If you are someone who owns a German Shepherd and is worried about their health and proper nutritional diet, then you are at the right place because in this article I am going to share the most effective and nutritious high-protein, balanced German Shepherd day to day diet tips.
German Shepherds are a large breed of dogs that require a high protein diet for growth and a nutritional diet to maintain their high energy levels, which also helps them stay active and alert.
However, maintaining a proper healthy, nutritional, high-protein balanced diet could be challenging. You can’t just feed your German Shepherd whatever it wants and feeding your dog with human food is just not a healthy option.
Moreover, research has shown that feeding human food to your dog may lead to various health problems which may affect their health and life expectancy. Your dog is not just a dog, it is a part of your family, and just like any other family member, you would want nothing but the best for them.
Feeding your German Shepherd with proper dog food and maintaining a well-planned, nutritious high protein protein-balanced diet will help you ensure a long and healthy life for your dog. So without any further discussion let’s get into today’s topic of effective German Shepherd day to day diet tips.
Healthy German Shepherd Day to Day Diet Tips
Before we get into today’s topic of German Shepherd day to day diet tips, we need to understand the dietary needs of a German Shepherd. German Shepherds have strong muscular bodies and are agile, which means they require a balanced diet that contains the right amount of protein, good fats, and nutrition to support their growth, energy levels, and overall health and well-being.
To protect your German Shepherd from potential hereditary health issues and to increase your dog’s life expectancy, you should focus on feeding your dog with a high protein and well-rounded balanced diet.
To keep your German Shepherd healthy you require the right formulation to meet the daily requirements of protein, nutrition, and fat to support their athletic ability, strength, and intelligence.
There are a variety of dog food out there with various popular brands that promise that their dog food provides the right amount of protein, fat, and essential nutrients for your dog. However, choosing or finding the best food and diet for your German Shepherd could be challenging.
That is why I am going to help understand the basics of German Shepherd day to day diet tips. By the end of the article, you would be able to plan a well-rounded, proper balanced diet for your dog all by yourself.
Role of Protein
German Shepherds belong to a breed of dogs that require a high amount of protein in their diet to fully grow to reach their full potential. Protein is one of the most important things that is missing in a dog’s diet. Many pet owners feed their dogs with human food that does not contain the right amount of protein, fat, and nutrients that are essential for the growth of their German Shepherds.
What is worse is that feeding human food to your dogs could be harmful and can affect the natural life expectancy of your dog. On average German Shepherd requires a diet consisting of at least 22-24% protein on a daily basis.
German Shepherds require a high protein diet to fully develop their muscles, and to maintain their high energy levels. There are various sources from which you can get protein for your dog such as chicken meat, fish meat, eggs, turkey, and so on.
Choosing the Right Fats for Your Dog
The second thing on German Shepherd day to day diet tips is fat. Fat is another one of the most important things that you need to include in your dog’s diet. But you need to ensure that you provide your dog with the right amount of good fat to maintain their energy levels.
On average an adult German Shepherd only requires 5% to 10 % of fat in their diet on a regular basis. It is important to limit the fat to the right amount otherwise excess exposure to fat may lead to being overweight and may cause health issues.
As responsible pet owners, it is your duty to ensure you provide your dogs with the right amount of protein and fat intake to maintain their overall physical and mental health.
Role of Carbohydrates
A healthy and properly balanced diet requires the right amount of carbohydrates in it. Carbohydrates play an important role in sustaining the energy of your dogs. You can find various sources of complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc. which will help balance the sustained energy in your dog without affecting their blood sugar levels.
As I keep mentioning, feeding human food is not a healthy option for your dog but there are fruits and vegetables that do not cause any harm and are actually healthy for your dog. Sweet potatoes, brown rice, and quinoa are one of them.
Importance of Vitamins and Minerals
The next thing you want in your German Shepherd day to day diet tips is essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals play an important role in maintaining the overall health and well-being of your German Shepherd.
Essential vitamins and minerals are responsible for maintaining the dog’s skin health, coat & hair health, dental health, bone density, and so on. As pet owners, it is our responsibility to provide them with food that contains all the minerals and vitamins that are essential for their physical and mental health.
Include vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and broccoli to provide essential minerals and vitamins to your dog. You can also use multivitamins supplements to meet the daily vitamins and minerals requirement but under the guidance of a veterinarian.
Keeping Your Dog Hydrated
German Shepherds are great at adapting to their surroundings and environment even in a hot country like India. Even so, German Shepherds are a playful and highly active breed of dogs and can become dehydrated if not provided constant access to fresh and cold clean water.
It is up to you to ensure your dog has access to cold and fresh water 24*7 so that they do not have to depend on you to drink water whenever they are dehydrated and in need of fresh drinking water.
Splitting Meals for Your Dog
Splitting meals for your dog is one of the most effective ways of creating an eating routine for the dog which also helps manage your diet. This method of feeding can also be called controlled feeding which helps you manage the protein, fat, and calorie intake of your German Shepherd.
So instead of feeding your dog a bowl full of dog food, split the meals and try to feed your dog two to three times a day. This is also one of the healthiest ways of feeding dogs which helps them to fully utilize the energy.
