If you’re a new dog owner and have some doubts about what you should be feeding your German Shepherd, don’t worry, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know. German Shepherds are big and powerful dogs, and their diet needs to reflect that. They need special nutrition to keep their bones and joints healthy, too. Let’s take a look at the best dog food for German Shepherds.
German Shepherds Need a Well-Balanced Diet
Some German Shepherd owners like to feed their dogs dry food or canned wet food, or even a combination of the two. Most owners find that it is better to feed their dogs a raw diet of homemade food. Homemade food is a good idea because it ensures that you know exactly what your dog is eating.
As mentioned above, they need a well-balanced, high-quality, and protein-rich diet. Animal-based protein is your go-to! You can consider lamb, beef, pork, chicken, fish, and eggs. You should add some plant-based proteins, such as grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, to balance it out as you want to ensure that your dog is getting a good balance of fats, vitamins, and minerals, as well as protein.
Moreover, semi-cooked meat, raw meat, bones, and cooked fish like sardines and mackerel are also great for your adult German Shepherd. If your dog is ill or pregnant, you can even consider giving it some extra supplements that a vet would recommend to you.
German Shepherd Puppies Have Different Requirements
When it comes to puppies, you have to be a bit more cautious with their diets.
- At six weeks: The puppies will still be nursing, and you can focus on keeping the mother healthy so that her milk is full of nutrition for the puppies.
- Around ten weeks: The puppies can start eating wet food with around 80% moisture content.
- At twelve weeks: The puppies can start eating dry food along with wet food.
- When your baby turns four months old: You can start feeding your dog raw animal products like meat, bones, and eggs. Keep in mind that the food you give your German Shepherd puppy should have at least 22% protein content.
How Much You Should Feed Your German Shepherd
How much to feed a German Shepherd puppy differ from how much you feed a fully grown dog. Puppies should be fed four meals a day of German Shepherd puppy food between six and twelve weeks old.
Between twelve and twenty-four weeks, they can transition to 3 meals a day. As time passes, you will see them growing and should adjust their diet accordingly. At six months, your German Shepherd requires two meals a day and 1 meal at age one year.
You can check recommended meal sizes on the packaging of the food you are feeding them.
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