The Best German Shepherd Puppy Food: What to Feed Your Pup
You will want to feed your German Shepherd puppy the greatest diet possible. It’s critical to understand that not all dog diets are created equal, and some may even harm your pet’s health. Because choosing the proper nutrition for your German Shepherd puppy can be difficult, we’ve put up this guide to help.
German Shepherds are a well-known and popular dog breed. They are famous for various reasons, including their beauty, intelligence, loyalty, and enthusiasm. German Shepherd puppies are playful and inquisitive about their surroundings.
A puppy’s growth spurt occurs in the first year of life. Puppies are born at a small weight of one pound or less. At one year, these animals can weigh up to 60 pounds!
For your pup to develop correctly, you must provide healthy nutrition.
Your dog’s health is at risk if you feed it a diet too high in calories or fat. Your dog’s health may suffer if it receives inadequate nutrition when still a puppy.
German Shepherds are more prone to sickness than other breeds. They are prone to a variety of ailments.
There are numerous high-quality dog food options available. These are some of the market’s top wet and dry German Shepherd puppy foods.
Product name | PRODUCT Image | Check price on amazon |
|---|---|---|
Wilderness High Protein Dry Puppy Food | ||
Hill’s Science Large Breed Puppy Diet with Oats | ||
ORIJEN Dry Dog Food, Puppy Large, Grain-Free | ||
German Shepherd Dry Dog Food Royal Canin |
Puppies of German Shepherds: 7 of the Best Dog Foods
Dry Food for German Shepherd Puppies
1. Wilderness High Protein Dry Puppy Food
Blue Buffalo’s puppy recipe is an excellent choice. It has everything they need to stay healthy, including 35% protein.
Meat sources such as chicken and fish provide most of the protein in this dish. The kibble also has a lot of good fat, which is essential for your dog’s health. Omega fatty acids help keep your dog’s fur healthy while supporting their eyesight.
This kibble has a calcium and phosphorus ratio of 1.2:1, which benefits your dog’s health.
2. Hill’s Science Large Breed Puppy Diet with Oats
This Hill’s Science Diet dog food is designed for large puppies like German Shepherds. It helps to control bone and joint growth.
This meal benefits your dog since it contains enough calcium and phosphorus levels. It also contains antioxidants that help cells function properly and enhance the immune system. Minerals assist your dog’s teeth to stay strong, and DHA promotes brain development.
The protein content of the kibble is 26%. This protein is derived from a chicken meal.
3. ORIJEN Dry Dog Food, Puppy Large, Grain-Free
This Orijen dog food is biologically appropriate for large puppies. It has the nutritional needs of large puppies without any extras.
This dish has no hazardous ingredients or plant proteins. Instead, it incorporates lean meat and complex carbohydrates. Protein makes up 38% of the recipe. It’s made with a range of meats, including chicken, turkey, fish, and meat organs.
Many complex carbs will give your dog energy. These carbs have the correct ratio of calcium and phosphorus to help your dog’s bones grow healthy.
4. German Shepherd Dry Dog Food Royal Canin
This Royal Canin dry puppy food is designed for German Shepherds. It meets the breed’s specific health and nutrition needs.
The food is good for dogs that are at least 15 weeks old. It helps with common health issues, like digestive problems. The food also has probiotics, which introduce good bacteria into your pup’s gut.
This dog food has a healthy dose of calcium and phosphorus to avoid joint and bone issues. It also has a good blend of antioxidants to help your pup’s vulnerable immune system.
5. Natural Instinct Raw Boost Large Breed Puppy Recipe
Instinct dog food is a brand that provides dogs with a diet of wholesome ingredients. The Raw Boost large puppy food is one example of this.
This food has a lot of protein. 33.5% of it comes from chicken, turkey, and lamb. There are also small pieces of freeze-dried raw meat to help build muscles.
It contains complex carbohydrates and plant-based components. These ingredients help your dog’s growing body by providing vitamins and minerals.
Wet Canned Food for German Shepherd Puppies
6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Natural High Protein Puppy Wet Dog Food
Blue Buffalo’s high-protein and grain-free wet food is a great way to introduce your pup to solid foods. The food contains DHA, which helps with brain and eye development.
DHA is found naturally in milk, and it helps make the transition smooth. The canned food has chicken and liver. Potatoes and pea protein accompany the meat elements. Everything is cooked in a chicken broth that your dog will like.
The dish has a protein content of 10.5 percent and a fat content of 7%. It has no maize, wheat, or soy, which benefits your dog.
7. Chicken Wet Dog Food Blue Freedom Puppies
Blue Buffalo also makes a Freedom formula without grains. This can be great for your puppy’s overall health. The primary protein source is natural chicken.
The food is accompanied by chicken liver and chicken broth. When you open the can, you’ll see the visible vegetables. Carrots and peas provide plenty of vitamins and minerals.
Sweet potatoes are also available. They provide carbs to keep your dog’s energy levels stable throughout the day. Sweet potatoes also include fiber, which promotes intestinal health.
The Best German Shepherd Puppy Food
A puppy’s needs are different than those of an adult dog. Puppies develop quickly, so their bones and muscles must be robust.
This is why your puppy needs more nutrients now than it will when they get older.
Look for these ingredients in your dog’s food to ensure they get all they require.
Look for the small AAFO seal of approval on the packaging to quickly determine if a food is suitable for your dog.
