Do German Shepherds Have Special Nutritional Requirements?

Nutrient Distribution

German Shepherds live in a wide variety of conditions with different activity levels. It’s important to make sure that you match the nutrients with your dog’s activity level in order to make sure that they don’t get too thin or become obese.

For the most part, protein content which is higher than 20% is ideal. You may want to go as high as 30% for working dogs and puppies, however.

Fats should be kept relatively low, from 8-15% being ideal. Again, working dogs can go a bit higher but you may not want to go much higher or you’ll risk your dog becoming overweight.

As with most dogs, the carbohydrate content of less than 30% is a good idea, but too low and your shepherd won’t be able to get their teeth clean eating their kibble.

For the most part, with a Shepherd, your primary concern is going to be the quality of ingredients rather than nutrient distribution.

Grain-free is always a good thing as well, ensuring that there’s less filler in the food and more quality nutrients for the dog in question.

Caloric Intake

German Shepherds will usually do fine on about 30 calories per kilogram of body weight. Those dogs which are working may require up to twice that, and puppies will also do better to be put on a higher calorie diet while senior German Shepherds may require 30% lower or so.

There is one important thing to note about feeding German Shepherd puppies: juvenile shepherds should only be kept on puppy food for the first six months of their life, afterward switch to an adult kibble.

When larger dogs grow too quickly it can cause a loss of bone density and increase the risk of serious joint issues as they get older so be sure to switch at that age for the best results.

For the most part, a German Shepherd should feel muscular and you should be able to feel their ribs under the muscle. If they’re very thin then you’ll want to increase their caloric intake and if you can’t feel the ribs it may be time to dial back the amount of food you’re giving them a bit.

Micronutrients

German Shepherds don’t have any specialized requirements here, other than the fact that you want to ensure that calcium is under 1.5% until they’ve reached their full size.

The usual 4% fiber is ideal, with a range of up to 6% being fine for adult dogs and a bit higher being desirable for dogs who are getting on in age.