[Bonnie V]

I have 2 dogs. A female german shepherd (almost 3 yo) and a mix (possible mastiff/boxer- a little over a year old is the vets guess). Right now they eat Canidae PureSky and PureSea- I mix the two bags. These bags are 24 pounds, and I go through 2 bags every 3 weeks. I am all for spending money on good food- but it is time for a change, and I am going to try to scale back just a little at the same time. Here is what I have narrowed down to:
American Natural Premium Sensitive Care 33 pounds $39.99
American Natural Original 40 pounds $39.99
Wellness Complete Health 30 pounds $51.99
Fromm Classic Adult 33 pounds $38.99
(currently my Canidae is 24 pounds for 48.99 and 54.99).

Please tell me your pros and cons!! Thanks in advance!!

[WestCoastGSD]

Your breeder Bullinger German Shepherds can give you more details on her food. Tracy Bullinger did in fact develop this food over many years of research and feeding trials and has come up with a great balanced food that is complete and also easier and safer than trying to properly balance your own dog’s diet. I have many breeder friends that have used it and I am getting my first shipment next week for my dogs and clients and will be a distributor for the food here in Southern California. If you live in the area please feel free to contact me for more information, we will be offering delivery or pickup of the food. My email is [email protected]

[So A]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8zxUUefpBs&feature=share&list=UUlIJ98iKd2RrOFMkt6DnJYQ

0:00 Great Dane
0:22 German Shepherd
0:44 Tosa Inu
1:08 Boxer
1:32 Husky
1:55 Brussels Griffon
2:18 Pug
2:40 English BullDog
3:06 Shih Tzu
3:26 Yorkshire Terrier

[Chris K]

I have two questions. First some background, I have a 9 month old German Shepherd female that is at 52 pounds and hasn’t grown much in the last month. I suspect she may be the runt of the litter so am not worried about the diminuitive size. But she looks kind of skinney.

We buy dry diamond puppy food for her. She does not eat unless we are there with her or she’s really hungry. I bought a couple of cans of wet food and she ate pretty well yesterday. First question, is canned dog food bad for them and how do I know if its good dog food?

This morning she went outside to do her buisness before she ate. I noticed she ate some grass as if her tummy was upset then hacked up a little something. Second question, if I give her some food she likes in the A.M., like a bit of canned dog food do you think maybe her stomache will not be upset and she won’t go outside and eat grass?

Thanks,

Chris

[Scott C]

Like Jayne V, above, I would be interested to know the specific rationale for not including the Orijen puppy food on the list. We have had our huge Samoyed on Orijen for the last three years (we rescued him when he was one) so have no personal experience with the Orijen puppy product, but have nothing but glowing praise for the Adult Dry. My mother-in-law will be getting a 6-month German shepherd puppy soon, however, and we hesitate to recommend Orijen puppy based on its absence from the list here.

Would sincerely appreciate any additional thoughts that can be shared on this point.

[Suburban Gal]

“They are prone to breaking, give you little control, and absolutely worthless when wanting a dog to heel.” -Shasta220

I’ve never really had to worry about them breaking because they never did. If anything, I used the hell out of them until I couldn’t really use them anymore and then had to replace them with a new retractable.

As for a lack of control, if you have a dog like White Paw that’s exceptionally trained via formal training or a dog like Lexi, my last German Shepherd, that acts well enough without all the formal training, then there should never be any concern over using a retractable leash.

It’s all about how well your dogs behave on a leash or how well you make your dogs behave on a leash.

IMHO, it shouldn’t matter what leash your dog is on. You should ALWAYS have control and make your dog behave or tow the line. Any decent or responsible owner would.

“They ENCOURAGE pulling as well since there is always a tiiiiiny bit of tension on them.” -Shasta220

In Gizmo’s case, any leash encouraged pulling since he had never really been on one before. The same goes for others like Gizmo, like sue66b’s Patch.

But that aside, retractables encourage pulling if you, the owner, allow them to encourage pulling.

[Suburban Gal]

“I dont understand why everyone has problems with a retractable lead, if a dog is taught how to walk properly on a lead they should not pull or chase cats..In Australia everyone seems to use them here on big or small dogs with no problems..” sue66b

As I said, if you have a dog like White Paw that’s exceptionally trained via formal training or a dog like Lexi, my last German Shepherd, that acts well enough without all the formal training, then there should never be any concern over using a retractable leash.

It’s all about how well your dogs behave on a leash or how well you make your dogs behave on a leash, as is currently the case with Gizmo who’s NEVER really been on a leash prior to his adoption.

