[Susan]

Hi, I always read the Kcals per cup, you can find Kcals on the kibbles web page under “feeding guidelines”…….I always read the Kcals per cup & work out how many calories my dog should be eating a day, here’s a link so you can work out how many Kcals per cup ur dog should eat, my boy needs about 1000 calories a day, also if your dog is looking thin then add another 1/2 cup a day…..try rotating a few different brands with a different protein…. Wellpet makes Wellness, Holistic Select & Eagle Pack…. normally premium kibble you need to feed less & always add some fresh meat to diet, like tin sardines in spring water add a couple or mussels…
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Robert J]

My german shepherd loves Farmland Traditions, it’s made in the USA and cost about $ 23 for a large bag at Costco.

[Katie C]

I have an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy and I’d like to supplement her diet with some raw foods and go from there. Can puppies have livers, hearts or gizzards? Are they beneficial?

[CircaRigel]

Anonymously,
I have to wonder about your source for that info on joint disorders being no different in dogs neutered and spayed early. I do not see any peer reviewed scientific articles associated with those findings. The UC Davis study is very extensive and very thorough, and has clearly shown that the younger a dog is sterilized, particularly German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers (which likely is replicated in most large and giant breeds), the greater the incidence of hip and elbow dysplasia, along with ligament disorders. This risk declines after 1 year old, but continues to remain increased through life, although the greatest decrease in neutered dogs is after the epiphyseal plates (growth plates) have fully fused… and it is for this reason that many breeders of large dogs ARE requiring clients to wait until the dog is at least 18 months old before any spaying or neutering (which includes my own contract). Given the close relationship of the Shiloh Shepherd to the German Shepherd, I have paid very careful attention to all of these studies in making my choices…. in particular because I DO need a structurally sound dog to help me in the form of mobility support as a service dog. I also chose the Shiloh (and his breeder) due to the fact that there are extensive records of PennHip and OFA tests going back 13 generations, with only those with the most excellent scores being permitted to breed.

Again, it is a personal choice, but given how debilitating the dysplasias are, I feel it better to wait. Galen will still be neutered, with the associated increased life span, but it won’t be done pediatrically. In addition, while mammary tumors are more common in un-spayed females, many other cancers are actually LESS prevalent among intact dogs. The leading causes of premature death for unneutered dogs involve accidents, often the result of roaming. Galen has no tendency toward roaming and has a perfect recall, so that is not a concern of mine.

I also have worked as a vet tech and seen the various pros and cons in the veterinary practice, but rather than having that influence my decision, I based my choice on the current research, my particular dog, and my particular circumstances. It may be fine to neuter smaller dogs earlier, for their joints have far less weight bearing, and those dogs tend to reach adult maturity sooner, with closed growth plates.

[CircaRigel]

As I stated, it is a matter of weighing benefits vs. risks as to whether to neuter your dogs early on not. In large and giant breeds, though, there is a SIGNIFICANT increase in problems with joint issues in dogs neutered young, before their growth plates fuse. https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/early-neutering-poses-health-risks-german-shepherd-dogs-study-finds/ Galen has showed ZERO adverse behaviors being intact, even in boarding or daycare. Given that he is training as a service dog, and one for mobility support at that, I CANNOT have the increased risk for hip or elbow dysplasia. Moreover, my contract with his breeder clearly states not to neuter early. In my particular case the benefits of waiting outweigh any risks. And while there will always be outliers, research has shown that in cryptorchid dogs, the risk for testicular cancer does not increase until after age 3. Also, these risks may be a bit different for small dogs, (which was the dog mentioned by “anonymously”), given that they tend to mature at a younger age. We are specifically talking about large breeds here, ones prone to bone growth disorders and joint problems.

[anonymously]

@Circa Rigel

I have a small breed dog that I decided not to neuter (undescended testicle).
That plan backfired as he developed a tumor in his descended testicle at age 11 and had to go through the whole process then and although he had a difficult recovery, he is still around at 2 weeks shy of turning 16.

Some info here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/06/selected-effects-of-neutering-in-german-shepherd-dogs/

[CircaRigel]

I know this is a little off topic, but I would like to posit another important factor involving proper bone and joint development in large breed dogs, and I’ll post links to the research. This involves early spaying/neutering. Research involving Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds has revealed that early spay/neuter results in SIGNIFICANT increase in joint disorders. This is something that likely applies to most, if not all large and giant breed dogs. The largest increase in these issues occurs in dogs neutered before 1-year-old, although any sterilization prior to full size does increase the incidence of hip and elbow dysplasia. Many breeders are now recommending (and some, like my Shiloh Shepherd’s breeder, require it in their contract) that dogs not be sterilized before 18 months of age. Link: Early Neutering Poses Health Risks for German Shepherd Dogs, Study Finds. This study also mentions the Golden Retriever study.

There are also additional reasons to avoid early neutering, but I won’t go into those in depth. There are some benefits to it as well, and I will never admonish a person for sterilizing their dog. It’s simply a choice that involves weighing the benefits and risks regarding the specific dog and situation… and whether there is a choice at all, given that rescues are generally neutered prior to adoption. Spaying and Neutering: New Warnings About Health Problems

In my choice, I have carefully weighed the risks and benefits in relation to my particular dog and my specific circumstances. Given that my young Shiloh Shepherd is training as a service dog, and especially because many of his tasks are mobility related, I have chosen to neuter him later, after he turns 2. I would have delayed neutering him even longer, except he has cryptorchidism (undescended testicle), which significantly increases the risk for testicular cancer if not neutered before 3 years of age.

[Marcie D]

About 15 years ago I started to investigate better nutrition for my dogs and I was just to the point of trying a raw diet when Oma;s Pride came on the scene. I have used it for years and it has been the best thing I have ever done for my dogs.
I have been training my own Service Dogs for my own mobility issues and I am planning to move in the near future at which time I am hoping to breed my German Shepherds and get them started as Service Dogs for the Veteran’s who really need them. All of my puppies will be started on the Oma’s Pride frozen mixed diets. Some day I would love to see the Dog Food Advisor, take a look at this great diet.

