[anonymous]

For best results I would go to a veterinary dermatologist, especially if this is becoming a chronic condition and has not responded to treatment by the regular vet. The veterinary dermatologist can do skin testing to identify the environmental allergens responsible then they will discuss treatment options.
If you suspect food sensitivities then the only way to rule out is to have the vet prescribe hydrolyzed food, difficult to follow, commercial brands do not compare.
There is no cure for allergies but there is effective treatment and management.

https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/otitis-externa excerpts below, click on link for full article

Otitis externa is an inflammation of the ear canal. Because dogs’ ear canals are L-shaped (Figure 1), fluid does not drain easily from canal openings. Additionally, the lining of the ear can become inflamed and thickened, blocking air and fluid flow in and out of the canal. Animals with otitis externa can also develop otitis media (middle ear inflammation). Similar to the problem seen in children (especially after airplane flights), fluid can build up behind the ear drum, causing pressure and pain. Otitis externa and media are common conditions in dogs, particularly in specific breeds such as the Cocker spaniel and German shepherd.
In puppies and kittens, otitis externa is often caused by ear mites. These tiny parasites cause terrible itching and a thick brown discharge. In adult dogs, the most common underlying cause is allergies- sensitivity to something in the environment or to food. In older animals, tumors can cause blockage of the ear canal and secondary infection. Other predisposing causes may include foreign bodies (such as grass seeds), or small ear canals (often seen in Shar peis) or long floppy ear flaps (for example, Basset hounds) that prevent air flow. Hormonal problems, such as poor thyroid function, or other underlying skin disorders may also be present.

[CHRISTINE C]

I know I am very late to this post but – I have been feeding Titan Blue Fine Grind for a little over a year. I switched all 3 of my dogs, including a German Shepherd that has EPI. Previously fed Merrick kibble. My dogs have thrived on this raw diet. It is easy, inexpensive (compared to sourcing meat myself) and I it has increased their quality of life. My 13 year old lab acts like he is a puppy.

[Susan]

Hi Denis,

Sound like your GSD had a Furunculosis on his bum, my boy has IBD, Seasonal Skin Allergies (Summer/Autumn) & he has food sensitivities, food allergies are rare & the dog normally will suffer with IBD when he/she suffers with food allergies..
Anal furunculosis is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease of dogs that results in ulceration and inflammation in the area surrounding the anus.

Here’s link – “What is Idiopathic Furunculosis (German Shepherds)?”
https://wagwalking.com/condition/idiopathic-furunculosis-german-shepherds

If your dog is eating the Hills Z/d vet diet, after 1 month if he is doing firm poos, no farts, no skin problems & he is doing really well this is when you start a food elimination diet & try too work out what ingredients your dog is sensitive too?? that’s if it is food related?? its Spring in America it could be environment allergies or his immune system is crashing from Allergies or vaccinations?? it takes a while doing food elimination diets, 1 month to trial 1 new ingredient at a time to his Hypoallergenic vet diet, it can take 20mins up to 6 weeks for the dog to react, with itchy skin, ears, red around mouth, paws, gas/wind/farts, vomiting, itchy yeasty ears, skin, anal gland problems take a bit longer 4-7days when dog is reacting to an ingredient..
I found Patch reacted within 20mins of eating raw or cooked chicken, when he eats grains & carrots he took up to 5 days to react with sloppy yellow poo, farts & yeasty smelly skin & ears…
Results are 100% correct with food elimination trial. Blood, Fur& Salvia testing can give false positives results, they’re a waste of money also it’s best to do food elimination diet in the cooler months when allergen are lower, its hard in Spring & Summer as your dog might be itchy cause of a plant, tree, grass, flowers, pollens in yard or next door & you think its what he’s eating & its not, keep a diary you will start to see a pattern with Seasonal Environment Allergies, also baths weekly, baths are best to wash off any allergens on skin, paws head etc ….
I wipe Patch down with baby wipes days I don’t bath him, read the ingredients in the baby wipes & get the baby wipes that have Aloe leaf abstract in them, also Patch was getting furunculosis on bum & paws, when his immune system was down, when I first rescued him, so now after he poos I always wipe his bum with baby wipes & I wipe down his paws when he walks on wet grass or freshly cut grass he gets red paws..

Get some “Sudocrem” its an anti-fungal, anti bacterial healing cream, for Dermatitis, Eczema, Nappy Rash, Pressure Sores, if you live US look on Amazon & I’ve read Walmart has started to sell Sudocrem, its an excellent cream… it heals sores, cuts, red paws, thinning of fur on head, excellent for itchy bum, when they scoot (bum surf)
Make sure his immune system is healthy & its best to see a Dermatologist as they specialize in skin..

Look at “Adored Breast” Healthy Gut & Love Bugs (Pre & Pro Biotics) made by Julie Anne Lee

Please watch these videos below when you have the time, Julie explains what might be happening with your dog.

Here’s Julie Anne Lee – Allergies, Skin Disease, or Autoimmune – PT 1

Here’s Julie Anne Lee – Allergies, Skin Disease, or Autoimmune – PT 2

[Greg S]

I have been using Solid Gold food for over 20 years. I was planning on switching my German Shepherd puppy from Wolf Cub to Wolf King. When I recently opened up my first bag of Wolf King I discovered contaminants and bugs in the food. I left 4 voicemails with no phone call back, and even left a voicemail for the president Bob Rubin. I did receive a rambling email that meant nothing to me and a replacement bag of their dog food. I simply wanted a dialogue about the Wolf King dog food to reassure me if this was safe for my dog to consume, and if they have had any previous complaints. I did not want a long cumbersome email that took more of my time to read than a 2 minute phone conversation. Has anyone else had problems with communication with Solid Gold? I will be ceasing to use Solid Gold due to the fact that they couldn’t take their time to return my phone call. They have lost a long term customer. Greg

[Denis S]

Hello, I am the proud dog dad of a 3 year old, German Shepherd named Achilles. Today, I rushed him to my Vet because I found a golf ball sized flesh wound on the right side of his anus. She concluded that it was his diet, and needs to be on a hydrolyzed diet. I was skeptic, especially since I have been feeding him and my former Rottweiler, Diamond dog food for quit some time and never had this happen. I will be looking for a second opinion. The dog food she tried very hard to persuade my to buy was Science Diet Z/D, a $100 bag her clinic was selling. I refused it, but definitely took the prescription medicine. I began doing research on alternative brands in direct competition to Science Diet Z/D. I have found a few that I am currently interested in and have read positive reviews. I am even considering cooking for him instead, it may be cheaper.
My question, what do you recommend? What brand? Or should I just start cooking for my boy?