“I use one on my real strong staffy.. When I first rescued him I could not use a retactable lead as no one must of walked him or taught him how to walk on any type of lead, 2 weeks of training & Patch walks perfect now..” sue66b

This sounds a lot like my Gizmo.

When we adopted his a little over 3 months ago and walked him on a 4 FT nylon leash we bought for him just prior to adoption, it’s like he had never been on a leash before. We experienced the same result when we used the retractable and a 6 FT leather leash bought for training purposes. It’s like he didn’t know what a leash was and how to properly make use of it. In the beginning, it was quite awkward walking him on any leash. It took some work, but in the end we got him walking properly on ALL of his leashes. He tends to behave more on the 4 FT nylon and 6 FT leather leash because he knows he can get quick pops (collar corrections) on those when he does something he’s not supposed to do, but overall, we generally don’t have a whole lot of problems, let alone serious ones, when he’s on the retractable.

I don’t understand why people think they can’t have control of their dog on a retractable because people like us are proof they can. It’s all about how you, the owner, approach and deal with a dog on a retractable leash.

IMHO, it shouldn’t matter what leash your dog is on. You should ALWAYS have control and make your dog behave or tow the line. Any decent or responsible owner would.

[Suburban Gal]

“…but I’m sorry I can’t in all good faith recommend a retractable leash, especially to a larger dog like yours. I feel they can be a danger to the owner and dog. One just does not have the control over the dog with these kinds of leashes. Better control is achieved with regular leather 6ft. leashes, imho.” – Mom2Cavs

I’m sorry you feel this way.

While a regular 6 FT leash always does offer the best control, there’s no reason why one can’t have really good control of their dog, regardless of size, on a retractable leash.

I’ve walked German Shepherds on retractables and have never had any problems using them on German Shepherds and, as you know, German Shepherds are 80+ LB dogs.

I’ve also used them on my Keeshonden, a medium-sized spitz breed from Holland that weighs between 30 and 60 LBS, and I’ve never had any problems using them on my Keeshonden, especially White Paw as he was a very well-trained dog that knew how to listen and always do what he was told when he was told to do it.

If you have a dog like White Paw that’s exceptionally trained via formal training or a dog like Lexi, my last German Shepherd, that acts well enough without all the formal training, then there should never be any concern over using a retractable leash.

It’s all about how well your dogs behave on a leash or how well you make your dogs behave on a leash, as is currently the case with Gizmo who’s NEVER really been on a leash prior to his adoption.

[Alice M]

Hello,

I own a 4 year old German Shepherd. I find she does well on duck dry food and I try to keep the fat and protein levels normal and grain free. She does well with digestion with duck protein Also I mix in a little wet food and steamed vegetables. ( carrots, peas, squash, beans) No beef products. I am using Go Sensitivity and Shine, although I am thinking about trying the Fromm duck food. I also look for treats that are low in fat and grain free.
I’ve tried the Zuke’s dental treats, they seem to cause loose stools.

[Suburban Gal]

Blue Buffalo is actually a really good food.

If you’re going to go with Blue Buffalo, then I highly recommend their Wilderness line. I’ve fed that for many years to my last dog, a white German Shepherd named Lexi, and never had any problems with their Wilderness line. We’ve tried several foods with her (Wellness, Natural Balance, Holistic Select to name a few) and found Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness to be a very top notch food. I wouldn’t suggest anything else in their line (Life Protection, Freedom, Basics, etc…) other than their Wilderness line. It’s the absolute best of what they carry.

[Steven K]

Please provide input/suggestions, and if possible, those with German Shepherds. Thank you very much!

A quick intro-wife and I used to raise Rotties. I always had German Shepherds growing up. We are now 80% empty nesters and recently bought a GS puppy-male. On Monday he was 10 wks old. I am currently mixing Taste of the Wild High Prairie and Fromm Four Star Nutritionals Grain-Free (Dry) Beef Frittata. I wet it w/ warm water. He loves it, clean bowl at every meal. For reward treats we’ve been using Orijen & Zukes and baby carrots, both cooked and raw. I know raw don’t get 100% digested, but he loves crunchy on those. He loves Orijen, but they are expensive.
Again, wanting opinions and suggestions from those that have been raising Shepherds as we are new to the game-been some time since we’ve had a puppy!
Thanks

[Suburban Gal]

Blue Buffalo is actually a really good food.

