The Best Food for German Shepherd Puppy: A Feeding Guide

German Shepherd puppies are very popular large breed puppies and for a good reason. They are loyal, intelligent, and have an excellent sense of smell which makes them great at hunting or tracking down lost people. German Shepherd puppies grow up to be massive dogs who can weigh over 100 pounds! This is why it's important that you provide the best possible food for your puppy so they can thrive throughout their life. The following will give you some insight into what kind of food would be best for your pup.

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What Nutrients Do German Shepherd Puppies Need?

The German Shepherds grow rapidly up until the age of 8 months. Even at 18 months, puppies will still grow, but their growth rate will not be as fast. A healthy immune system, a strong digestive system, and strong bones and muscles are vital for German Shepherd puppies to develop properly.

When puppies are properly nourished, they will have fewer health issues later on, such as hip dysplasia, arthritis, obesity, bloat, and allergies.

German Shepherd puppies should be fed a large-breed puppy recipe or large breed puppy formulas that are specially designed for their breed type. Formulas specially designed for puppies are composed of calorie, carbohydrate, and calcium contents to ensure their strength and health.Some large breed formulas might contain too much calcium so it's best to really choose the ones
that are for German Shepherds.

Formulas for small breed puppies have lower calorie and fat contents, which will cause your German Shepherd puppy to be undernourished. Likewise, adult dogs' formulas for large breed dogs have low calorie and calcium levels (yet again, leaving your puppy undernourished) and are packed into larger kibbles that your puppy cannot eat or digest adequately. German Shepherd puppies should be fed large breed puppy formula.

How Many Calories Does A Puppy German Shepherd Need?

A German Shepherd puppy needs a balance between protein, fat, calcium, and phosphorus. Ideally, puppy formula should contain 18% to 22% protein and 8% to 12% fat. There should also be a 1/1 calcium to phosphorous ratio in the formula.

A German Shepherd puppy should consume 500 calories per day, increasing as it grows. As the pup grows into an adult, he should consume 1,500 to 1,700 calories a day.

A choice of formulas with too much protein should be avoided. Some puppies may have a sensitive stomach or experience loose stools. Furthermore, a large breed puppy's diet should not contain excessive amounts of calcium. Excessive calcium can lead to hip dysplasia earlier in life.

How Often Should You Feed My German Shepherd Puppy?

The puppy should consume four smaller meals a day if they are under four months old. The puppy should eat three small meals every day from 4 months to 9 months, then 2 or 3 meals every day after nine months.

To be sure you are giving the correct amount of german shepherd puppy food, read the label and consult a veterinarian.

German Shepherd puppies should not be free-fed! You should not fill their bowls with the entire day's amount of puppy food and allow them to eat whatever they want.

Puppies are not aware of the consequences of eating too much food and will eat the whole bowl. Eating so much puppy food at once can cause vomiting or, worse - bloating.

Make sure to monitor your puppy's weight and appearance regardless of the brand of puppy food he is feeding. During the puppy's first 5 months, he can have some baby fat, but he should start to lose weight and develop muscle tone as he reaches his 5-month milestones.

If your puppy remains chubby as he reaches the age of 6 months, reduces his feeding. You should also consider changing the formula if your puppy develops patchy fur, itchy skin, or loose stools.

Different Types Of German Shepherd Puppy Food

The types of dog foods on the market can be confusing when choosing dog food for our German Shepherd puppies. A German Shepherd puppy needs quality dog food in order to grow and become a happy and healthy adult German Shepherd. The best dog food for your GSD puppy depends on factors such as age. We're going to tell you about the different kinds of dog food for GSD puppies.

Wet Dog Food

Wet food is the best dog food for very young German Shepherd puppies. The high moisture content of wet dog food makes it easier for puppies to absorb nutrients and hydrate their tiny bodies. Because it is easy to chew, more appetizing and has a meatier taste, it is ideal for puppies and picky eaters. Wet canned food is also easily available in most pet stores.

Dry Food

There are a few types of German Shepherd puppy food available, but dry dog food or kibble is the most common because it is easy to handle and clean up after. In addition to being high in carbohydrates and protein, this dog food also boasts high calories. Because of this, it can be served at each meal in a smaller portion. Kibbles or dry dog foods are chewy, so they promote oral health and make GSD puppies' teeth strong and healthy.

Semi-Moist Dog Food

Semi-moist dog food is similar to wet dog food but with a moisture content between 60% and 65%. Additionally, this is a good option for puppies who are picky eaters or have a hard time eating kibble. A number of semi-moist foods for German Shepherd puppies contain high levels of salt and sugar. Therefore, dog owners should be careful when buying semi-moist food for German Shepherd puppies.

Dehydrated Food and Freeze-Dried Food

Natural raw dog food for German Shepherds that are dehydrated or freeze-dried is made from removing moisture from the dog food while keeping it naturally preserved. Dogs living in disaster-prone areas can benefit from these types of puppy food that lasts up to ten years. You can easily serve these dog foods by adding water.

Organic Food

Increasingly popular recently, organic dog food are the best dog foods if you want a healthier option. The ingredients of this product are chemical-free, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free which makes it a very suitable German Shepherd dog food for those dogs who have a sensitive diet but want to stay healthy.