[Jennifer L]

I have 6 month old German Shepherd mix. I’ve been mixing two dry foods. I feed him twice daily. Each feeding 50% of Great Life grain free chicken recipe for all life stages and 50% of puppy chow tender & crunchy with real beef. Is that bad? He seems happy and energetic

[JACQUELINE]

As an owner of 3 deep chested German Shepherds, Bloat is always a concern. I researched and learned as much was I could about it. While shopping at the pet store I came across a table that had a bunch of literature available and included was a 2 sided page about Bloat that was provided by G.S.R.N.E. = German Shepherd Rescue of N.E. It lists common symptoms and a few simple measures that may help prevent Bloat. # 4 on the list is to soak all dry foods with warm water prior to feeding because these foods expand when they absorb water, OR don’t let your dog drink water for a while after eating. # 5 – don’t let your dog drink large quantities of water at one time. I understood # 4 as being that if the food is dry it could make your dog extra thirsty after eating and cause them to drink more water than needed and that would increase the volume in their stomach (along with the added air intake). For that reason I have always added warm water to their kibble but also because my dogs don’t always crunch up every kibble it would be going down dry and sometimes I would see them trying to swallow it again and again. That doesn’t happen when I add water. I add the water right before I give it to them so it’s wet not mushy. Since their puppyhood (since 2007 when I got the info page) I’ve strictly followed the guidelines on the entire info page provided and feel very confident in their advice. And of course It does say ..”This info is not provided to replace advice or guidance from Vet’s or other pet care pro’s it’s simply an aid to assist with your own research on this very serious problem” It also includes info from a Purdue University study that includes “Raising your dogs food bowl may actually increase your dogs chance of getting Bloat by as much as 110%. ” Although the info I got was from 2007, I still believe in it and I hope this post may help anyone that isn’t yet familiar with Bloat. I had given this advice to someone I know with a Lab mix that would allow her dog to heavily exercise (running around yard) , give him treats and Drink large amounts of water during all the exercise, each day. At 5 yrs old her dog developed Bloat. Luckily she got him to the Vet in time and he survived. I don’t know what caused his Bloat but I couldn’t help but wonder about his drinking so much water while he was running around. That experience changed their lives forever.

[Deb D]

Samanthia, please do work with a veterinarian. We adopted an eight year old German shepherd dog nine months ago. She was a mess because of neglect and allergies. Imagine a GSD with no hair and infections in eyes, ears, urethra, anus, and toes. We have never dealt with a dog with allergies and, thankfully, let our vet guide us. We went through countless medicated baths and bottles of medicated ear cleaner, two Cytopoint shots (They were a real game changer for our girl.) and Z/D dog food. (Yep, we have also had to deal with the recall but, thank God, her Vitamin D levels are okay.) She is now on a maintenance schedule of one medicated bath a month and weekly ear cleanings. We think she has both environmental and food allergies so it is an excruciatingly slow process to figure things out BUT she is relatively comfortable so we can all sleep. She is not itch free but almost, and a world improved. And, we now have her at a point where we can experiment with one food and see if it causes increased symptoms.

The hardest part for us is the food. First of all, we would never have fed a food like Z/D. Second, she is not fond of it and we want a highly palatable food for training because she was neglected in that area too. Hill’s Hypo Treats are not gonna make her do back flips. We hope that one day we can find food she loves that loves her and is not grain-free. But meanwhile, we are grateful for Z/D and know that if we have to, we can stick with it. (Hubby and I find it Very difficult to withhold treats because we have always shared our food with our dogs. Her allergies hurt us almost as much as they do her.)

But our vet was the key. She tested swabs from between toes, from the ears, from everywhere so she would know exactly what was needed to treat her. Then she did it again after a few weeks so we made steady progress without overwhelming her (and us) with chemicals. It was beyond expensive but became less so as the diet/drugs/and chemicals did their job. She goes everywhere with us and now we hear, “What a beautiful German Shepherd.” A far cry from a nearly bald dog a year ago.

[SALLIE D]

I fed this to my German shepherds as well as a few other breeds in my house my neighbors also fed it to their dogs every one of them started throwing up after eating this food one of them threw up to the point where they was even a little blood in it

[joanne l]

Hi I also found out that it is not only “Goldens” having this trouble. I have heard of a few more breeds with this condition. Which included: Pitbull 2yrs old, 2 German shepherd 4 yrs old, poodles, great Danes, mixed breeds, mastiff, and so on. Some of these dogs are young. I agree it is more Goldens. But all these other ones are really bad some have CHF at a young age and a few died. I also read the Golden Retrievers need more protein than some other dogs. You can read about Goldens diet on any website. They seem to need more protein! Example I have a German Shepard book and the requirements for a active (not working) dog needs 18 to 24% protein. But I read Goldens need about 30% protein.
I feel there is a toxin in some of these dog foods that may be contributing to this.

[Susan]

Hi,
How many pounds should Minnie be when she is fully grown, what breed is she??
My boy is an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier he is 18kgs = 40lbs, I only feed him around 2 & 1/2 cups when its his “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula – 346Kcals per cup kibble a day + cooked lunch + 1-2 Freeze dried Mussels or when he eats “Canidae Pure Wild” 454Kcals per cup I feed 1 & 1/2 cups kibble a day + cooked lunch or “Canidae Pure Meadow” – 409Kcals per cup, he gets around 1 & 1/2 – 2 cups kibble a day + something different for lunch + Green Lipped Mussels 1-2 a day.