[Susan]

Hi Laurie, eggs help make muscle, it’s about 3 eggs a week, carbs will help gain weight like boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes & add some cooked green veggies… Do you feed kibble?? kibble helps gain weight, make sure you look at the Kcals/per cup, its normally on the kibble site under Feeding Guide.. Look for a kibble that’s 370Kcals/per cup & over…
Here’s a calculator to work out how many calories he should be eating a day…. also feed 3 meals a day divide into 3 smaller meals a day, this way his meals aren’t tooo big (Bloat)
to eat all at once.. I feed Taste Of The Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, I just looked in the TOTW booklet at their High Prairie Canine Formula Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison Grain Free is 370kcals per cup & a dog that weights 125lbs-150lbs should eat 5 – 5 3/4 cups a day….if after feeding the 5 & 3/4 cups kibble a day & he hasn’t gained any weight in 2 weeks I’d see a vet…. you can add some fresh whole foods with the kibble as a topper….
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Donna W]

This is my first time posting anything but I wanted to share some info with anyone that could get some help for their pet persons. I have an old German Shepherd/Akita cross. He is now 15 years old. He has always been a big fellow but he was my husbands pet and extremely partial to him over anyone else. My husband had passed away due to an accident and the dog became seriously depressed for some time. Because my health was in decline also my sister moved me from Georgia to Oklahoma out of concern for me. My dog was 13 at the time we moved and weighed around 85 pounds. When we got to Oklahoma the dog began to have lots of health related issues. I take care of my grandkids and am on social security so not much money to spend for medical help for myself or my dog. I noticed that he started shedding horribly. He started having a bad odor and was losing tons of weight. He was scratching at himself 24/7 and crying out. His ears started having a fowl order also. I changed him from Pedigree dog food (which he had always eaten without any problems) to expensive dog foods, then to non grain foods to no avail. I got prescription ear medicine for him but as soon as it was used up, his ears started with the same problems. He really smelled bad and when we washed him, the odor came right back. He continued to drop weight. He lost at least 20 pounds. Along with his hair falling out by the hand full, his coat was super dull and he had always had a beautiful black and shiney coat in the past. I know that large dogs did not live as long as smaller breeds but this was driving me nuts. I made sure he did not have fleas. Bought him the best flea medicines. All to know avail and after 6 months I was ready to take him to the vet to put him to sleep when I came across a site on the internet where other people were talking about them having the same issues with their pets exactly like my dog. I was in disbileaf. I ordered this enzyme called Din-o-vite and gave him a scoop a day along with a squirt of omega 3 oil and a squirt of oil that made his food taste better as the enzymes did not taste good. After about a week and a half he started to improve and he continued do amaze me in his improvement. Everything got better for him. He is 15 now and although he is showing a favoring in his right side rear end when he gets up his change is nothing short of a miracle. I don’t know much about enzymes but I read that a dog has trouble digesting food and as they get older it can get worse. I hope this gets to someone else out there that is having the same trouble, try this before you think of putting your dog to sleep. He has been on the Dine-o-vite for 2 months now and I cannot believe it is the same dog. I know that he wont live much longer but he is happy now again and I know that his few remaining years will be spent with us at home.

[Pjmaxwellian]

Here’s my Blue Wilderness experience:

Adopted a 10 month old Black Mouth Cur in November. Started her on Blue Wilderness Chicken Puppy, end of January changed to adult formula. Started researching dog food, and had my concerns about Blue Wilderness. Continued with it because my local pet store has a buy 10 get one free thing. I would have qualified for my free bag next trip. With the last bag I purchased, Gracie started turning her nose up at the food bowl, then a few days ago, diarrhea and lethargy set in. I could hear her stomach rumbling from the next room, sounded like a volcano. Noticed one odd thing about the food, there seemed to be an excess amount of the little bits, (Lifesource Bits?) It wasn’t like that in any previous bags. Anyway, didn’t feed her for 24-hours (breakfast to breakfast,) and gave her 1/2 pepto bismol tablet. The next morning, she was herself again, and she almost inhaled her rice and chicken breakfast. Her illness could be due to something she ate in the yard, of course, but the food is still suspect, and I was thinking of changing anyway, never did get my freebie.

More research, and my head is spinning. Lots of reports similar to my experience. Merrick seemed like a good choice at first, but a lot if folks unhappy with the formula change after the Purina acquisition. My cat eats Instinct and has been doing great on it, so that was a consideration. Orijen looked like the best option, if one can afford the Whole Foods dog food equivalent, crazy expensive. Well, bit the bullet and just picked up my first bag of Orijen Regional Red (made in Canada.) They only had the 5 lb bags which is fine to start with, but I asked if they had the larger bags. I was told, since the factory change from Canada to US, the new bags (formulas) are slowly arriving. Just when ya think you’ve made a decision, something else comes along to question it.

Going to stick with the rice and chicken for a few days, then start adding the Red and see how she does.

I’ve had 3 Rottweilers, wonderful dogs. Last one died last fall, along with our German Shepherd Mix. Both Humane Society adoptees, lived long lives. I’m getting older, and when the hips started to go on the 100+ pounders, got to be a little hard to help them get up and out. Downsized a bit with this pup, she’s about 55 lbs now, which I’m happy about.

Good luck with your Rottie!

[Susan]

Hi, its cheaper & more healthy making your own fresh home cooked meals then buying wet tin foods, especially when you have a German Shepherd, he’ll prefer nice cooked meals….. I make up batches weekly sometimes enough for a fortnight & freeze…..heaps of recipes online…. go on You Tube & look for “Dr Judy Morgan recipes” I think its her husband he’s always cooking up something & very easy if you get a crock pot or a big pot….. I make the meat loaf & make into 1/2 cup size rissoles & bake in oven…. Dr Morgan also has the supplements to balance the meals when your ready to feed….. http://www.drjudymorgan.com/articles/food-therapy/
Dr Judy Morgan uses the Honest Kitchen base mixes as well you just add your meat….it will work out cheaper then tin foods at $4 a tin… I eat what Patch is eating when I cook up the batches of meals.. http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food

[Heather S]

I have a 14 week old puppy that I think is a Golden Ret/German Shepherd mix but am not sure since he was a rescue. So that means I think he is a large breed puppy – the online adult calculator says he will weigh 55 lbs when full grown.