If you’re going to go with Blue Buffalo, then I highly recommend their Wilderness line. I’ve fed that for many years to my last dog, a white German Shepherd named Lexi, and never had any problems with their Wilderness line. We’ve tried several foods with her (Wellness, Natural Balance, Holistic Select to name a few) and found Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness to be a very top notch food. I wouldn’t suggest anything else in their line (Life Protection, Freedom, Basics, etc…) other than their Wilderness line. It’s the absolute best of what they carry.

[rudy g]

Hello. I could not find a definitive answer to this question. I have a 1year 1month old german shepherd. I had her on blue wilderness for large breeds until she was 8 months old. We then switched her to authority large breed. She has been doing fine so far. No problems at all. I will be getting a wolf shepherd tomorrow. I have been reading good and bad as far as authority is concerned.

Should I leave her on it? What do ya’ll recommend?

What about my wolf shepherd tomorrow, they have him on diamond for large breeds? Recommendations?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thx.

[Codex]

She’s never had any trouble with her ears. They are upright like German Shepherd ears. I’ve been rotating her food around–all grain free foods. I think she might be sensitive to chicken, therefore I’ve been avoiding those foods. I’m hoping it’ll be as easy as antibiotics and/or ear drops. There’s nothing worse than an itch you can’t reach:(.

[Joseph E]

It seems like PetWay would be listed as Budget-Friendly and it is delivered to your door.
It has a very good rating and the price isn’t bad. I’ve been using it for my 2 German Shepherds and one cat for five years now and they all love it. My Vet highly recommended it and said that he feeds it to his two Labs. Joe Everett South Mills, NC.

[Amy S]

Well now I don’t know what to do! Was just reading research on Bloat, and saw that the risk increases 100% in high risk breeds if one of the top 4 ingredients is fat. The 4th ingredient in Whole Earth is chicken fat, and I have a German Shepherd which is an at risk breed.
I am surprised to see very little discussion on bloat.
I am thinking about rotating Nutrisource (need to check prices) and Grandma Lucy’s with fresh meat. With 2 large breed dogs I just can’t afford the raw route, and husband gets the willies lol.

[Nancy C]

My 10 year old Golden Retriever eats anything. The vet says she is the picture of health and I have fed her always REGULAR food. Premium Edge (not for seniors), then Taste of Wild all flavors rotated. After that I have fed her the left over Origen and Acana that my German Shepherd puppy seemed to not be able to eat. Her dog friends are from ages 2 yrs old to 5 or 6 and she can outlast them some days. She keeps up with our 20 month old German Shepherd. I agree that they NEED the protein to keep them young and vibrant. It’ll be a long time before she eats senior food.

[Tina]

I have four dogs with four different needs, ages and lifestyles. Gidget is a 9 year old Black Cocker Spaniel with colitis and dry itchy skin. Angel is a 7 year old Golden Retriever with bad hip and joint issues and dry itchy skin. Shadow is a 1 year old large breed mutt (German Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Belgian Shepherd) with skin and coat sensitivities, stomach sensitivities and very low immune system. Ginger is a 5 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi with a weight problem and dry, itchy skin. I’m looking for a Budget Friendly dog food that I can find in South Florida. There are many different pet stores all around me including Petco, Pet Supermarket and Petsmart. What can you recommended for me?

[Akari_32]

Oh boy, you asked for it!

I live in an in between area of Florida. We aren’t South, we aren’t Central. We’re kind west-ish, if you don’t count the Panhandle being more wester (shut up, its a word!). Just about 15 from the nearest coast, and lots of water ways running through. Of course the whole place has been ruined by development because its a popular place for all the dang snow birds to come and hand out/retire to, but if you drive far enough, there are private ranches, houses on acreage, and state parks.

I’ve got quite the zoo going.

Dogs and Cats:
-Haley: 11 year old lab/golden retriever mix
-Dweezle: 10 year old rotti/australian shepherd mix
-Bentley: 1.5 year old Jack Russell/maltese mix (not actually mine– he’s moms)
-Kitty (AKA Gary): ~1 year old, picked up as a stray. Looks like a Main coon mix.