Read the Kcals per cupthe kibble formula you’re feeding it’s probably on bag of kibble or online on the 4Health site or email 4Health for any information & work out how many Kcals a day she should be eating & add cooked food on top, I know Patch should be eating around 1000Kcals a day but I feed a bit under now cause he’s a senior & yes add fresh ingredents to her kibble or separate as a meal, this will help put on weight..
kibble swells up in the stomach makes you feel fuller so best to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day 7am, 12pm, 5pm 8pm so if you have a large breed dog best to feed a large breed kibble, they are formulated for large breed puppy or Adult large dog intestinal tract, (Bloat)
My dog has IBD & does really well on a large breed kibble, the Kcals are lower 346kcals, the higher the Kcals the more dense is the kibble & they dont need to eat as much kibble…

So maybe look for a higher Kcal per cup kibble? “Canidae” is higher in Kcals over 400Kcals so she only needs about 3-4 cups a day depending on formula?.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

The “Canidae All Life Stages Multi-protein” Formula is 468Kcals per cup your dog would only need 2-4 cups a day when a Puppy then when she’s a Adult she’s needs less around 2 cups per day depending on her breed??
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-dry-formula/

Cook – boiled potato or boil sweet potato pieces cool then freeze Sweet Potato freezes really well & thaws good & quickly or I put in micro wave 15sec to thaw, today for lunch I feed Patch 2 pieces of Sweet Potato mixed/mashed with cooked 2 scrambled eggs, I cooked egg in a non stick frying pan, I buy tin Salmon in spring water drain the water & add sweet potato, I feed 4-5 smaller meals a day you can buy a kibble machine that lets out the kibble amount you want thru the day, I give 1/2 a cup at certain times thru the day…
Raw meaty bone would be excellent & gives her something to do all day chewing on a meaty bone from a butcher…
Here’s 2 different Canine Calculator links it gives you a ruff idea how much dry kibble you should be feeding..

https://petsci.co.uk/canine-calorie-calculator/ or

http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Cheryl M]

Hi Debbie D-
What great advice! We were feeling so helpless with our German Shepherd! He is living in constant pain with yeast infections in his ear and we are trying everything we know to help him! Now we feel like you have given us a solid game plan that actually makes sense long term! Thank you for posting this! We’re so excited to try these things for our Javi!

[Athony B]

Thanks this is a very useful resource, but…I have two German shepherds with really bad skin allergies and I’m reading about this link between their problems and the residue oxytetracycline (antibiotics fed to chickens, turkeys, cattle etc and which stays in them when they become meat meal for our pets) in almost all pet foods.

Does anyone know of any brands that are ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free in the animals used to make them?

Thanks!

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for making the decision to adopt this deserving dog. Please keep in mind, a 4-month old German Shepherd is considered a large breed puppy. To decrease her risk of hip dysplasia, she should be fed as a puppy (no adult dog foods) until she reaches adulthood (12 to 18 months).

Please visit our Best Large Breed Puppy Foods article for a list of our favorite large breed puppy foods.

Hope this helps.

[Bobby dog]

Hi joanne l:
Here is a link to Shepherd rescues by state and one in the Philly area that specializes in senior Shepherds. Good luck, it’s very kind of you to help!

This rescue specializes in Sr. Shepherds:
https://sedonashepherd.com/

List of GSD rescues by state:
http://germanshepherddogs.info/german-shepherd-rescues/

[joanne l]

Hi everyone, I have a neighbor that went into the hospital for memory loss, he is not coming out of the hospital and he has a dog that is living at his house and he has no family members and he don’t have a wife or kids. Other neighbors are taking care of him but the dog lives at night time by himself, so sad. The owner rescued him about 6 years ago and loved him very much. We cannot find a home for him. He is very sweet he is a German shepherd mix. My neighbor would love to take him but she has 2 little dogs and her dogs won’t accept him. He is well trained and good natured. I would take him but my GSD and him don’t get along. The neighbor that is taking care of him said to me I am gonna have to send him to a rescue, I felt terrible b/c he is 9 years old and I don’t know what they will do to him. My heart goes out to him I feel so bad, so I figured I would take a chance and see if anyone here would know someone that would want him, We live in Philadelphia so I don’t know if anyone is close by.
Thank you.

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
sorry about the long post i started it around 10am then kept adding to it then finally posted it 2pm lol
“Holistic Select” has change all their formula’s & have added lentils chickpeas, these Legumes up the protein % so the pet food companies add less meat proteins in their food, that’s why I always make sure there’s 2-3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredient, so my boy is getting meat proteins & not a heap of plant proteins, Legumes also up the fiber % in a dry kibble, make sure if you feed a dry dog kibble there isn’t anymore then 20% in Legumes, No Lentils/Chickpeas in the first 5 ingredients..
These are the first 5 ingredients of Holistic Select® large & giant breed dry kibble..
Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peas, Chicken Fat,
when Patch eats Lentils he gets instant diarrhea & chickpeas cause bad wind/farts for 1 week then he’s OK. He does best on Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes kibbles & chickpeas have to be 5-6 ingredient… The Wellness Core Large Puppy formula has Potatoes, it has Lentils as 6th ingredient, your boy might be OK with Lentils?
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-puppy-large-breed-puppy
you could always try it then take it back to Pet Barn if he gets diarrhea they have a money back guarantee & say he won’t eat it now cause he had diarrhea & get the Wellness Complete Health Large breed Puppy formula, it’s Monday so Wellness is on special $109 at the moment till Wednesday midnight, you click on “Click & Collect” & pick up from a Pet Barn closest to you.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-core-large-breed-dog-food
Or Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Puppy Food – 13.6kg – $99.00
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-large-breed-puppy-food-13-6kg,

I’ve been thinking of getting te Wellness Complete Health Adult formula next, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredient then Oatmeal then peas so there’s less then 20% in Legumes…Pet Barn also has offers, when you join their “Friends For Life” Loyalty program, I just got a $20 free voucher free & a free bath & a free nail clip.. so I got a 2.5kg bag of dry kibble for $2..