He is having a lot of skin issues so I’m trying to switch him to a grain free food. He has been eating Wellness Large Breed Puppy and I would like to feed him the new Wellness TruFood Puppy but they don’t have a LBP formula. I did check the calcium/phosphorus ratio and it appears to be within the suggested limits so now I’m double checking to see what you guys think.

Also will 55 lbs actually count as a large breed. I see all kinds of definitions of what constitutes a large breed.

[Julia J]

Hello, I’m new to feeding raw. I have a 12 week old German Shepherd. 27 lbs. Recently just switched from kibble to ground raw (60%-80% meat, 30% veg/organ, 10% bone). Should probably start raw meaty bones to increase his calcium & phosphorus intake. I’m quite nervous about it – worried about choking if he doesn’t chew it up thoroughly. Worried that it may get lodged in his intestines etc.. Can anyone suggest a few safest raw meaty bones he can try? I’m considering chicken back, chicken feet/wings, lamb ribs. Should my puppy swallow both the meat & bone? Any advice is much appreciated.

[Chandra E]

Last week I adopted a German Shepherd puppy. He was approximately nine weeks old. I had read up on how to feed him raw (learned about it from a friend who also has a GSD) and thought I had a good plan in mind but now I’m running into issues.
I started him off on turkey and he did great. Poops were perfect. I had about two days worth of meals on turkey when I switched him to chicken, despite what had been advised because when I returned to the grocery store for more turkey they were out but I was sold on the 10 pound bag of chicken quarters, much cheaper.
I think he was still doing alright on that until I added liver. Immediately after his first and only liver meal (it was about 70% may and 30% liver) I was reading more on the raw diet for puppies specifically and found that it was advised not to feed them offal at first because it can give them runny stools. Indeed, his next poop was runny.
I thought I should balance this with more bone and then read that the knuckles can cause blockages. After he didn’t poop for a day I panicked (probably prematurely) and gave him about a tablespoon of canned pumpkin, having read that it will serve as a laxative for him. I had to mix it with the plain yogurt he had been receiving in his Kong for him to eat it. (Possibly the yogurt is a problem too) this is his fourth day on the chicken, two days of runny stools… I keep trying to read what I can but was hoping somebody could give me a direct course of action to take from here.
Do I just need to wait for the organs and pumpkin to clear out of his system? Quit with the yogurt? Is it too soon to say his body doesn’t like chicken? To avoid further complications I have fed him meat only for the day, when should I go back to bone?
Sorry for the mess, much appreciation in any help given!

[Gabrielle L]

I have a 7 month old German Shepherd/Alaskan Husky mix who was the largest of the litter. I was told her parents, fully grown, were 55 and 50lbs, but with Kota, there seems to be no end in sight. She, in November weighed roughly 33lb at the vet and since seems to have DOUBLED in size. She doesn’t seem to be overweight, and is active and happy, but I’m a bit worried about “over growing” her and hurting her overall health and development. My best estimate puts her at around 65lbs and she still seems to be growing (in January we estimated roughly 55lbs). I was warned that her parents matured at 18 and 24 months. I’ve adjusted her food between several brands until we got Eukanuba large breed puppy formula and she seemed like she wasn’t starving 24/7, but it seems like she starts losing weight/starving if she gets less than 2.5-3 cups of it twice a day. I’m not sure if I’m just used to small and medium sized dog breeds, or if I need to adjust her diet and/or prepare for a giant. Any advice?

[Freddy w]

Hi Curtis
I’m going thru the sane thing with my German shepherds
There 4 months old
One thing that I found that helps is a product called DiaGel
It comes in a syringe without the needle
It’s not cheap
But it gets there system back in order
For a tine anyway.
I’ve tried every dog good under the sun to try to help
I’m having pretty good luck with taste of the wild venison dry dog food
My dogs dogs are worm free
You may want to try panacur for 3 days

Hope all is well
Keep us updated please

Freddy

[BK F]

Flint River has closed it’s door. I’ve been a tad afraid to try Tried and True due to comments on a Dog Food review page. I’ll wait and see as this is new to the market. I have a 90 pound German Shepherd and can’t afford for food to go bad on me. Please everyone, keep sharing your experience with this food. I have gone back to Fromm.

[crazy4cats]

Hi SB-

I believe that the Whole Earth Farms Puppy recipe falls within the guidelines to be safe for large breed puppies. I’ve had good luck with this brand.

The foods that Pitlove mentioned are also great. German Shepherd puppies are adorable. Best of luck to you!

[Suzanne W]

Strange… I bought some aloe Vera juice the other day for my gsd for skin issues which I’m trying to decide how to get her to take it because my dogs do not take a syringe against their wills. My Maltese, Sophie bites, and my gsd , well when she refuses, you can hang it up. I wil try to figure something out. So far so good on Sophie’s garlic episode, need to wait a couple more days. Dealing with skin issues seems like nonstop with my shepherd, now. she’s on so many supplements, but not the aloe Vera juice… Yet. Thanks so much Anna c! And to pitlove, I kid you not… After our mention of pits and German shepherds… My husband was walking Ida today and some guy opened his garage and his pit charged Ida, but apparently didn’t want to fight thank God, but Ida was so freaked out she was yelping so loudly and there was a huge ruckus people coming out of their houses and my husband trying to separate these two! Pit owner was right behind his dog, poor guy fell he was running so fast., Ida made it out with one small wound which will be healed in a few days with silversol silver, and the pit was unharmed, so I would say that a pit and German shepherd met on bad terms today and one scrape was it! They didn’t want to fight, Ida just got scared and it freaked them both out! Ironic since we just spoke of this kind of thing! Ok to deal with those skin issues, but I’m on the wrong forum… Figures!