Feeding your German Shepherd dog brown rice is perfectly safe. Giving them that dose of calcium and iron as well as micronutrient vitamin D, thiamine, and riboflavin which is supplied by dietary fibers can ensure your puppy becomes a healthy dog. Rice is a good source of dietary fiber and dietary fibers are essential to keep your dog's digestive system healthy.

Special Diet Food

There are differences in the dog food requirements of German Shepherd puppies. One or more of the ingredients in some German Shepherd puppy food brands can cause allergies in some puppies. Some people may need to follow a special diet to treat their health conditions.

What Ingredients Are Needed In German Shepherd Food?

You should use whole meat proteins like poultry, fish, or beef as the main ingredient in your dogs' food. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the ingredients in dog food are listed in decreasing order by weight.

A list of ingredients should begin with sources of protein, followed by carbohydrates, grains, fats, and vegetables.

Rice, rolled oats, and barley are all readily digestible sources of grains and carbohydrates, while corn, wheat, or soy are less easily digested. You may also opt for grain-free dog food if your dog has a sensitive stomach.

Your German shepherd's coat will stay shiny and healthy with dog foods that contain vegetable and fish oils.

This breed requires both carbohydrates and fats for energy.

It may be better for German Shepherd puppies to eat dog food containing natural food preservatives like vitamin E or vitamin C rather than synthetic food preservatives like butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, or ethoxyquin. The FDA warns that these synthetic preservatives may cause health problems.

German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Chart

German Shepherd dog owners must know how much dog food their dog requires on a daily basis. German Shepherds can have health problems if they are fed too much or too little. Feeding your dog too much fat will lead to hip dyslexia.

Following the recommendations below will help make sure your puppy's energy levels are maintained and their internal systems properly developed, regardless of what diet you give them.

German Shepherds grow quickly over their first year, so you'll need to increase their dog food as they get older. Providing them with the proper nutrition in the proper ratios is vital for their development into healthy adult German Shepherds.

6-Week-Old German Shepherd

When your puppy is six weeks old, your responsibility as a new owner is to ensure that he is getting the same nutrition he received from his mother.

Ideally, you should let your puppy still nurse from their mother because most dog foods do not contain the natural antibodies found in mom's milk, as well as micro and macronutrients.

10-Week-Old German Shepherd Puppy

Approximately eight to 10 weeks after they are born, you can start weaning them off their mother and gradually increase their puppy food intake.

To help their body adjust to the change, it is best to start with a diet of wet dog food. Water content in wet dog food is about 85%, which prepares their stomachs for the entire meal to come in a few weeks.

12-Week-Old German Shepherd Puppy

From the age of 12 weeks, you can start moving your German Shepherd puppy from wet to dry dog food. You should make the transition in small steps so as not to cause excessive diarrhea or vomiting.

Mix 10% dry dog food into the wet dog food you're giving them at the beginning, and then increase it by 10-15% every week after that.

3-Month-Old German Shepherd Puppy

By the time your puppy reaches 3 months of age, he or she should be eating only dry dog food.

Dog food that is listed as "for all ages" or "for all growth stages" should be avoided. Recipes like these are not tailored to meet the nutritional needs of puppies.

4-Month-Old German Shepherd Puppy

As soon as they are four months old, you can introduce live animal products to their diet. The nutrients your dog may lack from their dry dog food can be provided by food such as raw bone, liver pieces, and eggs. It can also be easily provided by a deboned chicken meal, turkey meal or lamb meal. Be careful not to overfeed them.

5-Month-Old German Shepherd Puppy

By the time your puppy is five months old, he or she should have adjusted to the new dry dog food and live food ingredients that you have been giving them.

Also, you should cut back on how often you feed them, providing breakfast and a meal in the
evening.

6-Month-Old German Shepherd

It is safe to introduce live ingredients into your puppy's diet at the age of 6 months.

Your puppy's dry food diet isn't going to provide them with the nutrients they're going to get from crushed animal bones, chopped liver, or raw eggs. All of these ingredients help build up their natural immunity and provide the nutrients they're lacking.

8-Month-Old German Shepherd

You can wean your puppy off a puppy food diet by the time he is 8 months old and encourage them to eat adult dog food. Again, do not switch their diet abruptly. Instead, switch in 10% of their new dog food with 90% of their old dog food, and increase the proportions by 10% each week until they have adjusted.

It's okay to use foods "for all growth stages," but we advise against them since they are too generalized in terms of nutrition and try to fit every dog in a one-size-fits-all model.

Takeaways

When feeding the best dog food for your growing German Shepherd puppy, you have to take note that they must be fed large breed dogs formula, especially during their early months.

Transitioning them from wet dog food to dry food is also another thing to consider when feeding your German shepherd puppy food. German Shepherds are large breed dogs and will need a lot of protein and fats in order to grow and develop properly.

It is imperative to feed your German Shepherd puppy with the right dog food. High-quality dog food is usually grain-free, contains a lot of protein, and may even include fish oil such as omega fatty acids as well as salmon oil. This is to keep their shiny coat healthy. Some dog foods may also contain real chicken and chicken fat.

Deboned chicken meal, turkey meal, and lamb meal are good for your German Shepherd dog but they need to reach a certain age before your feed them these kinds of dog food. You may also want to consider special diet dog foods if your dog has food allergies.

A pup's vulnerable immune system makes them susceptible to diseases so choosing the right dog food will not only improve their digestive health but will also keep them from getting sick.

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