I just looked up Holistic Select Australia as some US pet brands ingredient list are changed to come into our country, so when you look up an American brand kibble look up their brand name & put Australia after the brand name, so your getting the Australian Ingredient list…. also when you look at pet foods online pet store some of their ingredients list are the old ingredient list & the new ingredients haven’t been updated yet…

The FDA in America has put out an warning as few large breed dogs in the US that were eating high legume dry kibble diet have ended up with DCM – heart disease..
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm613355.htm

Some dogs have died, they were very young 1-2 yrs old, they have noticed the dry diets were high in Legumes, Legumes are blocking the Taurine & the dogs aren’t absorbing any Taurine, they still dont know 100% what has gone wrong, a healthy 30 month old Rotti just died 8th August, an 1-2yr GSH has died he was given 6-8months to live & that was 2015….Maybe your better off feeding healthy grain formula until the FDA works out what went wrong, or a grain free formula that doesn’t have no more then 20% Legumes (peas), dogs didnt have these heart problems when grain free diets first came out & had Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes & Peas……
You’ll have to do research & make your own decision….
We haven’t been warned about DCM in dogs in Australia. But then again we’ve had toxic pet foods dogs have died & we still dont have any recalls, so I dont know what to think anymore.. I’ve msg our Pet Food Review man on his f/b page & he doesnt seem to think there’s a problems until we get more info, my vet said the same thing….
Golden Retrievers & Labrodors are known to get DMC not rottweilers & German Shepherd & the other large breed who are on the list… there’s a f/b page called “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” look in their “files” for “2018-09-07 Copy of Diet and Taurine.pdf” it has the list of foods & dogs that became sick & died….. The cases that are in a light Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related, dogs heart problems were diet related, where the cases in yellow aren’t diet related taht they know off??We dont have these brands dry formula’s in Australia that were involved.

Here’s the proper ingredient list to the “Eagle Pack” Giant/breed puppy formula, Phosphorus 1.00%min, Calcium 1.50%min,
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=82#.W58JIPZuI5t

Here’s “Wellness Complete” Health Large Breed Puppy link,
Phosphorus is 0.90% so it’s under 100%, Calcium Not Less Than 1.30%min
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/complete-health-large-breed-puppy

“Stay Loyal” Large Breed Puppy
Phosphorus is 0.70-0.90% Calcium 1.10-1.30%
https://stayloyal.com.au/large-breed-puppy-grain-free-dog-food.html

To meet the more rigid safety guidelines for large breed puppies, a dog food must contain

1.2 to 1.8% calcium

1.0 to 1.6% phosphorus

Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio 1:1 to 1.8:1

Here’s the DFA Link info above & a list of Large Breed Puppy Brands DFA recommend Eagle Pack, Wellness Core, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Iams & Holistic Select Giant breed formula but this list was written before the DMC scare.. Maybe the Holistic Select giant pup breed is OK or NOT OK cause the formula has been changed now, I dont know
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

They recomend to feed a large growing puppy a balanced dry large/giant breed puppy kibble till he is fully grown 18-24mnths then if you want to feed raw then start him on a raw balanced diet but there must be people who fed their large/giant breed pups a raw balanced diet, I know most Australian either feed a raw diet or they feed both raw meat, raw meaty bones & a dry kibble..

Stay Loyal is Australian if you join they send out monthly emails, they recommend to fed raw meat + raw meaty bones with their dry kibble & to fast dog 1 day a week Sunday, as it re sets the immune system, Robert & David are up to speed raising healthy large breed pups, I’ve emailed Robert Belobrajdic about Patch & his IBD & Robert emailed me back within 12hrs, Robert breeds South African Boerboels, Boerboels are very large dogs. Im pretty saw they’re raw feed aswell as their Large Breed Puppy dry food……..

[Michelle T]

Kali, 11 year old German Shepherd with epilepsy and arthritis has been taking Galliprant since June 6th. She has been through hell for almost 5 months now but it never dawned on me that it could be the Galliprant causing the issues.
Panting, pacing, walking in circles, breathing very hard, constipated, seizures?, very dark stools, disoriented, walks in corners and stands still.
Today (September 13th) will be the last time that I give it to Kali so I can see if that’s causing the issues. Kali is on Milk Thistle.
We took her to the vet on September 10th for blood work, hopefully it will tell us something.
On a plus side, Galliprant is helping Kali with pain and arthritis. I will give an update on September 21st.

[Russell L]

My very health German Shepherd, has gotten so sick I am afraid for her. I have been trying to figure out what had made her so sick so fast, we just brought a new bag of COSTCO’S natures domain and soon as she ate it she got very sick, I am so angry! Has COSTCO put out a recall?

[Cynthia P]

I am going back to Royal Canin for German Shepherds…it was recommending by the founder of a GSD Rescue and she knows the breed inside and out. I switched at my vet’s recommendation a few years ago, but I certainly regret it…my Rosie was my right arm and I still miss her terribly…I pray I did not contribute to her death.

[pitlove]

Hi S B-

I second every thing that Acroyali said. This dog needs a trainer that is experienced with German Shepherds. Also, please do not forget, GSD’s are working dogs. They tend to be very badly behaved and have anxiety when they are not given a job. They can not thrive as couch potatoes. I see a lot of under worked and under stimulated working breeds have anxiety issues due to this. Also just taking him on walks and playing in the yard is not enough for these breeds.

[anonymous]

@ Acroyali
That’s what people do. Trade in a dog with problems for a perfect new puppy. I am sure the German Shepherd rescue have seen this before. They may be able to find the dog a more suitable home.

Do you have a better idea? Some folks do not want to spend money on trainers and vets and such, they just want a perfect dog with no issues

PS: If that dog bites someone (odds are from the information provided that it will)….you know what will happen, especially if it’s rabies shot is not up to date.

Most communities have vets that are mobile, they will come to your home to give vaccinations and treat, they have fully equipped vans, all they need is a driveway.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by anonymous.

[Acroyali]

In addition to finding another vet, dump the Petsmart training classes. They’re great for most pet dogs without issues, but for a dog like this you need a good trainer that’s very experienced with fearfulness and German Shepherds in particular.
a 3 year old dog that’s fearful will never be not fearful, but a good, experienced trainer will help you handle your dog so their fears are lessened and issues are managed much easier. Your dog will relax a little when he realizes you’ll take care of problems and he doesn’t have to worry about it.

