Best type/brand of dog food for my German Shepherd?

Question

We are currently feeding her pedigree puppy dry food, we just looked at the ingredients, not knowing to in the first place because it says BALANCED, and the first ingredient is a corn filler! We mix in a little wet food to coat the dry because she likes that alot more. She will not touch the dry food if we don't do this! She has been itching alot too, but she does not have fleas! What can we feed her to calm our worries and know that she is getting the best nutrition we can afford?

Answer 1

I've had lots of dogs over my lifetime and lots of dogs with health issues/skin problems. Corn is known to cause itching and skin problems in dogs.The problem is usually the food! READ LABELS!!! Stay away from any dog food that contains wheat, corn, flour, byproducts or perservatives. Dogs do not eat wheat, corn or flour in the wild and it can cause an array of heath problems. Try to stick with products that list meat as the first ingredient and not meat byproducts. There are also a lot of great organic products now available. Again just be sure to read the label and don't assume a brand name is good. Eukanuba, Iams and Science Diet (with the exception of the new Science Diet 'natural) ALL contain byproducs which is cancerous rejected diseased or rendered animal meat! YUCK!
p.s. Also keep in mind that like medical doctors, vets know little about nutrition. They go to vet school to learn how to cure disease not prevent it. Nutrition in vet school consists of about ONE day of lecture.

Answer 2

The most important thing to remember when feeding a dog is they need a high protein diet. Gelatin added to food can give this, also calcium added to home cooked food is good. Try boiling some chicken mince with rice, if she is itching it could be an allergy. this mix is called a white food diet, it has benefits by not being too rich, try adding a different vegetable each day and watch her symptoms. above all remember NEVER feed her onions or any fennel type vegetable(these are toxic to dogs) and dogs are also lactose intolerant so stay off the dairy in her diet. and no sugar treats.
Also the baby vitamin PENTAVITE is a great suppliment for most animals even a drop in a birds water is safe.
As far as the itching there may be something in your back yard that is causing an allergy, most vetrinarans will have some signage as to common plants causing allergies, if yours doesnt either check it through your search engine or just ask.
But bathe her in MALASEB according to the instructions anyway available from your vet. If you have been using human shampoo on her stop this may be your problem there, otherwise make sure that you have rinsed everything off properly. If you live near a clean beach and the whether permits, walk her there. This is not only great exercise but the salt water will work wonders for any skin condition, and she will love you for it too,
Failing all of this speak to your vet, only a physical diagnosis can truly help your pup. Should you have further concern speak to an animal nutritionalist, and have blood work done to see if she is lacking anything.
Remember to keep her at a proper weight becauseGerman Shepherds can be prone to hip problems

Answer 3

If you can get it locally check National. Its an excellent food for a reasonable price. Many police departments feed it to their working german shepherds because it delivers the performance they need. Another good food is Blackwood. Around here the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Department of Justice and the New Hampshire state police feed it to their German Shepherds. Considering what is expected from those dogs compared to the average pet I think that's as good as an endorsement can get. Both companies have very informative web sites and helpful customer service lines.

Answer 4

There is no one best brand but the facts are:

- all commercially prepared dog foods meet 100% of nutrition requirements
- brands differ mainly due to marketing gimmicks that appeal to the owner
-- some are concentrated (premium) so one feeds a little less and there is a little less poop (plus a higher chance of constipation and intestinal cancers)
-- some have ingredients that are more palatable to humans like meat rather then meat by-products
-- some have "natural" ingredients
-- some are mainly meat (canned or frozen only)
-- some dry foods split the grains amongst several so meat can be legally listed as the first ingredient
-- Some grains have a slightly greater chance of causing food allergies
-- Processed corn meal is as easily digested as any other grain
-- Prices are much higher in brands not sold in grocery stores because marketing them through vets/pet stores limits their supply and because people will pay the higher prices for them
- The worst source for dog nutrition information is from web sites that compare dog foods as they use unfounded assumptions based on emotion rather then scientific methodology
- The best source for nutrition information is a trusted vet or better yet, a veterinary nutritionist
- Veterinary sources say raw meat and raw or cooked bones are not safe for dogs to ingest

The bottom line is that there is a lot of choice out there and that is a good thing but there are tons of misinformation that is believed by so many to be fact. Base your selection on what makes you comfortable and rest assured that your dog will thrive on most anything you choose.