Reptiles:
-Rex: 4 year old Mali Uromastyx, currently about 9 inches, and still growing (Google it!)
-Amelia: 3 year old Dreamsicle Leopard Gecko, fully grown at 9 1/4 inches
-Rowan: 2 year old Snow Leopard Gecko, fully grown at 8 1/2 inches
-Raven: 1 year old Giant Hypo Tangerine Leopard Gecko, still growing at about 10 inches

Fish:
-150 gallon pond:
~~Feebas: 10 inch common goldfish
~~Spotty: 5 inch Common Goldfish
~~Changey: 4 inch Comet Goldfish
~~(No name): 6 inch Shubunkin Goldfish

-125 gallon pond:
~~Bruce (Wayne): 9 inch Fantail Goldfish
~~Optimus (Prime): 5 inch Ryukin/Fantail/Oranda mix Goldfish
~~Luna: 7 inch Black Moor Goldfish
~~Milotic: 8 inch Shubunkin Goldfish
~~Gimpy: 5 inch Comet Goldfish (missing dorsal fin)
****(Milotic will be joining Feebas and the other single tailed goldies in time. He’s just hard to catch LOL But everyone is small enough now where it the number of fish isn’t a problem)****

-50 gallon fish tank:
~~Pudge: 5 inch Oranda goldfish
~~Hans: 3 inch Fantain Goldfish
~~”The Telescope”: 8 inch Telescope Goldfish (missing an eye)
~~(no name yet): 3 inch Ranchu goldfish
~~3x Platies (1 male, 2 female)
~~3x Florida Swamp Darters (very cool little guys!)
~~1x Goldspot Sailfin Pleco, currently about 6 inches (still about 4 more to go!)
****(NOTE: This tank is horribly overstocked, but I have a certain look in mind, and am growing the goldfish out before weeding them out to just 2 or 3– unless I get a larger tank in the future. All goldfish lengths also include the tail, so they aren’t actually *that* big. Its also very over filtered.)****

-30 gallon:
~~10x Neon Tetras
~~3x Guppies (1 male, 2 female)
~~1x Longfinned Albino Bristlenose Pleco, male
~~1x Albino Bristlenose Pleco, female
~~3x Florida Swamp Darters
~~1x German Blue Ram, male

-6 gallon bowfront #1:
~~Ume (“oo-may”): Male purple veiltail betta
~~Astro: male blue veiltail betta

-6 gallon bowfront #2:
~~Kai (“ky”): male red and black delta tail betta
~~(no name): male “black orchid” dragon scale delta tail betta

I’ve also had rabbits, chickens, hermit crabs, numerous other kinds of fish… I’m sure I’m leaving something out LOL

[Patrick E]

I have a question for those out there who have experience with German Shepherds. I have a 12 week old male German Shepherd, and he is very active. I would like some feeding advice on habits, frequency, and brand advice. I’ve seen some negative comments here on the manufacturer of Diamond, unfortunately for me the breeders have fed the puppies nothing but straight up Diamond brand Lamb and Rice. They have also told me to keep the bowl full at all times, which I already knew was bad advice. I just want to make sure that my Dodger is going to be as healthy as possible. Problem is all these 5 star rated dry foods that I have been seeing range from $60-$70 per 20lb bag. Hence the frequency and amount for puppy. Is the bag going to last me a week? 2 weeks? Just some friendly advice is very welcome!

[losul]

Just some info bits i’m picking up here and there;

Pharmacokinetics of Milbemycin Oxime
After oral administration to dogs milbemycin oxime is quickly and almost completely absorbed. Peak plasma concentration is reached 2 to 4 hours later, and subsequently declines with a half-life of 1-3 days. Bioavailability is about 80%.

In rats, metabolism seems to be complete, since unchanged milbemycin oxime was not found in urine or feces. High concentrations of milbemycin oxime are found in the liver and in body fat.

As a general rule, due to a different pharmacokinetic behavior the anthelmintic effect is longer for milbemycin oxime than for ivermectin, although this strongly depends on the delivery form and the administered dose.