[anonymous]

Also, adding another dog/puppy to the household right now is not a good idea.
He may decide to get rid of it.
It won’t be pretty.
Some dogs prefer to be the only dog in the household no matter what you do.
Especially if they were not socialized as puppies.
It would be best if you discuss this with your vet before doing anything impulsive.
I would take care of the dog you have now first, baby steps. See how it goes. He may never like other dogs.
PS: If you decide you would rather have a new puppy, instead. I know, it sounds awful, but it happens all the time. People give up the older dog instead of returning the puppy.
I hope you will contact a German shepherd rescue (just google to find one closest) and discuss your concerns, he is still young and has a good chance of being rehomed.

[S B]

Hi,

My family and I have a male German Shepherd, named Abe, that will be 3 years old in October. He has separation anxiety and can not be left home alone for any peried of time. He is afraid of other dogs that come up to him (He puts his tail between his legs and runs away). If a stranger stops and talks to him when on a walk he will bark at them. Abe is not vary socilized, shortly after getting him we took him to puppy training class’s at petsmart and he would just hide under the chairs. We still take him to the petsmart and walk around from time to time. Im wodering if taking him to a adult dog class will help? Also if getting a female Golden Retriever puppy would help or hurt our situation? Our previous dog was a female golden retriever and was the exact opposite of Abe. We ill be having a wedding at our house in June of 2019 and I would like him not to freak if we have people he dosent know over. On a positive note he does great on walks and in the car.

-Sarah

[joanne l]

A friend of mine has a dog with IBS and he eats nature’s variety limited ingredient and he is doing great. He went to the vet so many times and he bought this food and he said it was like magic to the dog. He has a German shepherd.

[Dr. J. Davis M]

My search is b/c my German Shepherd is allergic to all things fish. I had been using Publix Premium dry but they recently added omegas and he is back to being allergic. I am on a quest for a new dry food if anyone has any ideas.

[Mary M]

Thank you, Aimee and Patricia, for posting these insightful articles. I, too, had read the same information last week in The Washington Post. I have been feeding my German Shepherd Taste of the Wild kibble for years and The Washington Post actually printed a photo of bags of this very food. This was disheartening to see, and yes, I now want to switch his food. They cited symptoms such as coughing and excess panting which I have seen him do. I started him on grain free because I’d read that it is the best choice for dogs who are prone to seizures — which he is. His seizures were cut by 90% after switching to grain free. Now this. I will search this website (I’m a new member today) for articles on seizures and hope for positive info on a food that is not necessarily grain free. Also may try the sardines added once a week, as mentioned in Patricia’s article, for adding taurine.

[Susan]

Hi Gabrielle,
You wrote, I have a German shepherd mix of some kind that was “rescued off the streets”. When you rescued her what condition did she come in & was she wormed then wormed again 2-3 weeks later?? she may of had the hook worm when you rescued her?

I rescued a English Staffordshire Bull Terrier in very poor condition, weeing blood then pooing blood, he had Stomach & bowel problems but I didnt know about his intestinal problems till he ate certain foods & was doing sloppy, jelly poos with blood streaked thru his poo & then he’d have like your girl had Diarrhea he couldn’t control from Food Sensitivities… Lentils & boiled Rice, boiled rice irritates his bowel, he does best eating Sweet potatoes & Potatoes as main carb in dry kibbles…also Boiled sweet Potato with his pork rissoles I make or I buy a dog food in pet fridge section that is Lamb, Coconut & veggies balls & it has sweet potato….he eats these foods for lunch..

I put my cat food up on a scratching post/tree now, the scratching post thing has ground level, a middle level & a top section where there’s a big shelf, I have put a big ceramic tile there & I feed Indy all her foods on her scratching post shelf this way Patch can not get tempted & eat any of her food & then have one of his IBD flares.

Has your vet put her on Metronidazole for 21-28 days? Metronidazole is excellent for inflammation of stomach & bowel & bad bacteria over growth, I think she needs more then the probiotic to help heal her intestinal tract. My vet writes Patch repeat scripts of Metronidazole to keep at home so when I see he’s becoming unwell again I start him on Metronidazole x 200mg tablet every 12 hours with a meal for 21 days…

I would change her diet & would start her on a dry food that has just 1 novel protein & 1 carb, has medium protein % around 28-34% & is medium in fat around 12 to 15% fat & low in carbs 32% less or start her on a Hypoallergenic vet diet & do a food elimination food diet to work out what foods she might be too?? the vet diet she is eating at the moment could be making her Intestinal tract more inflammed if she is sensitive too certain ingredient in the vet diet she is eating, ask your vet can put her on a 21 day course of Metronidazole & can you change her vet diet? not all vet diets suit all dogs health problems, my boy tried all the Hills & Royal Canine Intestinal vet diets, none of them helped him till we tried Eukanuba/Iams Intestinal Low Residue dry kibble, this helped his IBD, then after 9 months when his bowel had healed I started introducing a grain free dry kibble that had Lamb only protein & Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Egg & Peas & he did really well with his skin & intestinal tract…..
Are you feeding 3 smaller meals a day, divide how much she should eat a day & split into 3 meals, so stomach/bowel works less digesting smaller meals, I feed 4 smaller meals a day 7am- under 1 cup dry kibble, 12pm-at lunch time Patch gets a small wet meal about 1/2 a cup, 5pm – under 1 cup dry & 8pm-1/3 a cup dry…..

Patch is doing well eating “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula, it is low in Kcals-345per cup, this is what you need to look at, how high are the Kcals per cup & stay under 360 Kcals per cup, the higher the Kcals the more dense the dry kibble is, so more work on stomach & bowel to digest…also the lower the fat% & lower protein % is, the higher the carbs will be….
I asked Patches vet to do an Endoscope + Biopsies on Patch December 2013, you need the Biopsies so vet knows what is wrong & treat with medications if she still isnt better after 1 yr…. the first Endoscope & Biopsies Patch had 1 yr after I rescued him, Biopsies show he had moderate chronic lymphocytic gastritis with a lymphocytic nodule present in the deeper mucosa of one section, variable numbers of spiral bacteria present, (Helicobacter-Spiral bacteria) Some gastric pits are mildy dilated. He was always hungry & had dirrahea on & off..
Then Patch had another Endoscope & Biopsies done January 2018 this year when he went down hill real quickly after we moved, he stopped eating his favorite kibble & the whole time I’ve owned Patch he never refuses any food, only when he has his rumbling, grumbling loud bowel noises early hours of the morning, then he doesn’t want to eat, which isnt a bad thing, dogs are smart & they know when to rest their stomach & bowel… this time his poos were firm, then the next day sloppy, then diarrhea & he was eating the same dry food, he kept swolling & swolling wierd noises, he had bad acid reflux, crying with pain & wasn’t his happy go lucky self, he had a sore throat, I thought he had bowel or stomach cancer this time, biopsies showed he had mild lymphoplasmacytic and eosinophilic gastritis with spiral bacteria again…
but in the “Comment” section the Veterinary Pathologist wrote,
Sections of the small intestine could not be fully assessed because of inadequate sampling..