[Suzanne W]

Oh pit love, I’m so glad to hear from a pit lover, I hate that they get a bad rap! So do German shepherds, though my Maltese, Sophie is actually the biter! Thanks for your caring… I am sitting on pins and needles every time she pants, or anything or seems to breathe too fast or her heart race I panic… All in my mind I’m hoping… The next few days will tell, though. I’ll update Tuesday! Have a fanpitastic weekend!

[Suzanne W]

I took my German shepherd Ida, outside, was gone about five minutes. I was shocked to find my Maltese, Sophie, on the couch with my vitamin supplements and prescription pills! How in the world did she get them off the coffee table and then take them to the couch. She “moved “definitely five and possibly six pills. Ok, there are definitely two possibly three missing. I believe she ate two garlic gelcaps(2000mg garlic bulb), and possibly a caprylic acid gel cap. I was in shock… And anger! It took me about twenty to twenty five minutes to finally give her hydrogen peroxide. I don’t know if it went down so I tried again. After about a total of half hour maximum forty five minutes, she vomited twice, liquid(she had not eaten yesterday before this) bile colored without any gel substance so I saw nothing. I put a garlc gel cap in my mouth and moved it around n my mouth and it was competent dissolved in less than four minutes and did not taste bad. I decided that she may or may not have vomited it up as the substance is clear, odorless to humans that is, and almost tasteless. Hemolytic anemia is a horrible thing and I will watch soph for the next week or two. I was unable to obtain activated charcoal in time and then we couldn’t get it down her. I am disabled, and my husband has been out of work for six months, but found at least part time work the day before so wasn’t home. Before you judge us for not taking her in, we spent three grand in the summer on the dogs vet bills and we’ve spent hundreds more a couple months ago on skin problems with Ida. I’ve read what to watch for, but does anybody know anything I can do to support her or minimize reprecussions of this? I thought more protein, folic acid and supplements, so I gave her a half sardine this am. She’s already on blue buffalo grain free dog food, homemade topper made with different good quality meat and vegetables and fruits appropriate for dogs, and dermis supplement in her food. She gets tiny amounts of homemade treats we make with peanut butter, oatmeal, banana, flourless cookies we and the dogs like! Any advise? Ok I believe treat the patient not the diagnosis. She is acting fine thus far as it has only been 16 hours. Thanks for any help!

[Pitlove]

Hi Wendeyzee- I won’t speak for DogFoodie, but no I’m not a veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist. That is why I personally provided you with links to research conducted by those types of professionals in the field of nutrition that have studied growth in large breed puppies. I am aware that German Shepherd Dog’s are prone to the development of Pano (the links also support that). No where in my post or in my links I provided did it say otherwise. What was said in those research articles was that Pano is idiopathic, therefore there is no way to know that feeding your puppy a high protein diet was the cause of it. This should actually offer some piece of mind.

Over nutrition does not mean feeding high protein- it is in reference to caloric intake. This is why DogFoodie (and I) mentioned keeping the dog lean and at an ideal weight during the critical growth period (though that can not even guarentee your dog will not develop pano). A puppy that is even slightly (by just a mere few pounds) overweight is at a much higher chance of developing any one of the numerous DOD’s.

No one here critized your pet parenting or assumed you had not spent any time researching the breed. You’ve misconstrued that in your own mind. We simply offered you information that you may have missed while researching.

I’m sorry you found this information offensive. Best of luck with your pup

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Pitlove.

[wendeyzee]

To Dogfoodie and Pitlove,

I am sure your you mean well but are either of you a Veterinarian? You both came on here to make it seem like I don”t know what the heck I’m talking about, thank you!! Both of you have stated “caused by excess nutrition well what do you think to high protein is? As for calcium i stated in my post I was really careful about that which i do not remember it having any correlation to Pano as in direct correlation to CHD. Now I will address excess nutrition, i have been reading these boards now at least since I got my pup maybe longer and i have researched many things said here as well as the Pano issue until my head will explode and my eyes bleed! I am here to be a good fur mom, I feed my pup the best i can afford short of making his food, he has never been OVER FED! My Vet whom I trust told me German Shepherds are prone to get Pano, the studies have stated that as well, and to change to a lower protein food which I did and it resolved!
I came in here to ask Miss Jenn what foods she likes as she also has GSDs, I did not ask for your advise about Pano, I went to the vet for that! Now I have said my piece and i will not further participate in this discussion.

[Ivan G]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum but have many concerns about my puppy food. I have a 5 month old Belgian Malinois and I was recommended the Royal Canin German Shepherd formula for puppies. But the more research I do the less I trust any of these brands. When you go into PetsMart or Pet Supermarket for some reason they are really pushing the Blue Buffalo brand and convinced me to try the Taste of the Wild all protein food. my puppy liked it but I am really looking to find out the truth about these foods that I know nothing about.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

[Susan]

Hi Mom T, nice thing you have done taken in an old boy….. I have a 7 yr old with IBD & Skin problems & he has problems keeping on his weight, so I feed 4 smaller meals thru the day & more then what it says on the kibble bag. Patches kibble says 2 & a 1/2 cups kibble per day but I cook as well so I give 1 heaped cup kibble a day…
I would not feed any puppy food, it’s made for high energy puppies, like you said the puppy food would be too high in fat, find a good kibble & I feed 4 meals a day…Holistic Select has their Senior kibble chicken meal & rice that’s easy to digest… http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog#category5
I cook then freeze the cooked chicken or beef in 1 cup sections & I freeze small kangaroo mince balls, like a rissole that I bake, I add 1 egg, some parsley, some people add Turmeric powder & coconut oil for arthritis, you can bake small balls of beef, chicken or turkey mince rissoles & give as a treat or mix thru the meal…. Patch gets cooked meal for breakfast & dinner, I feed cooked chicken breast, tin Salmon, boiled potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, some times, beef, Kangaroo, sweet potatoes a bit of pumkin, boiled egg etc make sure you add the fish (tin Sardines or Salmon in spring water drained) for his omega’s for his skin… I prefer to add Patches omegas naturally thru food not the fish tablets….. Fish oil tablets made Patch feel sick, you have to remember these dogs were not looked after probably most of their lives & when we rescue them & start adding all this healthy new stuff etc some dogs stomachs/bowels can’t cope…. then I give 1/2 cup kibble for lunch & another 1/2 cup kibble for late dinner….that’s for a 39lb dog……. Kibble keeps & puts the weight on, I have found…. look at the Kcals on the kibbles web page for the Kcal/per cup the higher the Kcal per cup the better around 380-400Kcal/per cup…..Once you start feeding 3-4 meals a day his weight will slowly start to come back, nice & slow, it may take about 4 months but it will be healthy weight not a diet full of fat..