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2673&Itemid=3005
—————
WARNING: Dogs of some breeds are sensitive to milbemycin oxime, other macrocyclic lactones or other drugs (e.g. emodepside) that can cross the blood-brain barrier. They can suffer more or less serious adverse effects if treated at dose rates higher than the recommended ones. Consequently dosing must be as accurate as possible. This is the case for Collies and related breeds, which have a mutation in the MDR-1 gene that affects the blood-brain barrier and makes it more permeable to such compounds than in dogs without this mutation. Besides Collies, other dog breeds have shown similar problems, although the MDR-1 mutation has not been confirmed in all of them. The breeds more affected by this mutation are (% frequency): Collie (70%), Long-haired Whippet (65%), Australian Shepherd (50%, also mini), McNab (30%), Silken Windhound (30%), English Shepherd (15%), Shetland Sheepdog (15%), English Shepherd (15%), German Shepherd (10%), Herding Breed Cross (10%). Other less affected breeds are: Old English Sheepdog, Border Collie, Berger Blanc Suisse, Bobtail, Wäller. The only way to be sure that a dog is affected or not by the MDR-1 gene defect is to test for it. As more dogs are tested it is likely that the mutation is discovered in other breeds, or that the frequencies change. Besides Collies, other dog breeds have shown similar problems, although the MDR-1 mutation has not been confirmed in all of them. The breeds more affected by this mutation are (% frequency): Collie (70%), Long-haired Whippet (65%), Australian Shepherd (50%, also mini), McNab (30%), Silken Windhound (30%), English Shepherd (15%), Shetland Sheepdog (15%), English Shepherd (15%), German Shepherd (10%), Herding Breed Cross (10%). Other less affected breeds are: Old English Sheepdog, Border Collie, Berger Blanc Suisse, Bobtail, Wäller. The only way to be sure that a dog is affected or not by the MDR-1 gene defect is to test for it. As more dogs are tested it is likely that the mutation is discovered in other breeds, or that the frequencies change.

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2673&Itemid=3005

——————–
This is only referring to humans, and they don’t mention anthlemintics here, most people don’t use dewormers though.

“Inform the doctor if you are also on anxiolytics, antipsychotics, anticoagulants, anticancer drugs, statins, and seizure prevention drugs, as most of these are worked upon by some major hepatic enzymes and thus, milk thistle might disrupt their course of action.”
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/milk-thistle-dosage.html

——————
A bit on moxidectin

Pharmacokinetics of Moxidectin
After absorption into blood moxidectin is well distributed throughout the whole body including target organs such as the gastric and gut mucosae. The highest concentrations are found in body fat that acts as a depot from where it is progressively released to blood. Moxidectin is more lipophilic than ivermectin and consequently it is stronger deposited in body fat, which results in a higher residual effect and a longer protection against several parasites than ivermectin (by comparable delivery form and administered dose).

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2669&Itemid=3008

[Sue’s Zoo]

Very difficult situation. I don’t envy you. We actually had a similar one about 5 years ago. We had lost our GSDs but still had a little terrier mutt rescue. She was about 9 at the time and maybe 20 pounds. After quite a bit of discussion we drove from St. Louis to Austin, TX to pick up two GSDs from German Shepherd Rescue. We were careful getting the dogs together and all went well for about 6 months. Suddenly the female Shepherd, who was a little flaky anyway, though very sweet, suddenly attacked the little one. I managed to stop her as she was starting to shake Buffy by the back of her neck (like killing prey). ER for the little one. We kept Chelsey but spent 4 years keeping one or the other in a crate at all times. It was quite a struggle to make sure both had quality ‘family time’ until Buffy succumbed to old age last March. We now have two new pups but they’re Shiloh Shepherds so will be big dogs. Chelsey is great with the male but in the last few weeks she started showing some aggression towards the 5-month old female who is incredibly submissive towards her. I’m watching carefully and hoping we don’t end up in the same situation again.

So I feel your pain. I really wish I could tell you what I’d do but I just don’t feel that it’s a decision anyone can help you make that isn’t living in your home. Have you thought about re-homing to someone with no other pets?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Sue's Zoo.

[Fatcakes]

Hi all. In December I got a healthy, active, 9 yr old male German Shepherd. he was eating Pro Plan Sport, the 30/20 kind. He had terrible gas so I switched him slowly to Innova Prime Chicken and Turkey. He has developed dry, flaky skin along his back and sides. Bathing actually aggravated his skin terribly. He is now also supplemented with fish oil (for people), 1200-2400 mg per day. I’ve seen improvement from that, but he’s still really dandruffy along his back. I’m brand loyal to Innova as that’s what we fed during the first China food disaster; my in-laws pets sickened and died on vet-prescribed food, but our pets were fine.
What should I try next? He is extremely active and lean; he doesn’t need any calorie reduction. He could use more fiber in his diet, I think, as sometimes it takes him a long time to finish his morning constitutional. I’m open to trying a different brand of food, although I have a hard time believing he’s not getting what he needs from the Innova Prime. I’m also open to mixing different foods if that would help. What do you think?

[typhoon]

Hi, I heard coconut oil to be good to give dogs but does anyone know the amount to start them on ? Swansons has a 1000mg. cap in which I take but I am not sure what to start a 100 lb. german shepherd on? There are a lot of folks who give their pets Swanson health products and most seem to like them? Thanks!