Patches vet said the flap between the stomach & Esophagus isnt closing properly so his stomach acids are washing back up into his throat & his wind pipe was badly inflammed & there’s nothing he can do to fix the flap, Patch was put on 21 day course of triple therapy meds… & I kept trying all different dry foods that wouldnt make him swollow as much, the Nutro grounded rice & lamb kibble work best but the kibbles that had grains were causing “big” sloppy poos or diarrhea, he needed to eat a grainfree diet without Lentils & Chickpeas which is very hard to find a grainfree dry kibble that are Legume free, finally in Australia we are getting new dry Kibbles that are Legume free which will be good for Patch but some are high in fat around 16-18% fat, this causes bad acid reflux.. 🙁

Once you find foods/ ingredients she can eat then she will get better, she needs ingredients that will not irritate her stomach & bowel more, sounds like her bowel is inflammed & she needs medication to help heal, a good diet that’s easy to digest so everything can heal…
Think back what was she eating & was doing really well on?? try that again or something similiar & feed 3 smaller meals a day, see does she settle down, also keep a diary just incase over the years she developes IBD & keeps having flares….
also becareful with weight loss/weight management dry kibbles as they are higher in fiber & carbs…around 12-14% fat isnt that high for a dog, when they eat raw diet its normally around 30-50% in fat… look at Freeze dried diets they’re heaps better then dry processed kibbles..

[Gabrielle G]

I have a 55lb, “mature”, German shepherd mix of some kind that was rescued off the streets. I’ve had her for about 1.5 years now. She’s been great except about 4 months ago she began having diarrhea and she was diagnosed with hookworm (despite being on Hartgard Plus but whatever).

Fast forward to now, about 4 months after treatment for the hookworm, I seem to be able to keep the diarrhea at bay with a probiotic supplement, but she still will have diarrhea if I forget to give her the supplement one day or she gets a little taste of the cat’s food (she stole it off the counter one time). Really bad diarrhea she can’t control and will often go in the house because she has to go so often when it happens.

Has anyone else dealt with hookworm? My vet says that hookworm can play a number on the gastrointestinal tract and cause a lot of inflammation and it may take many months to recover. So I’m just biding my time and hoping for the best and hoping the probiotic continues to work, but has anyone else had experience with the aftermath of hookworm?

I’m also thinking to start switching her off the royal canin LF/gastrointestinal health formula to something like a low fat but better brand of food. She also gets boiled chicken and rice once a day. She had been getting Fromm classic supplemented with a Stella and Chewy’s frozen patty before this all happened. I was thinking to go back to the Fromm but maybe the senior or weight management one. She’s not overweight but I think it would be better to keep the fat and fiber content low for her digestion…

[Natasha C]

My vet advised me to switch my lab off of the grain free diet and not start my german shepherd puppy on it. The study showed higher incidents in large breed dogs, but also working breeds like labs and retrievers – those dogs apparently have a propensity to heart issues anyway. The presents a problem for me because my lab has allergies, which is why we had him on the grain free. Recently put him on lamb and brown rice – other than gas and mass quantities of poop, he seems fine. I think I am sticking to single protein kibble with a grain like rice and will see what additional studies show as time goes on. Staying away from potatoes and lentils for now. I don’t want to take any risks. Final note – once it was hard to find grain-free foods – now it is hard to find food WITH grains!

[Denys A]

I just joined this site because of German Shepherd Man, who has his own, extensive, VLOG, and he recommended it. He also was highly favorable about Victor Super Premium Dog Food, grain free, for large dogs. No mention of Victor brand here! His other favorite was Blue Buffalo Freedom grain free. No mention of that. When I talk to people about homemade dog food, they recommend brown rice or they condemn it. They recommend raw or they condemn it. Everybody is an expert and yet, it seems, nobody is. Help!

[Susan]

Hi Jaskirat,
Go to pet shop & buy a Large Breed Puppy dry kibble, this way your puppy will get all the nutritents he/she needs for growing & bones while she/he’s a pup..
google “Diet for Large Breed Puppy”

* “Royal Canine” wrote-
The growth rate of a puppy is influenced by the nutrient density of the food and the amount of food fed. Regardless of whether puppies grow slow or fast, they will still reach a similar adult weight. It is critical that puppies are fed for optimal growth and bone development, rather than maximal growth to avoid skeletal abnormalities.

Three dietary components have been implicated as factors that increase the incidence of skeletal disease in large and giant breed puppies; protein, calcium and energy.

* “Hills” Wrote-
Large and giant breed dogs — Great Danes, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and the like — have different nutritional needs than smaller breeds. All puppies are born with their bones still developing, but large breed puppies are more susceptible to developmental bone and joint disease during their rapid growth phase to 1 year of age. In fact, large breeds reach 50 percent of their body weight at around 5 months of age. Smaller breeds reach 50 percent of their body weight at around 4 months of age.
The growth rates of all puppies are dependent on the food that they eat. Puppies should be fed to grow at an average, rather than a maximum, growth rate. Compared to smaller-sized puppies, large breed puppies need restricted levels of fat and calcium to moderate their rate of growth. They’ll still reach their full-grown size, just over a longer period of time, which will result in healthy development of bones and joints for these breeds.
Two key nutrients that should be decreased for large breed puppies are fat (and total calories) and calcium:
*Fat: High fat/calorie intake causes rapid weight gain, and bones/muscles aren’t developed enough to support the excessive body weight. Controlling the fat level and total calories in the food for these puppies may help reduce the risk of developmental bone and joint problems.
*Calcium: Excessive calcium intake increases the likelihood of skeletal problems. It is also recommended that calcium supplements not be fed with any commercial pet food for growth.

