Has your dog been losing weight lately? If you’re in search of finding the best food for German Shepherds to gain weight, you will discover about the foods to give to your dog based on their age.
It has been often found that most dog breeds gain weight and become overweight and consequently suffer from various types of diseases like hip dysplasia, heart disease diabetes, etc.
Though, contradictorily, if your German Shepherd has fallen sick and lost a lot of weight and your vet has advised your dog to gain some weight for a healthy living, finding the right kind for your dog can be a challenging task. There are various food brands available in the market and choosing the best one out of them can be difficult and confusing.
This blog has all the top food which can help your dog to gain weight in the most nutritious way.
Age-wise ideal weight of German Shepherds
Different dog breeds have different body structures and hence weigh differently from one another. Though, every dog breed has a standard weight milestone which helps to analyze if a dog is in healthy body weight or not. This is also applicable to German Shepherds.
There is a certain weight range and it is expected that they are in between them every month. For example, it is considered that male German Shepherds reach their peak of growth when become 3 to 4 years old and should weigh around 35 to 40 kg.
Meanwhile, it is different for females. They become fully grown at 2 to 3 years and weigh around 25 to 30 kg.
If you want to know the detailed milestone of their ideal weight gain, have a look at the table below:
| Age (in weeks) | Growth Rate per week | |
| Males | Females | |
| 12 to 20 | 2.2 to 2.75 | 1.65 to 2.2 |
| 20 to 26 | 1.65 to 2.2 | 1.1 to 1.65 |
| 26 to 32 | 1.1 to 1.65 | 0.5 to 1.1 |
| 32 to 35 | 1.1. To 1.65 | – |
This table can be used for reference for having a rough idea about the ideal weight of German Shepherds. Though your German Shepherd can fall out of the range sometimes, visit your vet as soon as possible for further consultation if there is a vast difference.
Read: Best Wet Foods For German Shepherds
What can make your German Shepherd lose weight?
There are might be various reasons why your German Shepherd has started losing weight unexpectedly despite consuming food in proper quantities. Some of the reasons are mentioned below:
Sudden weight loss without any obvious reason can be a symptom of something very serious. It can also be because you have made your dog exercise a lot. If you find that your German Shepherd has lost more than 10% of his total weight, it is time you need to contact a vet as soon as possible.
One reason for your dog to lose weight is because it might be infected by parasites. Though due to frequent vaccinations, infections due to parasites have become a less common affair, there are certain types of worms whose antidotes are still not available on the market. For example, whipworms; there is no medicine which can kill whipworms.
Dogs mostly get infected by them when they come in contact with contaminated soil or water and this can lead to intestinal infection. Apart from losing weight, your dog might also start vomiting, diarrhoea, decrease appetite, increases gas, etc.
Read: What foods are German Shepherds allergic to?
Unfortunately, another cause can be cancer. Older dogs are more prone to become victims of cancer. Cancer can be a life-threatening disease for a dog and resultantly he can suffer from excess weight loss, hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, osteosarcoma, etc. If your dog has any of these diseases, he might have pain and discomfort all the time thus leading to losing his appetite and physical activity.
Another type of cancer is oral melanoma which makes eating and swallowing food a painful process. In such situations, your dog might stop eating causing him to lose weight.
Dogs with heart diseases can start losing weight eventually. You might not be able to detect the symptoms early in such a situation as dogs who develop kidney malfunctions. It has even been found that dogs with heart disease start gaining weight initially despite eating less due to the accumulation of fluid in the body.
Similarly to heart patients, dogs with kidney diseases can also start losing weight after suffering from a disease for a long time. It might have already affected his health a lot by then as kidney diseases are not fast detectable. Weight loss can be combined with a loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, etc.
Apart from all the above-mentioned diseases, there can be certain metabolic disorders which can make him lose weight. If for some reason, there is an overproduction of cortisol in your dog’s body, more commonly known as hyperadrenocorticism, your dog can drastically lose weight. Another disorder might be when your dog’s body is unable to produce enough insulin.
All the mentioned reasons should be taken casually and cannot be treated without a vet’s supervision. Hence, it is recommended that if you find anything unusual in your dog’s behaviour for some time, immediately take him to your vet.