[angele_normand]

Hi,

Next week, my 8 week old puppy will be arriving. She is half german shepherd and half labrador.

I want to feed her a homemade cooked diet. What would you recommend I feed her on a daily basis? I read that she should get around 400 calories and 56 g of protein per day. Is this accurate?

Thank you!

[angele_normand]

Hi,

Next week, my 8 week old puppy will be arriving. She is half german shepherd and half labrador.

I know that a homemade diet is much healthier than kibble. I have a lot of knowledge on homemade dog foods for adult dogs from experience and from doing lots of reading. However, I can’t find that much information on if you want to feed a puppy homemade dog food.

So my question is, how much protein, calories and carbohydrates should I feed my 8 week old puppy? And how much do the amounts increase as my puppy gets older?

I called my vet, and they have no knowledge on homemade dog food so they are no help.

[dogmom]

I know that a number of you have said you don’t like the Acana and Origin brands because they have a touch too much calcium, but my large dogs have done really well on it. My youngest German Shepherd is at 85 lbs at 8 months old, and he’s looking and acting pretty perfect. My older Shepherds (range from 110 to 130 lbs) are doing great on it too. No upset stomachs, good stools, good health, and they LOVE this food. No Pano problems at all, and no Hip Displasia in the breeding lines at all, so I don’t expect that. We moved them from the breeder food to Acana very gradually, and it was smooth as it can be.

[heiditron]

Hello, there! I have an old man with what seems to be a very picky digestive system. Woody is a 15 1/2 year old shepherd mix (Belgian/German/who knows) who has, in the last four months, developed some crazy sensitivities. Up until his problems started showing up, he was on TOTW salmon and sweet potato dry food, and had been doing great with it for years (I could never rotate proteins because he can’t do any kind of bird, egg, or red meat kibble/canned food.)

Very suddenly, that changed, and now after a huge bout of trial and error, I’ve found that he can only do canned salmon and sweet potato food (dry with what appears to be the exact same list of ingredients gives him soft/runny poo). And even on the canned, he can only form a solid stool if he gets a sprinkle of tylan over it. He also farts a great deal more than he ever used to, and I hear his stomach rumble constantly. And, man, that canned food is not cheap. I try any other canned protein and the tylan doesn’t even work, so I figure fish is still prettymuch the only thing he can eat.

Hs anybody been through something similar? If so, what is this?! His bloodwork is great, his kidneys are great, liver, fecal, x rays, urine, you name it all look great. I tried adding enzyms to his food and even THAT gave him mushy stool. My goal here would be to feed him something without the aid of an antibiotic, but I seem to be running out of options.

Thanks!
Heidi

[theBCnut]

It could be a food intolerance to any ingredient that has protein in it. Mine can’t have chicken, many grains, or tomatoes.

[brewer]

Will do. Hopefully his rash clears up quickly. Thanks

[theBCnut]

I don’t know if it will help the dog’s skin, but plug in air fresheners are toxic to humans too. Yes, unplug it, then carry it right out the door and pitch it in the trash.

[brewer]

I have a 90 lb 10 month old German Shepherd who has some allergies. I took him to the vet and was advised it is food allergies, most likely turkey that is in his food. I am eliminating the turkey and switching to a salmon diet. It is nature’s domain salmon dog food which is grain free. Could there be a dye in this brand of dog food that is causing the problem?
I searched the internet and also found that air fresheners could be causing the problem. I am wondering if I should get rid of the plug in air fresheners as it seems the rash began when we plugged them in shortly before Christmas, also around the same time we gave him the turkey dog food and some new treats (stopping treats as well).
I am just trying to get this under control as quickly as possible and would appreciate any thoughts or recommendations.

[wishiwere2]

OMGOSH! No wonder he’s eating his poops! That food is crap itself~ UGH…What do you feed your large dogs? He’s and 8 year old German Shepherd/Husky mix.

[RVPets]

We have a 7 year old German Shepherd and we have been struggling to control a systemic yeast infection for the past 9 months. Our old vet (I do mean old now) kept putting him on antibiotics, saying it was not yeast, but never doing a skin scrap. Our new vet checked first and immediately told us it was yeast. He wants him on a no carbohydrate/lo. starch diet and has suggested a more holistic approach to controling the problem. We are very pleased with the results so far. He’s grown back most of his hair and his odor has diminshed considerably.