Here’s a calculator to see how many Calories he should be eating a day, it gives you a ruff idea, just enter the weight he should be & he’s a senior dog..
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[wendeyzee]

I can relate, our first two German shepherds pasted away two weeks apart two winters ago, we had a male and a female, the day we found out the male had a massive tumor on his spleen that night our female had a stomach torsion (flipped stomach) we got her to emergency and it was to long we had to put her to sleep, my heart was broken. Our male hung in there for another two weeks which i think he did for us, he knew we were grieving.

We now have 2 more gsds and i have been really doing a ton of research on dog food and it overwhelming and maddening, I change them around some but i’m always wondering if this one is a good one, short of making my own i’m never really sure, so ill keep up the research and love them to pieces while they are on this earth with me as i did the other two. I do feel for you!
Blessings and best regards,
Wendey

[Fade R]

There’s a relatively new kid on the block: Platinum (http://www.platinum.co.uk/dry-dog-food/platinum-dry-food.html)

A guy at my local store recommended it, the spec seemed legit so I’ve tried it. Nala (my german shepherd, 1.7 years old), seems to like this food the most of anything we’ve tried before. Unfortunately it only comes in 5kg packs, so it’s relatively expensive.

But I’d love to hear of your insight on it.

Cheers.
Fade.

[Dina Kouveliotes]

My German Shepherd, Ziva, also could not tolerate Fromm Large Breed.

Ziva hands down does the best on NOW Fresh Large Breed by Petcurean
It’s the only food that does not cause GI issues for her.

I also add coconut and ground flaxseed daily in her meals. Sometimes eggs, parmesean cheese, salmon, Stella and Chewy patty, pumpkin, sweet potato,etc just to mix things up since I cannot rotate her kibble. I tried Orijen and she cannot tolerate more than a 1/2 cup in her meal of any flavor. It’s a bummer.

I highly recommend trying NOW Fresh Large Breed. It was a lifesaver.

[Rebecca W]

thanks for replying.He is a 3 yr old german shepherd who develpoped this at about the age of 1.Vets dont seem to know much more than i have researched myself really.He has a strict diet of boiled chicken rice or white fish boiled and royal canin gastro intestinal food advised by the vet.He has no treats or chews and is not a dog that eats things he shouldnt he doesnt scavenge.I am desperate to get it right for him to give him the best life i can he is a gorgeous and gentle dog.The medications he has are Metranidazole,medrum and he has pro biotic powders on his food twice a day.i just worry about how very lethargic he gets and would love to know if someone else can identify with this to put my mind at rest.he has had bloods,xrays we are sure it is collitis but it breaks our heart to think he is so depressed when he gets a bad bout.Thankyou for listening Rebecca

[Mike E]

I have a new German Shepherd pup and have been researching foods. Orijin advertises that all its food is fit for human consumption.

[wendeyzee]

Yes, my derm-vet put my German Shepherd on the rabbit and sweet potato for a allergy trial. My pup loved it and did great on it however its VERY expensive!

[Olga M]

For the doubting Thomas’s, here is a record from the Guinness Book of World Records:

“The greatest reliable age recorded for a dog is 29 years 5 months for an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey, owned by Les Hall of Rochester, Victoria, Australia. Bluey was obtained as a puppy in 1910 and worked among cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years before being put to sleep on 14 November 1939.

Most dogs live for 8–15 years, and authentic records of dogs living over 20 years are rare and generally involve the smaller breeds.”

Bluey was 29 and was a non-vegetarian and beat Bramble out of the Guinness book.

In my experience, I had a German Shepherd that lived until the age of 17 years and 7 months, while on a vegetarian diet. She was very active and healthy, and more importantly never experienced the hip problems common to the breed. We hiked several legs of the Appalachian trail, swam a great deal and played ball every day (her favorite). Currently, my Mastiff weighs 140 lbs and Lab 70 pounds. They are both lighting fast, play and exercise every day, and travel with us every where. BTW I prepare food for them, they don’t just eat kibble. Perhaps like people, if you eat the right things, and keep on exercising you can extend your life and theirs.

It may not work for you, but that doesn’t mean that it does not work. Instead of SCREAMING orders, keep a positive and open mind. That, may be the healthiest thing you can do for yourself and your companion.

[Susan]

Hi, does the brand his brother eats have a large puppy food? To gain weight google the food your interested in feeding & look at the Kcal/per cup Calorie content, its normally under the “Feeding Guidelines” some companies just write the Kcal/per kilo not per cup…..I always try & buy a kibble that’s over 400Kcal/per cup, that way you need less kibble to feed but I still feed a bit more then recommended, an extra cup divided between the 4 meals a day…Patch also has sensitive stomach IBD & has trouble keeping on his weight…. I have found with wet tin foods he regurgitates them back up into his mouth when he burps but your boy might be different, Patch also lost weight on the wet tin food, he needed to be feed 2 large tins a day, its seemed too much no wonder he was burping the food back up…..I was feeding 1 full cup of kibble for Breakfast & wet tin food for lunch & dinner, now I feed 1 full cup of kibble 406Kcal/cup breakfast & cooked chicken & sweet potatoes for lunch & dinner, he seems to keep his weight on better eating cooked chicken, then when he was eating the wet tin foods & its cheaper buying the fresh chicken pieces & sweet potatoes cooking then freezing weighed meals, then buying the wet tin foods & I know what he’s eating when I cook his meals….I bought one of those Dog Meat Rolls today from Pet Shop, Kangaroo & Potato, preservative free, gluten free, for skin/stomach allergies…. I’m going to give the Roll a go & see how he does….