Kibbles to look at
“Eagle Pack” Large breed puppy dry formula for puppy
“Eagle Pack” Large Breed Adult dry formula for your adult dog
“Canidae” Large Breed, All Life Stages Turkey & Brown Rice formula can be feed to both your dogs.
“Wellness Core Large Breed Puppy…
“Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult..
“4Health” Grain Free Large Breed Puppy.
“4Health” Grain Free Large Breed Adult. Sold at Tractor Supply shop & is cheaper..

If you’re on facebook join a Canine Raw Feeding group..
“The Australian Raw Feeding Community” f/b group, is really good & help starters.
Also look at buying & adding tin sardines in spring water or Olive Oil to diet as Sardines have Vitamins, Minerals, Omega fatty oils, Calcium etc add 2 spoons sardines a day to 1 of their meals to help balance their raw diet…

*Nutrition Facts
Sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil
Amount Per 100 grams

Calories 208

Total Fat 11 g-16%
Saturated fat 1.5 g-7%
Polyunsaturated fat 5 g
Monounsaturated fat 3.9 g
Cholesterol 142 mg-47%
Sodium 505 mg-21%
Potassium 397 mg-11%
Total Carbohydrate 0 g-0%
Dietary fiber 0 g-0%
Sugar 0 g
Protein 25 g-50%
Vitamin A-2%
Vitamin C-0%
Calcium-38%
Iron-16%
Vitamin D-48%
Vitamin B-6-10%
Vitamin B-12-148%
Magnesium-9%

Just make sure you check the salt % & get the lowest salt% can of Sardines in spring water or olive Oil cans.

[Deb D]

Mr. Sagman, we can’t thank you enough; just your comments about the Clean Label Project was worth the price of admission. (We’ve been agonizing over whether or not to believe them.)

We are rescuing an abused 7 year old German shepherd. (I know you understand the sense of responsibility and obligation we feel toward this creature.). She’s been starved and neglected so we are going to have to give her top nutrition once the vet releases her. Naturally, well-meaning folks are advising us to feed as they think best. Unfortunately, no two agree. I’ve purchased a book, “Dog Food Logic”, to bone 😀 up on how to read dog food labels, but your research and watchdog 😀 service are just what we need. We’re reviewing your Editor’s Choices but one food doesn’t seem to appear on the website: Abady. Maybe it is too regionalized to meet the criteria of this endeavor, but just thought I’d ask if its absence is significant?

Many thanks for your service.

[Jill N]

Hey Everyone,
I have a 6 year old GS and lately he has been very picking about his dry dog Food. My other dogs are fine with it. I use Victor Grain Free Hero Canine. I have tried the other Victor Grain free products and non Grain free. I even tried putting some beef stock in with is food and for awhile he would eat it. So now I’m thinking of switching to another brand that might appeal to him taste wise. Any suggestions? Thank you~

[Angie W]

My 19yo’s collie puppy (16 months old) got the Rimadyl that my German Shepherd was taking off the counter and ate the entire bottle. It was two week’s worth of Rimadyl and my GSD had only been taking it for two days (had just had surgery).

We didn’t find out that it had been eaten until about 12 hours afterward. I left for work and my oldest daughter found the chewed up bottle about 30 minutes later, but thought it had been an empty bottle from the recycle bin (she’d been on Rimadyl before the surgery too), so she didn’t say anything or think anything of it. I found out when I went to give my GSD her pain medication after work and found the chewed up bottle.

We took all the dogs (also have a Golden Rottie mix) to the emergency vet and they were on IV fluids for 5 days. At that point their BUN and creatinine were normal. They never had any symptoms during this time and still have not shown any symptoms.

At this point, the collie puppy has creatinine 1.8 and is starting to spill protein. This is after one week off of IV fluids. We are going to do a full panel in four weeks to check everything.

The vet said that at this point we do not want to restrict her protein or phosphorus and is worried about blood pressure possibly becoming an issue as well. She said to keep her on her regular kibble, but add water to it. If our golden rottie mix (6yo) has an increase in creatinine, then she said she will recommend switching her over to a senior food for lower protein but not putting her on a prescription diet yet unless her creatinine goes up much higher. Right now the collie puppy’s creatinine is 1.8 and the golden rottie’s creatinine is 1.9.

What I have been feeding her is Kirkland Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables Formula. The local Tomlinson owner is very knowledgeable about dog foods and recommended using Lotus Dog Food. I do like that they list the actual values in their food rather than minimums and maximums.

Any specific recommendations? The collie puppy does not like canned food and never has. She likes crunchy dry food, so I don’t know how she’s going to react to having water added to it. We are going to start adding it in a little at a time and hopefully she just goes along with it. She’s a picky eater

[Bonnie A]

Don’t believe all the internet hype about tumeric. There is no clinical proof that it works for anything. It is also high in oxalates, which can be disastrous for any dog with kidney issues. Oxalates are the main problems that cause oxalate stones in small breed dogs and any dog with s compromised bladder or kidney issues. Yes, Rimadyl does have some dangerous side effects, as does any medication. I am personally trying a new class of nsaid, Galliprant. You have to decide which you want, quality of life or quantity. My German Shepherd was on tramadol and gabapentin. I don’t like the way it makes him feel. No appetite, restless, depressed, anxious and acts drugged up. I refuse to let him live his life that way. That is no life at all. As with any med, Galliprant has side effects as well, but at least it won’t destroy his liver and kidneys.

[Blaire S]

My German shepherds eat Fromm Four Star Surf and Turf, but I’m thinking about changing to Origen or Wellness Core. Check on breeders websites and blogs to see what they like, then see what Sagman has to say on his reviews.

[Blaire S]

I used to bathe my german shepherd anywhere from 5 to 10 days, depending on itchiness. I used a sulfur shampoo for dogs, but head & shoulders dry scalp worked also. Back then, there was a spray called Gentocin that really helped his hot spots and feet. I think there is a new, better product. When his skin began to ooze and get pink (not a full on hot spot) one spray and in 20 minutes it calmed down.
I also did a skin test for allergies, I think it helped but not cheap. At least it gave me a tool for label reading!