A Day-to-Day Diet Plan for Your German Shepherd
Creating a day-to-day diet plan for your German Shepherd could be challenging and may seem overwhelming to some or most of the pet owners, especially for the first-timers. But you do not have to worry about anything at all. I will try to explain this German Shepherd day to day diet tips as easily as possible.
The table given below explains how you should plan a day-to-day diet plan for your German Shepherd.
| Meal Time | Food Type | Amount or Size of Food |
| Morning / Breakfast | Home-made dog food or high-quality dry kibble food made specially for the dogs. | Feed according to the weight of your dog. |
| Home-made food could be chicken, turkey, or cooked vegetables like carrots and spinach. | ||
| Snack | For snacks, you may feed your dog cottage cheese plain yogurt, or fruits like apple slices and blueberries which are healthy for your dog. | Small Portion |
| Lunch | Try feeding your dog a well-balanced meal during lunch time like lean meat, or a portion of morning dry kibble. | As per the dog’s physical activity. |
| You may also feed your dog with fish and flaxseed oil with lunch. | One tablespoon | |
| Snack | You may want to feed your dog with dog-friendly treats or baby carrots during the evening time before dinner to ensure your dog remains fed and active. | |
| Dinner | A well-balanced meal during dinner time like lean meat, or a portion of morning dry kibble. | As per the weight of your dog. |
| You may include brown rice and cooked sweet potatoes as a sustainable source of energy for your dog. |
Pay close attention to your dog’s weight and size and adjust the portion of food you feed your dog accordingly to ensure you are feeding your German Shepherd with the right amount of food.
Regular health checkups are advised to monitor the overall health and well-being of your dog and for better results, you can also consult a veterinarian to tailor a diet plan for your dog as per its growth and requirements.
General But Essential German Shepherd Day to Day Diet Tips
So far in this German Shepherd day to day diet tips we have learned about the importance of feeding your German Shepherd with a properly balanced diet. We have also learned the basics and understanding of what you should feed your dog, how much you should feed your dog, and when you should feed your dog.
Now it’s time to understand some of the general feeding tips about your German Shepherd.
Portion Control
This German Shepherd day to day diet tips is exactly the same as splitting one big meal into two or three small meals to manage the amount of food, nutrients, and protein you are giving your German Shepherd. Portion controls allow you to manage the portion size of the food you feed your dog.
You should adjust the portion based on your dog’s age, weight, and physical activity level to ensure you provide your dog with the right amount of food.
Keeping A Meal Timing
You should try feeding your dog at the same hour on a regular basis. This helps your dog develop an eating schedule which eventually improves your dog’s digestion and metabolism.
Keeping Your Dog Away From Toxic Food
As I keep mentioning feeding human food could be harmful to your German Shepherds so as their pet parents it is your responsibility to ensure you never feed your German Shepherd foods such as onions, garlic, chocolates, grapes, raisins or any other human food that may contain xylitol, as all these food, vegetables and fruits are toxic for your German Shepherd and can lead to serious health issues.
Regular Vet Visits
The best way to monitor and keep track of your German Shepherd’s health is regular health checkups. Regular health checkups help you monitor the overall health and well-being of your dog and also let you identify early signs of sickness or disease, if any.
A certified veterinarian may also help you plan an effective and nutritious healthy balanced diet for your dog.
also, read Best Food For Dogs In India
Bottom Line
Taking care of and providing your dog with a healthy, nutritious, and well-balanced diet is a challenging but at the same time fulfilling experience. It could be difficult to maintain and manage the daily nutrients and protein requirements of your dog but with time you will get used to it.
I hope these German Shepherd day to day diet tips help you create a well-balanced diet for your German Shepherd.
What is the best food to feed a German Shepherd?
Given below are some of the best foods to feed a German Shepherd:
Drools German shepherd Adult Premium Dog Food
Meat Up Adult Dry Dog Food
Drools Focus Starter Premium Dry Dog Food
Purepet Chicken and Vegetable Adult Dry Dog Food
Purina Supercoat Puppy Dry Dog Food
Drools Ultium Performance Adult Dry Dog Food
Can German Shepherds eat rice every day?
Yes, German Shepherds can eat rice every day. However, it is suggested that you add some veggies and meat to your dog’s meal to meet the basic requirements of its daily protein, carbs, fats essential vitamins, and minerals.
Can German Shepherds eat biscuits?
Yes, German Shepherds can eat biscuits and biscuits are unlikely to cause any harm and health issues to your dog. However, some dogs can be allergic to wheat and flour so it is best if you can just avoid feeding your dog biscuits as they do not have any nutritional value in your dog’s diet.
Is Rice Good for German Shepherds?
German Shepherds can eat rice and rice is good for your dogs as rice helps your dog sustain energy. However, rice alone can not fulfill the daily requirement of protein and all the essential nutrients that a German Shepherd requires to grow and be healthy. So it would be great if you included and added cooked veggies and meat to your dog’s meal.
Can dogs eat raw eggs?
Feeding your dog raw eggs is not recommended, the best safest, and healthy way to feed eggs to your dog is to ensure they are properly cooked or boiled.