Try & feed 3-4 smaller meals thru the day if you can….Holistic Select have a Grain free Puppy & Adult Anchovy, Salmon & Sardine kibble, its only but its only 341kcal/per cup that way they can both eat the same kibble, Holistic Select also make wet tin food but I have found its cheaper to buy a couple of kilos of chicken pieces, I remove all the skin then put them in a big pot & boil 20mins you collect all the cooked bones then slowly boil the bones over night & make bone broth, bone broth is very healthy… http://holisticselect.com.au/recipes.aspx?pet=dog

Also here’s a link for a Calorie Calculator, it’s for German Shepherds but its still works for any breed of dog, it gives you an idea how many calories your dogs needs to eat a day, work out how many calories your boy should be eating a day, email kibble or wet tin food companies & ask how many Kcal per CUP is their food..that’s what I was talking about Kcal/per cup, if I feed a kibble that’s 400kcal/cup then I feed just under 3 cups a day Patch needs around 1100 calories a day…..
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[anonymously]

I lost a corgi to cancer too, at 9 years. I’m thinking that there may be a genetic link, like with German shepherds and golden retrievers.
Anyway, I used to feed her about 1/2 cup of Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry, but I would add a lump of chopped up chicken breast (cooked) or lean meat. Chopped up broiled chicken liver is good too. I fed her this twice a day.
You can add water to the cooked chicken and blend it with a smoothie wand, so that it is like lumpy thick gravy and put a tablespoon over her dry. You can soak the dry in the fridg overnight in water to soften.
She loved food and had a tendency to put weight on easily, but 3 to 5 mile walks daily seemed to keep her weight stable.
Brush her teeth every evening (YouTube has excellent how to videos).

PS: I get the chicken breast, lean meat at the reduced section of my local market, freeze then cook. I have been doing this for a long time and haven’t had any problems. Chicken livers are cheap, and you only add a little. Plus you can divide up and freeze.
If you weigh the dog once a week you will be able to see if she is gaining and decrease the amount. Get on the scale weigh yourself, then get back on the scale while you are holding her, then deduct your weight from the number you get 🙂 Do this before the first meal of the day.

[Shepherd777]

I’ve been feeding raw for a month or 2 now and have noticed great results, however I can’t seem to find anything anywhere about the frequency of feeding offal, just your “don’t feed too much”.

My German Shepherd is 30kg, I feed him 2.5% of his body weight as he’s at a pretty good looking weight.

300g Muscle Meat (80%)
18g Liver (5%)
18g Either Kidney/Pancreas/Spleen (5%)
A bone of sorts (drumstick, good sized wing etc) I don’t really measure as his poos have looked very solid, yet not too hard and crumbly so playing it by eye has worked for me.

I can’t find anywhere as to whether feeding offal every day is okay in such small portions, but he seems to be happy and healthy. Was hoping somebody could offer insight on frequency and how it works.. Or is it better to only feed organs every couple of days instead of every day in this format I’ve listed, with mostly muscle meat and bone comprising the rest of the days?

[Jenn H]

I often feed my dogs combo and change their food every 3-4 months. It’s been great as far as avoiding recalls and it helps them create their own good bacteria. The body gets used to the same food.

Right now I have a 4 month old German Shepherd puppy. And I have been dealing with diarrhea off & on. I found out it could be due to teething. They produce more saliva. That ends up in the stomach and what comes out isn’t pleasant.
I gave him pumpkin, bland diet and probio. It helps.

Now I am giving him raw unpasteurized goat milk. So far so good.

The only thing is I am very careful about his calcium intake. He is not to exceed 1.5% per day. Even that is higher than I like. I try to keep it around 1-1.2% max.
I hate doing the math, but I know how important it is to control his growth. It’s important large breed puppies do not grow too fast.

Orijen is an excellent food. I am changing him to Acana. Orijen is a little out of my price range right now.

I would suggest that if you need to give him rice for diarrhea in the future that it be white rice not brown. The brown can be too much work to digest when their bellies aren’t feeling well. I used to give brown also until I was corrected.

Whatever direction you go in just be sure to keep track of the daily calcium amounts. Stay as close to 1% as possible. I believe the guidelines are .75-1.5%.
Often this mean contacting the dog food companies and asking what the MAX amt is in their food. They often list min amt if at all.

[Mia’s d]

Hi everyone,

I have a mix german shepherd dog – about 10 months old.
From the first day we got her she had bad skin problems (hard itchiness, and white scales falling of her). Finally after many visits to the vet, the conclusion was that the dog has an allergy to specific food types – after scanning through the main meat dry-food options (chicken, fish, lamb), we found that the only food that was good enough for her skin was “Eukanuba Dermatosis”.

Few months (and food bags) have past, and her skin became much more healthy. So we were hoping to find a cheaper alternative to this food, that will still be good enough for her. We tried several suggestions from the pet store (which according to them is considered “semi-medical”), but nothing was quite as good.

So as last resort, before we give up and accept our ^expensive^ future – I was hoping to get this forum recommendations on other dry food brands/types. The more – the merrier (since our local pet stores food variety is quite lacking…)

Thank you so much!

[Jenn H]

I had a dog (GSD) who also got ear infections from grains. He also has difficulty w/ chicken. That’s way back when grain-free was pretty nonexistent. He had to be fed Hill’s z/d. Eventually he was able to eat Royal Canin German Shepherd and Blue Buffalo. (When they were great foods.) I would regularly clean his ears as a way to be proactive.
Things have come a long way since that guy. Today I could probably give him any meet as long as it didn’t come from certain venders/farms and/or a digestive enzyme.
Labs are such high energy dogs I find it baffling how it’s even possible for them to become overweight. Don’t those pudges ever get out? It’s really quite sad.
It would be nice if people realized that dogs aren’t about quantity. 1 tiny piece of meat makes them as happy as if you fed a whole cow.
Imagine how hard their hearts have to work with all that fat. They’re horizontal. An obese dog is probably much more unhappy than their people think. I bet they’d be more happy if their hearts didn’t have all the weight on it and they could actually move about.
I’m getting so mad now thinking about it.