[Gloria K]

You may not like my answer but here goes. Why on earth would you even want to give your dog ice cream? That’s not something they need to eat and in many cases they shouldn’t. Many dogs, especially German shepherd breeds are lactose intolerant so any dairy products would upset their stomach. The sugar in ice cream is not good for them either. This is not something they need and in many cases shouldn’t have as I mentioned.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Gloria K.

[bexster]

Our German Shepherd is rounding the corner to 5 years old this year. He’s a rescue who we adopted at 1.5 years who, if we hadn’t adopted him, he surely would not be alive today. He is a fearful, anxious dog who dislikes people and other dogs.

He’s a behavioral nightmare so taking him to the vet for allergy tests is not in the cards. He can’t be left with other people. He leads a great, happy, well-lived life with us so please, no judgements.

From the get-go he had red scabby sores on his tummy so we fed him a good grain free food. The sores persisted so we eliminated chicken/turkey and that was the winner.

Things I’m not sure we have to avoid as I’ve never fed them to him:
Grains
Rice

Things we must avoid:
Chicken
Turkey
Chicken fat
Any chicken whatsoever
Apple
Corn

Things I want to avoid because I’ve read and read and researched endlessly for him and our previous girl who we lost to bone cancer:
Peas
Tapioca
Lentils
Potatoes
Crap fillers along those lines

There are only two foods I’ve found that he can eat, Pioneer Naturals and Sport Dog Food. Chewy is eternally, frustratingly out of stock constantly. Last month Sport sent around an email saying they’re soon adding chicken fat to all their foods and I was so destroyed.

I can’t stand cooking for the two humans in the house, I can’t imagine endlessly running to the grocery store, cooking for a 100 lb sweetheart no matter how much I love him. I just don’t have the space or budget to do so.

Any other food suggestions? I have spent countless hours label reading and am at wit’s end.

[Ciro R]

My 9 year old German Shepherd has battled allergies and yeast infections for many years, recently She began to develop infections in her armpits in addition to her normal ear issue. She’s been on all kinds of allergy meds that simply reduce the intensity but never solve the problem. I feed her Acana and Orijen mostly but I remembered when she was a pup she mostly ate raw and didn’t have any issues at all. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good raw diet for a yeasty dog that isn’t super expensive and that I don’t have to make myself (freeze dried is ok)?

[Kimberly S]

Hi all,
I have a 4 yr old German Shepherd, and she’s allergic to Chicken,. She needs to loose 10 pounds. As anyone who has GSD’s knows it’s so important to maintain a healthy weight. I don’t care the cost of the food. I just need a high quality, grain-free, diet food, WITH OUT chicken and that seems to be an impossible find. I would prefer to stay with a dry, but don’t mind mixing. I don’t want her on a strictly wet diet due to my own preference.
Please, please I really need help here. She really isn’t a picky eater but starving her isn’t the answer either. And before anyone asks, I’ve had a full blood work up done on her because I thought the weight gain might have been due to an underlying issue and it is not.
I thank you in advance for any advice you can provide.

[Kimberly S]

I have a German Shepherd that I been struggling to get her weight down. She desperately needs to loose 10 pounds. I need a grain-free non chicken food. My Angel has an allergy to chicken and something else I am not sure since she was a pup. She has a very sensitive stomach so I need a grain free food. As you know keeping her slim is very important due to her hips. So, any advice on a great diet food that’s grain free that does NOT have chicken in it and is dry would be great.
Thank you
Kim

[Karen M]

I would strongly recommend Merrick Grain Free Beef kibble, and their can food also. I’ve been fostering a pure-bred German Shepherd for a year. When I took him in he was 8 months old, his owner had told me that Kingston had a very sensitive digestive track, and he had always had loose stools. After having him for two months, he had diarrhea for an entire week straight. After doing some research I came to the conclusion that it could be his food (He was on Eukanuba, German Shepherd blend). I researched, looking for the best food for him, and came up with Merrick Grain Free Beef kibble. Normally when changing food you should do it gradually, but with diarrhea for a solid week I went ahead and changed it immediately. Within a day his diarrhea stopped, his stools became firm, and have never had a problem since. I’ve learned that many dogs are allergic to poultry. I make sure to read label ingredients on every thing I buy for him to eat. Finding good treats for him wasn’t easy, as soo many Beef treats have chicken or other forms of protein.

[Cynthia K]

breeder had our german shepherd pup on royal canin german shepherd puppy. Any opinions? I could not find much positive about it.

[Cynthia K]

Anyone know how the calcium levels are Earthborn Venture Duck? Am looking for large breed calcium appropriate without chicken. Seems hard to find. 8 month old itchy German Shepherd, ear infections, rashes.

[susan m]

I am a member of a German Shepherd site that has around 250,000 people that follow the site. One person posted a picture of Stella and Chewy kibble that had pieces of hard white plastic in the middle. I see you have it as a top Brand. I just became a member of your site. I have used the regular site for years and it has helped me. GSD’s are my heart and I am on my 5th one. So many people feed raw but I am not comfortable doing that right now. I feed one Taste of the Wild Bison. I also have one with pancreatitis that has to have low fat. I feed Royal Canine Gastrointestinal/ Low Fat. Do you know any other low fat brands for my older GSD on Taste of the Wild? GSD’s can put on weight very fast. I only feed 2 cups a day and no people food.
Thank you for what you do!!!

[Cynthia K]

Trying to find a chicken free food for large breed puppy. Would like dry, canned and raw recommendations. Using earthborn venture but is labeled maintenance. Usimg rawz canned and vital essential raw duck patties
She also has had 2 ear infections..

[Mareike]

Hi John, “Instinct LID Small Breed with Real Turkey” is rated 5 stars, but likely not “enthusiastically recommended” for large dogs like your German Shepherds. “Instinct LID with Real Duck”, “Instinct LID with Real Turkey”, and “Instinct LID with Real Salmon” are all 4.5 star foods, as is “Natural Balance LID High Protein Turkey Formula”. I agree with TaylorC that LID formulas are usually rated lower (because of lower protein content?).