High Protein Content
You should make sure your dog gets enough protein. Protein promotes muscle growth and energy production. The AAFCO recommends that German Shepherd puppies have at least 22% protein in their diet.
This is higher than the adults’ requirement of 18 percent. However, we advise going up to 27%.
You should try to give your dog the best food possible. This means looking for foods with chicken, beef, lamb, or fish listed as ingredients. Meals with meat are also suitable for dogs. As long as the protein is identified on the package, it will benefit your pup.
Choose foods that have been labeled and have byproducts that you can recognize. Foods that have unlabeled mystery meats can do more harm than good.
Healthy Fats
Fat has a few different purposes in your dog’s body. First, it provides energy. Fat is turned into glucose, which gives dogs energy that they can use. Second, fat supports the circulatory system and skin health. But this only happens if the fat is healthy.
As a result, omega-3s help keep the skin healthy and improve blood flow throughout the body. DHA, a specific type of omega fatty acid, can even help brain and eye development.
Flaxseed and salmon oil are examples of this type of fat. Puppies should consume an 8% fat diet. You can reduce that amount to 5% once your dog reaches adulthood.
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium and phosphorus are essential for developing bones and joints in puppies. To keep healthy, puppies require exactly the correct quantity of crucial elements.
Overfeeding your dog can result in skeletal abnormalities and unhealthy growth spurts. Not eating enough can also cause health problems like bone spurs and other ailments in the future.
The common health issue in this breed is Hip dysplasia and arthritis
As a result, the bones that comprise a person’s hip joint do not correctly form. This causes a lot of pain and makes walking difficult for the dog.
To prevent this condition in your dog, you must provide the proper amount of calcium and phosphorus. Unfortunately, your dog’s disease may go unnoticed until they are older.
Calcium is often found in dairy products or eggs.
Meat and organs are high in phosphorus.
When looking at dog food, you should consider the ingredient ratios. For German Shepherd puppies, 1 part phosphorus to 1.2 parts calcium is recommended. If the meal contains this percentage, it will benefit your dog.
Complex Carbs
Carbohydrates are an excellent energy source for dogs. There are no exact criteria for the number of carbohydrates dogs require to remain healthy. What matters is where those carbs come from.
Corn, wheat, and soy are used as fillers in lower-cost dog diets. These components are tough to digest for your puppy’s sensitive digestive system. Many dogs are allergic to them; therefore, it’s best to stay away from them entirely.
Sweet potatoes, peas, and whole oats are all healthy alternatives. Because the body progressively digests them throughout the day, these are classified as complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are also a rich source of fiber. A high-fiber food can aid in introducing beneficial bacteria into your dog’s intestines, allowing them to remain regular.
A German Shepherd Puppy’s Feeding Schedule
You’ll be shocked by how much food your puppy consumes. Puppies eat a lot, even when they are young. When they wean from their mother’s milk, you should start feeding them three or four small meals daily.
You must divide your dog’s food into smaller meals throughout the day to help them digest everything properly.
Giving your German Shepherd puppies food all of the time is not a smart idea. The breed is susceptible to gaining weight too fast and becoming obese. Puppies need to gain weight and not develop problems with their muscles and bones.
Furthermore, bloat is a significant danger. Bloat is caused by dogs overeating food too quickly. This can cause them to have a bloated stomach which can twist and be dangerous.
A condition can be fatal to dogs, but you can avoid this by managing how your pup eats.
You can start transitioning your dog to two meals daily when they are six months old. They will need this type of schedule throughout their life. The amount of food you will need to give them daily depends on how active they are and the calorie content in the food you give them.
Follow the guidelines on the packaging for your pup’s vaccinations. Check with your veterinarian to discover whether your dog requires any more immunizations.
Which is Better: Wet or Dry Food?
Wet food is great for puppies that cannot chew kibble yet. Puppies should start with wet food when no longer breastfeeding their mother.
Wet food has a simpler silky texture for them to eat and will not cause as much of an upset stomach as kibble would. As their digestive systems become stronger, keep them on moist food.
Introduce kibble to their food at the age of 12 weeks. Allow the fluids from the food to soften the kibble pieces, making them easier to eat. Remove the canned food gradually and replace it with dry kibble for their daily meals.
One of the things you can do for your dog as it ages is to feed it kibble. Kibble contains more nutrients than canned food and, as it chews, helps clean your dog’s teeth. Canned food should be used only as a supplement.
Wet food is moister than kibble. Your dog will have to consume more of it to acquire enough fuel. Wet food should only be fed to dogs with dental problems or difficulties chewing conventional kibble.
Conclusion
You must feed your dog a healthy, balanced diet. High-quality canned food and kibble will help you achieve this goal. As a result, their body will develop and remain in good condition for longer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Best German Shepherd Puppy Food
A German Shepherd puppy should start to eat solid food at around eight weeks old. From that point, until they are about six months old, they should eat dry dog food with water or unseasoned chicken stock.
Feed your puppy three times a day until it is 12 weeks old. Then feed it twice a day. If you wish to alter the food, make sure it’s high-quality large-breed puppy food. Mix 14 percent new food with old food for two days, 12 percent new for two days, and 34 percent new for two days until you reach 100 percent new food.
German Shepherd puppies sleep around 15-20 hours per day. During growth spurts, they usually only wake up to eat or walk.
The Wilderness Blue Buffalo brand is the best food for German Shepherds. It has the perfect ingredients for these dogs, particularly those with food allergies.