We add Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (with the “Mother”) to his drinking water and we wipe him down with a vinegar and water mixture (50/50) and we are cleaning his ears with the same solution daily. We have hi on a partial raw diet that we have been adding a high quality dog food too (about half raw half dog food).

My problem is that we are having a hard time finding a food that he can eat due to food allergies. Has anyone tried Canidae Grain-Free Pure Elements for dogs? It does not have anything on his “don’t eat” list, but I’m not too sure about having sweet potatoes in the top 5 list of ingredients.

Has anyone else tried this with a “yeasty dog”? Did it help or make it worse? We are trying very hard to find a solution, but we simply cannot feed an all raw diet right now.

This is a list of ingrediants:
Lamb, turkey meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, peas, chicken fat, menhaden fish meal, potatoes, suncured alfalfa, natural flavor, minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), choline chloride, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, mixed tocopherols (a natural source of
vitamin E)

[Linda]

A 5 yr. old German Shepherd (breeding bitch) has been rescued. 6 litters in her lifetime. Lived in a 4×4 pen with 3 other adults. Tip of ear frozen off. Couple of cracked teeth but no gum disease. Suffering from pancreatic insufficiency. No strength yet in the rear to jump into the car but now can get her front feet up – we lift the rest of the way. Can jump up to a fence at daycare now but can only sustain the position for 25-30 seconds. Fast trotted at dog park for first time yesterday. Timid but no aggression towards either canine or human. Extremely curious. She is getting regular walking exercise and is at daycare 2x per week for socialization (huge strides in becoming ‘one’ with the pack).

Reason for my topic post: Looking for advice on supplements eg glucosamine/chondroitin – would anyone recommend this and if so, brand/dose? What about massage? Anything else?

[Linda]

Looking for advice on best nutrition/brand of dry kibble for a PI German Shepherd.
Thanks!

[MinnieM]

Hello guys, I am Minnei Mazola. I found lots of information in this forum so I decide to join this forum. I have german shepherd and he is very lazy but still cute and lovable. His name is “Rambo”.

[jim scott]

Thread “hello”: Hi guys wassup ! My name is Jim Scott and I am new to this forum. I have an active German shepherd and his name is “Jack”. I so much like to share new things about my dog and what kinda activities we do together . He’s so cute , adorable, full of energy.
I love you Jack….!!!

[Molzy]

Well, I am a little partial to the Australian Cattledog myself (we have two of them at the moment, one of whom is also mixed with German Shorthair). They have been the most loyal dogs I have ever had (grew up with a basset/beagle mix, who was also an awesome dog). Ours are actually both pretty mellow for their breed(s), but active when we want to be – though that could be because they can wear each other out wrestling!

I would love a Border Collie, Rottweiler, or German Shepherd someday, though I am kind of sold on the 40lb size dogs right now. I also LOVE any bully-mix, and we would have considered adopting one if we knew for sure where we’d be living and owned our own home (landlords here won’t allow them, and we are early in our careers and may have to move to another city eventually).

Really though, any dog that needs a home.

[Akari_32]

BIG ones 🙂 On my list are Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes, English Bull Terriers and the rest of the bully breeds, German Shepherds… some day I’d like a well bred Golden Retriever though. I love my retriever mix 🙂

[theBCnut]

Border Collies and German Shepherds(but it is getting really hard to find good GSDs anymore)

[InkedMarie]

Patty: I always thought gsd= German shepherd dog, Gsp=German short haired pointer and GS=giant schnauzer.

[Bentley]

I am sorry, I was to lazy to type German Shepherd. Vet sedated Cruz today and flushed his glands, and I am switching him to Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch Grain-Free as soon as UPS delivers. Using pumpkin and NaturVet Digestive Enzymes with Prebiotics & Probiotics in the meantime. I hope I am on the right path. Fingers crossed that I can pull him out of this and problem will go away. He never acted sick or scooted his bottom, just the smell is how I discovered something not right. Now to keep him away from the horse poop while he is here! Good grief.

[Parr]

I have a question about the protein levels in the foods on the list for large breed dogs. I read that higher protein levels are better, but am not sure of the minimums.

A few days ago I wrote in about my 15 month old German Shepherd, Abbey, having an itching problem. I loved all my responses and have been happy with the Earthborn Meadow Feast choice I made for her and so is she. Most of her itching and gone away in the last week. I think it is because this is chicken free, grain free and potato free food. i tried to cover my bases to get a quick fix for her and it seems to be working so far. I also want to rotate her diet, something I never knew until I started reading all the wonderful postings here on DFA. This makes total sense to me and I think this may be part of the reason Abbey got her problems from eating only one food for the last year, Wellness Large Breed Puppy.