[Norene D]

We have been feeding our dogs Diamond Brand Naturals Lamb and Rice for several years. We thought we were doing the right thing by purchasing a kibble that was off the shelf…and not loaded with corn. Our border collie/german shepherd mix who is two now, recently started having some skin issues. We did a process of elimination and the only thing left was the dry dog food. We have a good veterinarian, but I am well aware of the expense of lots of testing that she would want to do. I’m also aware that skin issues can be derived from many different things. So, I did some research on our dry dog food. I learned that they recently changed their formula a little and learned that alot of people had dogs with very similar issues. So now, we have determined that we need to change their food. I’ve been on this website many times over the years, but I’m determined to wittle this down somehow and find a good dog food that isn’t terribly expensive. I belong to a Facebook group for GS/BC mix and I posed the question to them. I got some good responses, but still too many choices. I’m leaning toward a dog food that is made in Canada as opposed to the U.S. Why? Just a hunch. So I would like to pose the question here as well. Is it the Diamond Dog Food? And what should I feed my girl. I live in a rural area and our shopping choices are few. But I did get recommended to petflow.com, so I may have to do my purchasing through them.

[Marina K]

Hello, we are bringing home an 8 weeks old German Shepherd and the breeder suggested food is Iams large breed puppy food and a wellness canned puppy food. That is what she feeds her dogs and I just wanted to get suggestions if that is a good food of choice

[Carol W]

I bought a German Shepherd puppy in January from a breeder who used Kirkland dogfood for years, but she recently quit because she said some dogs in her area had died after eating it. I have never used it, but be careful and do your research!

[Anonymous]

Corgis are the best dogs ever! Don’t let them fool you, they are BIG dogs with short legs 🙂
Mine had a German Shepherd personality, very protective.

[Anonymous]

Has your dog been tested for Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)?

EPI is pretty common in German Shepherds, but other dogs can get it too. Dogs with EPI lack the ability to produce the correct level of digestive enzymes and they are basically starving. It can be diagnosed with a blood test and it can be controlled with appropriate porcine digestive enzymes, diet, and sometimes antibiotics and/or B12. The kind of digestive enzymes you can buy in the store usually aren’t enough, so you need to work with your vet. Just changing the diet is also not enough.

If he has tested positive for EPI and is being treated, something needs to be adjusted in terms of enzymes, diet or medications. Every dog is a little different.

Ask your vet. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi, when you see the vet again ask for a copy of the Endoscope & Biopsies report to keep at home, it will tell you everything that they found & what type of IBD your dog has, it was probably Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic or Eosinophilic IBD…….sometimes there’s no real answers to why people & dogs get IBD, it can be caused from sensitivities to foods, proteins, gluten etc, irritating the bowel/stomach…was he eating the Honest Kitchen Love before he had the Endoscope?
Honest Kitchen is excellent for dogs with Stomach & Bowel problems being grain & gluten free, the Zeal is also good cause its lower in fat…
My boy has Moderate to Chronic Lymphocytic Gastritis which is a very rare form of IBD in dogs & humans… sounds like your vet knows what he is doing but normally they are kept on the Prednisone for 1-2 months so the inflammation has time to heal, reducing the prednisone down slowly then you give 1 prednisone tablet every other day so all up around 2 months on the prednisone……
With the weight it takes time, in about 1 month you’ll see him start to fill out, also I’ve posted a calorie calculator too work out how many calories he should be having a day, maybe feed just that bit extra then when you have him on his proper weight, go back to his daily calorie intake… keep a diary on what foods are in the “Honest Kitchen Love” so you will know what foods he’s OK with, then when he is stable & only when he is stable drug free & has been doing really well for 3 months, then you can introduce a new food or maybe a cooked meal or a wet tin food, say for breakfast but still give him his HK love for dinner…Now I have found what my boy can eat, I just rotate the foods I know he’s OK with, so he has something else for breakfast & something different for dinner…..
If you can stay away from kibbles…Kibbles are no good for dogs with bowel & stomach problems, the bowel & stomach have too work harder to digest the hard processed kibble…I weight my boy weekly at the pet store to make sure he’s staying between 17-18kilos as his weight can drop very quickly..
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Wendy S]

I can’t speak to Nexgard but I can speak to your yard. I am in Texas & due to the tons of rain we got in May, all fleas, ticks, Mosquitos, midge flies, etc have been just awful so far this summer. Like you, I hate using chemicals- I have 6 dogs, 6 aquariums, a pond & 4 kids… So I try to use as much homeopathic stuff as I can. I have also tried the DE inside & outside of my house. I tried salt which didn’t work for me either. The fleas & ticks have been something else- I pulled two dozen ticks off one of my german shepherds & had never seen ticks on any of my dogs before this. I did a lot of research as I had another issue on top of fleas & ticks- my neighbor has a chicken coop in his backyard which was causing a massive explosion of flies that effected my yard & home. Ok so long story short, I finally broke down & bought something called Cyzmic CS for my yard. You add 1/2 oz of this to a gallon of water in a pressure sprayer. I couldn’t even smell it when I sprayed. The following day 75% of the flies are gone. It’s now been a week- I haven’t seen one tick, flea or fly for that matter. You might want to consider this for your yard to help. You can use indoors also- it won’t harm plants or animals but will harm aquatic animals.

By the way, one of my dogs is on Revolution & the rest are on Adams flea collars & Pet Armor Plus. Good Luck!

