dogs, the sense of smell and taste decreases.
Can I feed my German Shepherd natural food?
Of course, there are people who feed their pets a diet based on chicken, meat, rice, oatmeal, etc. The diet should include quality protein, healthy fat, amino acids, minerals and vitamins, you can offer it raw or cooked.
Our German Shepherd will grow strong and healthy if you feed him a natural diet, as long as you include the right ingredients in his food.
If you decide to feed him with this option, keep in mind these 4 food groups that are indispensable and cannot be missing in his food.
1.-Protein
Chicken, turkey, beef, pork or lamb. Other important sources of protein are eggs, yogurt or some varieties of cheese.
2.-Fat
Peanut butter, olive or sunflower oil, liver oil and fish oil, among others.
3.-Fruits and vegetables
Source of minerals, vitamins and micro-nutrients essential in the diet. In addition, they are an important source of fiber, which not only aids in digestion, but also contributes to good gastrointestinal health.
4.-Carbohydrates
Rice, cassava, potato or potato.
Importance of an ideal daily diet for your German Shepherd
Unfortunately, joint diseases are the order of the day in German Shepherds, especially hip and elbow dysplasia. It is of genetic origin, although environmental factors may play a role.
This is a degenerative disease that usually causes osteoarthritis in the hip or elbow joint. There is no cure for dysplasia in German Shepherds, but you can improve your pet’s quality of life and help him cope with this ailment with a good diet from puppyhood.
For healthy growth, German Shepherd puppies need to receive an adequate energy intake, as well as a balanced supply, based on their needs, of trace elements, vitamins and minerals, and, above all, calcium and phosphorus.
This is why it is very important that you know the ideal daily diet for your German Shepherd. In this way you help him to be stronger and fight against these genetic diseases that can attack your dog.