Understanding Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) in German Shepherds
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is a condition that can significantly affect your German Shepherd’s ability to gain weight. It occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough digestive enzymes, leading to malabsorption and malnutrition despite normal food intake. Symptoms can include weight loss, diarrhea, and a ravenous appetite. Addressing EPI is crucial for any weight gain plan, as simply increasing food quantity won’t suffice. A diet rich in easily digestible, high-quality lean proteins and the addition of pancreatic enzyme supplements can make a significant difference. For more detailed guidance on managing EPI in German Shepherds, consider exploring resources that delve into dietary recommendations and enzyme supplementation
The Importance of Veterinary Consultation for Underweight German Shepherds
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Before embarking on any weight gain regimen for your German Shepherd, it’s imperative to consult with a veterinarian. Conditions like EPI, as mentioned, require specific dietary adjustments and supplements that only a professional can recommend accurately. Dr. Natalie Punt, a renowned veterinarian, emphasizes the necessity of a medical checkup to rule out underlying health issues that could be causing weight loss. A thorough examination, possibly including blood tests, can uncover issues such as EPI, ensuring that any weight gain strategy is safe and effective. For more insights on the importance of veterinary advice, visit this expert resource.
How to choose the right food for German Shepherds to gain weight
As already stated above, if your dog is losing weight because of some underlying medical condition, then simply changing the food without a vet’s advice would not help in the situation. But otherwise, if your German Shepherd is simply a picky eater and is losing weight from eating not too well, changing the food might be of some help. Below mentioned are some of the tips which will help you find the right food for your dog.
High-Calorie Foods and Supplements for Weight Gain
When aiming to increase your German Shepherd’s weight, selecting high-calorie foods and supplements can be beneficial. Foods that are rich in high-quality proteins and fats, like Crave High Protein Chicken Dry Dog Food and Purina Pro Plan Sport, are excellent choices. Additionally, incorporating canine-specific digestive enzyme supplements, including those with ox bile, can aid in better food absorption and utilization. It’s also worth considering the addition of raw green tripe to your dog’s diet for its high levels of natural digestive enzymes, beneficial for dogs with pancreatic issues. For a comprehensive list of recommended high-calorie foods and supplements, click here.
Check the calories
It is quite obvious that consuming more calories will help you gain more weight, the same applies to dogs as well. Try buying those brand foods which have a higher calorie count but should be in a natural way and not contain fillers or does not mean feeding your dog more than required. This will inculcate in him a habit of finding more food every time.
The food ingredients
When buying, give special attention to the ingredients it has. If you intend to buy a high-calorie food for your German Shepherd, the food product should definitely have real meat as the main ingredient in it.
Meats like chicken and turkey are mostly preferred by German Shepherds.
Read: Can German Shepherd eat raw meat?
Apart from these, food items like real fruits, vegetables, probiotics and omega fats are also good for healthy weight gain.
Probiotics aid digestion also help improve the immune system.
Whereas, omega fats help German Shepherds get a shinier coat as well as the development of the eye and brain. It will also help reduce swelling for dogs who suffer from arthritis.
If you find any mention of artificial colors in the ingredients list, try avoiding that food product as they anyway can’t see colors and moreover chemicals can affect their health severely.
Start feeding Puppy Food
This may sound like something, but this is true. Some adult dogs and even senior dogs get benefited from puppy food as it is higher in calories so that the puppy can carry out several activities for a healthy lifestyle. Or else, you can also mix some of the existing food and puppy food. This can also help your GSD intake more calories. But before this, check with your vet first as high protein food can be harmful to dogs with kidney problems.
Read: How much to feed a German Shepherd
Prefer dry kibble over wet food
Dry food has more calories than we food as all the moisture has been removed from it. Hence, it would provide 4 times more energy than we food to a German Shepherd. If initially, your German Shepherd refrains from eating dry food, as wet food tends to be tastier and appealing, start by fixing some dry kibbles in his wet food. This can help gain him some weight.