Answer 5

I recently changed my adult german to evo the red meat one and it has helped him with his skin problems and I think he is doing better with some of his leg problems, I don't know if they have a puppy food but this food is even making his fur softer and he sheds less. I wish I would have done it earlier but there are also other similar foods. Do your research I don't have time or money to deal with some of the raw food methods and this is as close as you get in a dry dog food as far as I can tell. I think he was allergic to all the grains he has always had patches of skin that irritated him and after a month they are mostly clearing up.

Answer 6

German Shepherds are my FAVOURITE!! Please give her a hug for me!!

Here's a list of great holistic diets:
* Artemis - http://www.artemiscompany.com/
* California Natural - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/californ...
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Chicken Soup - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssou...
* EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp
* Fromm - http://www.frommfamily.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.a...
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Nature's Variety - http://www.naturesvariety.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/o...
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Taste of the Wild - http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
* Timberwolf Organics - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Holistic Blend - http://holisticblend.com

Evo, Canidae, and Orijen seems to be tops!

Itching could be dry skin or possibly a food allergy/deficiency. Do you bathe her often? If so, what do you use?
Any one of the above foods will eliminate the problems Pedigree can cause.

For more info on dog nutrition as well as reviews on top foods, visit: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/


EDIT: I ask about the bathing not because she might need a bath, but because if they're bathed too often that can lead to dry skin as it removes the natural oils from their skin. If you think this might be a problem, try an oatmeal based dog shampoo when you do need to bathe her.

Answer 7

Itcould also be she needs a bath, or has a skin infection. She can also itch if she isn't well groomed and shedding alot. While for the dog food, Iams is always a great food to do, so is science diet. We feed our dog Eukanuba. She had bad breath problems on iams, and the Eukanuba is doing great for her.
Also, if she doesn't like hard food without something in it take a look at her teeth. They may be hurting her and need dental care (meaning if they have black on them)
But if her teeth aren't bad then you shouldn't worry about the whole dry food thing. Some dogs snarf their food and some just munch on it for hours, like we periodically snack durring the day. She may just not be hungery when you fill her bowl. When she's hungery she'll eat it.

Answer 8

I had the same problem with my Giant Schnauzer puppy. I had a mini and was feeding him generic dog food from the grocery store. He developed skin conditions and was very un healthy. We changed the food for both of them to Canidea. I love it. My giant is healthy with no health problems. my mini's coat problem has disappeared. They love the food and its very healthy for them. NO FILLERS! i absolutely 100% recomend Canidea.

Answer 9

You can find MUCH better food than Pedigree. Kudos to you for caring about your dog's nutrition! :)

There is no food that is the *best*, different individual dog may thrive on different foods. What is best for one may not be the best for the next. And just because a food is good quality, it doesn't mean it will jive the best for your dog.

What you want to find is the high-quality food that *your dog* does best on.

If you are on a budget, I recommend checking out Canidae and Chicken Soup brands. They are high-quality foods, but priced very reasonably. Both of these brands make dry and wet foods.
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Chicken Soup - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/

There is nothing wrong with mixing in some wet food, but also make sure that both the wet food and the dry food are high-quality. Many of the brands I list further down in this answer also make high-quality wet foods.

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Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food.

Here is my "short list" of rules when I am looking at dog ingredients:
1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!).
2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.
3) I don't want to see any byproducts.
4) I don't want to see a lot of fillers.
5) I don't want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
6) I don't want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.
7) I don't want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).
8) I don't want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as "meat" or "poultry".)

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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Here are some examples of high quality foods:
* Artemis - http://www.artemiscompany.com/
* California Natural - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/california-natural.asp
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Chicken Soup - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp
* Fromm - http://www.frommfamily.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Nature's Variety - http://www.naturesvariety.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Taste of the Wild - http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
* Timberwolf Organics - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, etc.)

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not always mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. Most of these foods have the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

Hills company, the makers of Science Diet, are heavily involved in vet schools. "Hill's scientists author more than 50 research papers and textbook chapters each year and teach at leading schools of veterinary medicine" (Source of quoted section: http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_info/company_info_general.jsp?JSESSIONID=HMz2B3Jn3hv0rnSoxCobfbBhOec35ODG7yh5t3P0vcvhOtzRlQ9M!598359213!167846923!7005!8005&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026072&bmUID=1196192566575 )

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Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, it will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

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"Big box" petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. (I do believe that PetCo sells "Solid Gold" and "Natural Balance" brands and Petsmart sells "Blue Buffallo", which are all quality foods, but most of the foods aren't.)

Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren't good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
- small, locally owned petstores
- dog boutiques
- farm supply stores

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
.

Answer 10

I get science diet for my kitty and my 4 month old lab mix. It is a really good brand it maye expensive but its worth it.