Your Quick Guide To Buying The Best Dog Food For German Shepherds
German Shepherds are probably the most popular dog breed across the world. In fact, I think their numbers could only be compared with Golden Retrievers and Labradors. If you want your German Shepherd to be fit and active, then you need to feed the right food to the dog. In the following post, we would be talking about the 5 best Dog Food for German Shepherds.
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A Few Things to Consider Before Choosing the Right Dog Food
German Shepherd Dogs, fondly called as GSDs, are large, active dogs and hence proper nutrition is absolutely essential for them. There are a lot of different packaged dog foods available on the market and a lot of them are actually pretty good. But, before you choose the right dog food there are a few things that you should know about GSDs and their nutritional needs. So, before we actually take a look at the best dog food , let us take a look at some of the things that you should know about your lovely German shepherd.
The Calorie Needs of German Shepherds
GSDs were bred to be large working dogs and hence, their nutritional are different from other dogs that have similar size. Obesity is a common problem with German Shepherds. Therefore, you need to ensure that you give plenty of exercises and high-quality diet to your dog.
An adult German shepherd would weigh around 60 to 90 pounds. According to the National Research Council of the National Academies, an active adult GSD would require about 1,740 to 2,100 calories a day. On the other hand, older and inactive dogs would require about 1,272 and 1,540 calories. Therefore, you need to ensure that your dog is getting enough calories through his/her diet.
The Ideal Dog Food for Your German Shepherd Dog
There are a wide variety of dog foods available for your GSD the marker. So, you can easily pick one up from your local pet store. However, there a few things that you should know before hand.
Meeting the calorie needs of your dog is, of course, one of the most important things that you need to ensure. Apart from that, you would also need to maintain the other dietary needs of your dog. The dog food approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials would meet the dietary requirements of your dog. These foods would have at least 5 percent of the fat and about 18 percent protein.
For lactating mothers and growing puppies, the requirement is around 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat. Therefore, your must ensure that your dog food is labelled to be meeting the standards prescribed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials.
The primary ingredient in your dog’s food should be whole meat protein. On most labels, the ingredients would be listed in the decreasing order of the weight. This is regulated by the US FDA. Protein would come first on the list, followed by carbohydrates, grains, fats and vegetables. Different sources of food are used in the food.
If your dog has digestion problems, then you should get the food that has Barley, rice and rolled oats as they are easily digestible. If you want to keep your dog’s coat shiny, then you need to get the food that contains healthy fats and omega 3 fatty acids.
Digestion Problems with German Shepherds
One of the biggest problems with German Shepherds is that they have an extremely sensitive digestive system. There are a lot of stuff they could not digest properly- corn, wheat and soy being a few of them. So, you should avoid feeding your dog any food that contains corn and soy. This is one of the reasons why you should check the ingredients of the dog food package. There are few foods that might use Chinese stuff.
Now, it is difficult to determine the source of the food. Hence you need to stay clear of such food that contains Chinese ingredients . Try to buy American-made food for the safety of your German Shepherd Dogs.
What Should You Feed Your Dog and When?
In most cases, you would be feeding your dog puppy food until the dog is at least a year old, but this is not the case with GSDS. You need to feed your GSD puppy puppy-specific food only until it is 6 months old. After that, you need to give him/her adult food. This is done to prevent rapid growth which might not be all too good for your dog. Too rapid growth can lead to bone and joint issues. Therefore, you must keep these things in mind before choosing the right dog food.
Obesity is also a major problem prevalent among GSDs. So, you should avoid overfeeding your dog. Get in touch with your veterinarian to know when and how much you should feed your dog .
No. | Image | Product Name | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 
| Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition |
96
/100
| |
2 | 
| Wellness Complete Health |
97
/100
| |
3 | 
| Wilderness Blue Buffalo |
97
/100
| |
4 | 
| Merrick Classic Adult Real Beef |
99
/100
| |
5 | 
| Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe |
98
/100
|
**Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
Most Recommended Dog Food For German Shepherds
Let us now take a look at the 5 of the best dog food for your puppies. These foods are easily available with online retailers like Amazon and also at pet stores. Although, there might other dog food that might be good enough for your puppy, these foods are the best options that you have.
1. Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition
Via www.amazon.com
Royal Canin is a brand that has some reputation in making foods for purebred dogs. They make specific food for particular breeds. So, this particular product is made specifically to suit the needs of the adult German Shepherd Dog. This is one of the biggest advantages of the food. It contains EPA and DHA which are beneficial for the growth of your dog.
However, one of the issues with this particular dog food is that you don’t get meat as the primary source of protein. It uses Brewer’s rice. If you are looking for a trusted dog food brand without spending much, then this is the best option for you.
PROS
- It comes with EPA and DHA which are great for your dog.
- It comes with a balance of nutrients that is good for the coat of your dog.
- It supports the sensitive digestive system of your GSD
CONS
- There are people who complain the main ingredient is brewer’s rice instead of meat.
2. Wellness Complete Health
Via www.Amazon.com
If you are looking for a food that is made from all natural ingredients then this is the right choice for you. This food doesn’t contain any preservative or any other chemicals that would harm your dog. It is made from real meat rather than protein by-products. This ensures that your dog is getting high quality protein. I have seen some of my friends feed this to their dog. If you want to feed real meet to your dogs, then this is the right option for your dog.
PROS
- It comes in a larger kibble size. This is perfect for larger breed of dogs like the GSD.
- It does not come with any harmful preservatives.
- It comes with added glucosamine and chondroitin that make the joints healthy.
CONS
- Given the sensitiveness of the Digestive system of GSD, rarely cause diarrhoea and gas problems.
3. Wilderness Blue Buffalo
Via www.Amazon.com
Blue Buffalo is trusted for its quality. So, if you want to get the best quality product for your beloved dog, then this might just be the thing you need. It comes with real meat and no meat by-products, which is really beneficial for your dog.
It doesn’t contain wheat or soy, so not all dogs would have problems.One of the biggest advantages is that it contained the patented LifeSource bits which are a nutritious blend of vitamins and minerals. This is patented by Blue Buffalo, so you would not get it anywhere else.
PROS
- It contains lifesource bits, which is a precise blend of vitamins, minerals and other things.
- It contains real chicken.
- It doesn’t contain any wheat or soy, which would disrupt the digestive system.
- Made by USA
CONS
- There are some complaints that they have been using an excessive amount of Vitamin D which was a cause of gastrointestinal diseases.
4. Merrick Classic Adult Real Beef
Via www.Amazon.com
This is one dog food that GSDs just love to have. It contains pure beef, which is the best source of healthy protein for your dog. It also contains all the vital minerals like Omega 6, Omega 3 and Chondroitin, which helps your dog to have healthy joints and a shiny coat. This makes it one of the best dog foods for your German shepherd. It contains a rich blend of meat and veggies, which would be really good for the overall health of your dog. The food used in Merrick Classic Adult Real Beef is sourced from responsible sources and hence they are not harmful to your dog and keep it fit and active. So, this is one product that we highly recommend.
PROS
- The primary ingredient is deboned beef which is the best meat for your dog.
- Rich in Omega 6, Omega 3 Glucosamine and Chondroitin, which helps makes the bones and joints to be healthy and also gives a shiny coat to the dog.
- It comes with a balanced nutrition.
CONS
- May be ran out of stock because of massive orders.
5. Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe
Via www.Amazon.com
This is one great food for puppies. It contains deboned chicken which is enough to meet the protein needs of your dog. It is one of the best dog foods for GSD puppies which help in proper growth. It also keeps your pup fit and active. You would really love to see your dog prancing around and barking in that cute voice. The nutritional needs of your puppy are met to a great extent by this dog food. However, there have been many cases where the food has caused puppies to have diarrhoea because of new food. So, you might want to look into that before you buy this food
PROS
- It is made specifically to suit the needs of your GSD puppy.
- It contains deboned chicken as the number one ingredient.
- It contains the highest level of Glucosamine & Chondroitin.
CONS
- It might give diarrhoea to the dog but rarely.
And the Winner is
All the dog foods mentioned here are good options but among those options, the best dog for your dog is Merrick Classic Adult Real Beef. It has everything you need and it does not have many drawbacks. However, you can also check out other foods as well to decide, whether it is really the best for your German Shepherd Dog.
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