Appetite Stimulating Herbs
There are certain herbs which are used by humans to increase their appetite. Similarly, there are some herbs which are useful for dogs as well for the same reason. One such thing is dandelion. It is recommended to use the yellow sprouting, but in the form of herbs for increasing the dog’s appetite. It is available in the form of multivitamins which will help your GSD to gain weight.
Take your vet’s suggestion and start feeding this to your dog. Along with it, the dog’s nutritional requirements should also be fulfilled.
Start providing Vitamin-B
Check food items which have sufficient Vitamin-B in them. Vitamin B can act as a natural appetizer for German Shepherds. These can also be found in the form of supplements in several online markets and over-the-counter but do check the genuineness of the supplements before feeding them to your dog. It would not only provide some extra weight to your dog. One great source of Vitamin B for your dog is Brewer’s yeast. It would also provide your dog with healthy skin and coat.
9 best food for German Shepherds to gain weight
Now, having read all the suggestions and the items you should look for while purchasing the right food for your German Shepherd, you might be overwhelmed as to which one is the best food for your dog. To clarify your doubts, some of the best food products for gaining weight which are available in the market, have been mentioned below:
Crave High Protein Chicken Dry Food
- This food provides around 449 calories per cup which is considered a good amount for gaining weight in a single meal.
- This is a grain-free food and contains chicken as its main ingredient. It is high in protein and provides 34% of protein.
- The presence of minerals and vitamins helps improve the immune system of your dog and makes him strong.
- Moreover, the absence of artificial preservatives and colors also makes it a safe food product for dogs.
- You might face certain problems while feeding this to your dog for the first time, but eventually, he will be habituated if you introduce this slowly to him.
Purina Pro Plan Support
- One cup of Purina Pro Plan Support contains 484 calories which would provide a good amount of energy to your dog.
- This product can be easily found in almost dog food stores and above all despite having all the good ingredients, it is quite affordable as compared to the premium brands.
- It provides around 30% protein to your German Shepherd and had chicken as the main ingredient in the food composition.
- The presence of Omega fats in the food helps in the proper development of the eyes and brain of the GSD as well as makes its coat shinier and healthier.
- If your dog is allergic to corn, it is recommended to not buy this product as it has some corn content. Corns, though considered to provide empty calories, help in the weight gain of dogs.
Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch
- One cup of this food product contains 400 calories which are sufficient to provide a good amount of energy to your dog.
- It has a herring meal which is the main source of protein in this food product. It contains around 32% of protein.
- Because of the good content of protein, it also helps develop muscles in German Shepherds which can contribute to weight gain.
- The source of minerals, antioxidants and vitamins in this food are real fruits and vegetables.
- As German Shepherds mostly have a weak digestive system, the presence of fibre and Omega fats help in the digestion process to maintain good gut health.
Instinct Limited Ingredient Grain-Free
- This food product contains 447 calories in one cup and is considered to be one of the best products for German Shepherd puppies.
- It has a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which can provide a healthy growth and body weight to your GSD puppy.
- Also, it has been carefully prepared so that no puppy suffers from any allergic reactions to this food. The absence of artificial colors, chemicals and Omega fats keeps a check on this fact.
- If you wish to feed this food to your adult German Shepherd, you may have to introduce him slowly. Initially, he might not want to consume it and leave it in the bowl.
Bully Max Muscle Food For Dogs
This probably has the highest calories per cup on our list. It provides around 535 calories per cup which is very high if compared with other food products.
The main ingredient of this food product is chicken and it provides 30% protein to your dog even without corn, soy or wheat.
This is the best food product if you want to increase your dog’s weight in less time.
Despite being a little expensive, it is very easy to feed your dog.
There are instructions on feeding quantity on the bag, but you should always consult your vet first before bringing any change in your German Shepherd’s diet.
Ziwi Peak Beef Recipe Canned Dog Food
- Contrary to the fact that dry food provides more calories than wet food, Ziwi Peak Beef is one such wet food which is quite high in calories per cup. It provides almost 420 calories per cup when fed to your dog.
- The main ingredient of this food product is beef, as the name clearly says, and provides a good amount of protein to your dog.
- It does not have too many ingredients on the list and thus the risk of having allergies are less.
- There are no corns and grains and hence provide highly nutritious calories and not empty calories.
Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Grain-Free
- This food product is unique compared to the others mentioned in the list. It has freeze-dried nuggets which are made of raw meat and also has free-dried coated kibble.
- The main meat in this food is deboned beef which also contains a good amount of Omega fats.
- This product, like other products, does not contain soy and corn or any kind of chemical preservatives.
Nature’s Logic Canine Meal Feat
- It claims to provide 34% to your dog’s diet and would help in gaining muscle mass and strength.
- For vitamins and minerals, it contains sufficient real vegetables and fruits which help improve the overall health of your German Shepherd.
- Another reason why this product is one of the best is that it also contains probiotics which are known to keep the gut healthy.
- If in case your dog finds it difficult to digest or the food product does not suit him, contact your vet and seek further advice.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe
- It is one of the most popular brands known for making high-end dog food.
- It provides 30% of protein to your German Shepherd when consumes which is considered a good amount for weight gain.
- Not only does it have sufficient protein, but it also contains a good source of carbohydrates in the form of real vegetables like sweet potato, peas, etc.
- It contains Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids which help to maintain healthy skin and coat.
- This food is a good blend of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins which have been chosen by experts so that it can help in the improvement of immunity, overall health, oxidative balance, etc.
- It does not contain any poultry by-products, wheat, corn, soy, or artificial flavoring, thus making it a healthier option.
Problems Associated with Under-Weight Dog
If your German Shepherd looks just a little lean and is perfectly healthy, it might not be any concern as GSDs mostly have a lean structure because of their high agility. But if you can see his rib cage very prominently, then he is probably too underweight and may suffer from various kinds of diseases.
Being extremely underweight can hamper the immune system of a German Shepherd. This will cause problems in their coat and skin and make them prone to various kinds of infections.
If by chance, they have hurt and caused an injury, it will take more than usual time to completely heal the injury which will further increase the chances of infections.
There will be a noticeable amount of muscle loss which can make him weak.
Because of losing muscle and strength, German Shepherds will limit their activity which will lead to loss of bone density.
Apart from the mentioned consequences, underweight German Shepherd might also suffer from a hormonal imbalance which can cause further complications in their body.
Things To Do For Weight Bulk-Up
Apart from feeding him the right food, there are various other habits or ways which can help your German Shepherd to gain some healthy weight. Some of the things which can be easily tried are as follows:
Your German Shepherd might have a fixed eating pattern and frequency like all other dogs do. Now, if your dog is too underweight, you can try feeding him one extra meal, in small quantity, to help him consume some extra calories. In this way, they won’t feel too filled up and also successfully consume more calories per day. But, do not forget to eventually stop this habit once he reaches his appropriate weight or else it might lead to the accumulation of extra fat.
Another thing which can be tried is free feeding. Free feeding means not having a fixed eating time. Let your dog eat whenever he wants. In this way, he might end up eating more than usual. It is advisable to try this technique with dry food as wet food may get spoiled if left open for a long time. Also, do not forget to stop this habit as excess weight gain is not healthy for GSDs.
It has been found that some dogs, especially the ones who are too emotional like German Shepherds do not prefer eating alone, and hence, if left alone while eating, do not finish their food. For this, try accompanying your dog while he is eating. This might make his eating habit better and he might always finish his food resulting in the consumption of sufficient calories.
Read: What can German Shepherd not eat
For increasing the daily calorie intake, you can also try feeding him some extra treats than usual when he does some rewarding work. There are various treats available in the market, some just provide empty calories while others are nutritious. Take an expert’s help and buy the best treats for your German Shepherd.
Conclusion
After going through the blog, hopefully, German Shepherds owners would now be aware of the reasons and consequences which lead to the loss of weight in a German Shepherd.
Feeding the right food, keeping in mind their age, and health conditions is very important to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle, above all, never try experimenting with your dog as it can be a life-threatening situation for him.
Whatever decision you take, always take your vet’s approval and then proceed. Considering which food to feed for weight gain, depends on your budget and choices. Check the ingredient list and avoid the ones which have too many ingredients mentioned in the list. It is preferable to feed your dog food which has a high content of animal protein constituted with other nutritious items.