As I have looked through the foods on the list the next food I plan to rotate in is, Instinct, either Rabbit or Turkey LID. The Rabbit has 27% protein and the Turkey has 29% protein. The Earthborn Meadow Feast is only 26% protein. After reading in several threads that higher protein is better I wanted to better understand what those, protein levels should be. I want to select a food that is on both the large breed list and the no chicken, no grain and no potato list as well, since she has done so well with the Earthborn Meadow Feast.

I know there is much involved in determining which foods are better for a large breed, which is why I am ever so, grateful that HDM took an incredible amount of time, I am sure, to create this list in the first place. Now I just need to know how to make a selection from this list that best suits Abbey’s sensitivities. Do I need to worry about these lower protein levels?

[theBCnut]

Mant GSDs have pancreases that don’t work as well as they should. You can have your vet test for this. After that add probiotics and digestive enzymes to every meal.

[Molzy]

Have you tried adding a little canned pumpkin to the diet? You need to buy pure pumpkin, no added sugars. We place a big spoonful on top of our dogs kibble if his stools haven’t been as firm as we’d like, it adds some fiber and helps. We also use pumpkin to stuff their kongs, then freeze them overnight so they have a treat in their kennel when we leave.

[dzdubz]

Hi,

I have a beautiful 5 month old German Shepherd puppy, that has consistently had very soft stool/diarrhea since I got her. I was feeding her Orijen large breed puppy formula, and recently switched to Acana LBP, with no noticable change to her stool.

I’ve searched for advice but have not found an answer anywhere. My dog walker thinks her diet is too high protein and that Shepherd’s have sensitive stomachs. On her advice I’ve tried adding white rice and carrots, but neither has shown any effect.

Could you please help me with any suggestions for food or some kind of supplements that I can give her? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Dave

[theBCnut]

I used to have a German Shepherd that got carsick like that. I had to stop every 10 or so minutes and get her out then continue on our way. I found a couple things that worked for her. First, I always put her right in front of the air conditioner vent so she always had a breeze in her face. Second, I discovered over time that she did best with a small snack on her stomach, too much and she would heave and too little and she would heave. Finally, I found that ginger snaps helped her to not get nauseous. Ginger is an antinausea food and it works in dogs too. Each of these things helped a little bit, all 3 stopped the problem altogether.

[GSDLover]

I have a ten month old German Shepherd who is having leg problems. We have taken her to the vet and had xrays done, and there is nothing wrong. I have do e some research and seen that certain foods aren’t as good for large breeds. I don’t like the food she is on right now (Beneful Puppy) because its not set for large breeds, and because of the other nasty ingredients in it. My problem is which food would be the best to help correct the paunches is having in her legs? We had her on the Purina ONE for large breeds, but she stopped eating it. I’m at a loss on what’s good for my girl.

[adam]

I believe there is. I just lost my best friend 3 days ago. Luka was only 7. He was a healthy and beautiful full of life child of mine. I performed cpr on him and got him back a few times. Ultimately he died on the way to the hospital. The necropsy revealed his spleen ruptured due to a cancerous tumor that was inside the size of an orange. It also revealed he had cancerous lesions on his liver. If I would have been able to save him it would have just prolonged his suffering. He went from very healthy on Wednesday morning. He went walking as usual. Around 12 PM he began acting weird. Never complaining or making any sound that he was in any pain. He did not move very much throughout the day except to go outside to the bathroom. We thought his stomach was upset. He drank water up to an hour before he died. Between 10 PM and 12 AM he began declining fast. At 2 AM he passed away. 115 pound beautiful German Shepherd. I even went beyond the normal sots and vaccines each year. I had blood sent off for a full wellness profile. This was done 2 months ago. All of the tests came back with an “A+” report card. There should be some place where we could upload all of this data and determine a hypothesis as to the root cause. What I have read on these forums so far… well, I fed him Iams dog food his entire life. It sure looks like this may have been one large contributing factor. I can never replace my son… but I will get another like him who needs to be loved. I’m so nervous about what he will eat that we might start cooking our own food and he will drink nothing but bottled spring water. I feel everyone’s pain on these forums. I hate this feeling. While I await his ashes I am just trying to make it. Three days so far and the tears keep flowing. One thing is for sure… I will NEVER feed my dog Iams nor any cheap un-researched food ever again. Even if I have to pay double. I will lower my own food cost before going with that crap again.