[Wendy S]

I have 6 dogs, 3 are German shepherds ages 3, 1 & 3 months. I’ve tried every food out there for them to help them with their constant scratching plus I wanted to help with their coats, shedding & general wellness. I was paying crazy money for top brand dog food. Last “expensive” food I had them on was the Diamond Brand that you can find at Petsmart & Petco. Then someone told me that Costco brand food is made by the same company- Diamond! Holy heck I wish I knew this $2000.00 ago when I was paying for Fromm to be delivered fresh! lol

So that is my suggestion! We buy the chicken & rice formula that is the burgundy color bag at Costco! It’s a great food, rated high per this website & my shepherds are thriving on this! Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

“Dwarfism is defined as underdevelopment of the body, or the state of being short in stature. Most dwarf dogs have a condition called “osteochondrodysplasia,” which refers to an abnormality in the growth and development of bone, cartilage, or both. Dwarfism almost always affects the long bones of all four of a dog’s legs. Some breeds, like Dachshunds and Corgis, have been selectively bred to be genetic dwarfs; they have skeletal defects in their legs, and sometimes in their skulls and spines, but these abnormal conformational traits are considered desirable” excerpt from:
http://www.petwave.com/Dogs/Health/Dwarfism.aspx

Corgi’s tend to put weight on easily, they need a decent amount of daily exercise, they are really more like big dogs with short legs.
People tend to think of them as small/medium dogs. I didn’t find this to be the case, the one I had, had a German Shepherd personality.
She was a beautiful dog, but the most challenging to train, and she did not like other dogs.

[Susan]

Hi, sounds like IBD, you need to find a good vet that knows the breed & knows about IBD, a few vet are useless when it comes to IBD a good vet spots IBD straight away …..try lowering the fat sounds like Acid reflux with the licking the air & licking the floor, high fat diets are no good for acid reflux….also kibble isn’t good for acid reflux… what I do is I soak the low fat-10% Hypoallergenic, Gluten, Sugar & Dairy FREE kibble, when the kibble is swollen, I drain all water then I put thru a blender comes out like wet tin food but its not soggy the soaked kibble seems to fluff up this seems help with digestion & the acid reflux also I give Zantac tablet 1/3tablet every 12 hours 1 hour before eating but lately I’ve been giving Mylanta 3-5mls in syringe 30 mins before food or if I see him with discomfort (having to rub his stomach after eating)…. you can also try Famotidine (Pepcid) ant acid meds or the liquid Pepto bismol …you can get from chemist….. Zantac is better as Zantac doesn’t affect the bowel where all the other ant acid tablets can affect the bowel…. with kibble try a kibble that’s around 10%min fat so max % will be around 12-13% if I go over 12% fat Patch starts swollowing, grinding his teeth, licking paws & licking has blanket… also look for a limited ingredient kibble as some ingredients can make stomach acid worse & give diarrhea…. try a limited ingredient lower fat kibble & she if she improves… something like the “California Natural” Hypoallergenic limited ingredient, there’s their Lamb & Rice large breed it has just 4 ingredients http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
She may need an Endoscope + biopsies done this way you will get answers instead of spinning your wheels & going in circles like I did for 2 years, I wish I did the Endoscope + Biopsies when all the problems started… Patch is a rescue..
Sometimes the diet that you don’t like is the diet that will agree with your dog.. I had to put my boy on Vet prescription vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue diet….. high soluble fiber diets were no good, they just sit in the stomach & ferment giving acid reflux, stomach pain, bad breath etc the fiber in the Eukanuba Intestinal was only 1.75% then when Patch was stable & doing really well I started introducing new kibbles & none seemed to work as a lot have peas, potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, these foods are all high in Lectins.. Lectins can cause Leaky Gut…so now I stick with kibbles that have rice & I have no problems…. One month ago I saw a Naturopath & started low fat raw diet, Kangaroo mince with blended veggie & fruit, carrot, broccoli, celery, banana, apple & I have to use Digestive Enzymes & live probiotic to stop any nausea & diarrhea from the raw so far everything is good, this week I have been cooking the raw & veggie mix minus the fruit & making a meat loaf with all the ingredients & then adding boiled Quinoa to fill him more…. Patch cant eat boiled rice it irritates the bowel.. I don’t have to use a digestive enzyme either with cooked like I do when I feed the raw diet…I give the cooked meal for breakfast (I pre make & freeze all the meals) & I give the soaked Hypoallergenic gluten sugar & dairy free kibble at night for dinner ……Ask around & try & find a good vet in your area & keep a diary so when new vet asked when did that happen you have dates & how many times it happened & what she was eating if she had diarrhea or vomiting … the antibiotic she was put on was probably Metronidazole its an antibiotic for the gut & bowel… my vet has given me a few repeat scripts, I just go to chemist & get out, its 1/4 of the price.. when I see Patches poos not looking too good, I start him on the metronidazole for 2 weeks & go back to a very bland diet to get him stable again before it gets real bad …. Have you joined any German Shepherd groups?? there’s one on yahoo …. oh also a few people in a group I’m in who have German Shepherds with stomach/bowel problems feed “Taste Of the Wild” kibble…. Good-luck

[Susan]

Hi, the vet would of tested him for Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).. German Shepherds are known to get EPI, SIBO, IBD.. the Vet prescription diet Hills I/d Gastro has Crude Fiber-2.6% Dietary Fiber-7.3% Soluble Fiber-1.2% Insoluble Fiber-6.7% Fat-13.9% what you can do is email companies & ask what their Soluble & Insoluble fiber % is as they don’t normally put these % on the kibbles packaging..& try to find a kibble that is as close in insoluble% & soluble% fibers to the Hills I/d Gastro…..
Kibbles that are healthy weight diets normally have more insoluble fiber, so you could try a few healthy weight diets & see how he goes (limited ingredient diets) Wellness Simple has one its Salmon & Peas.. I’d stay away from peas when dog has bowel problems ….it may be hard to find another diet like the Hills I/d Gastro vet diet as its made specially for Gastrointestinal health problems like IBD IBS EPI.. another thing you could do is join a Face Book group called “EPI-Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in dogs” group & ask the people in the group what diet are they feeding their dogs, even though he tested negative to EPI some dog will still have some of the symptoms to EPI…needing a lower fiber diet.. there’s a few people with German Shepherd in the group they my be able to help more as they know the breed….