How do i prevent sicknesses and hip problems in my german shepherd?
Is there any type of dog food or excersise that will help my german shepherd be healthy?
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6 Responses to “How do i prevent sicknesses and hip problems in my german shepherd?”
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April 2nd, 2010 at 11:14 am
We try to keep extra weight off of our lab. We also had her hips x-rayed to make sure she did not appear to be prone to hip displasia.
April 2nd, 2010 at 11:34 am
dude ther is probably some special exercise, but screw that, just as long as you are walking him dayly and letting him run, he’ll be fine.Be sure to have him on a high protein/calcium diet too.
April 2nd, 2010 at 12:12 pm
For the hip problems make sure your shepard has plenty of exercise.Also you can have the x-ray done and that will show you if he/she has hip problems. Make sure to keep it’s weight under control.
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Stay away from any food they sell at Wal-Mart or the grocery store.Contrary to popular belief Purina,Alpo,Iams etc,are not the best food for your dog.They are simply the companies that sink millions and millions into advertising to make you think they are.All those foods use either animal byproducts,corn,soy,or other useless fillers.They use them because they are cheap to buy,and make your dog feel full.
Those ingredients are approved for use in dog food,but that don’t mean they are the best ingredients to use.Try to find a premium food like Innova or Canidae,both are excellent foods,with no cheap to buy,useless fillers.If you can not find one of those foods,read the labels,find a food with the least amount of corn,byproducts,chemicals,etc…. sure the main source(first ingredient)of protein is ether Chicken,or chicken meal,never chicken byproducts.Other meats are also fine as long as it’s the meat or meal,and not a byproduct.The better the ingredients the better the health of your dog will be.Premium foods also help do away with dry skin,excess shedding and dull looking fur.
A premium food will cost more per bag,but in the long run is about the same as cheaper brands.A premium food does not require as much be fed,because more of it is digested as nutrients,and not expelled as waste.
Innova and Canidae are two of the best foods available.
Innova
Turkey,Chicken,Chicken Meal,Ground Barley,Ground Brown Rice,Potatoes,Natural Flavors,Chicken Fat,Herring,Apples,Carrots,Cot… Cheese.
Canidae
Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Herring Meal, Flax Seed, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Chicken.
April 2nd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
As the person before me stated, quality food is key, especially for large breed dogs. Solid Gold makes great foods as well, Evolve is good, and if you might want something less pricey, but still pretty decent, Nutro is okay too. There are actually many more. Try looking for a holistic pet store in your area. Some of the canned food that they sell there is even PHENOMENAL!
We have akitas who need fish in their diets, so besides eating fish based foods (either Wolf King by Solid Gold or a Ocean Fish food by TimberWolf Organics), I but them a canned food that has whole mackerel, pasta, carrots, and beans in it from our local store.
For GREAT canned foods try merrick or evangers (both have websites or are sold through online distributors). I used to be mainly against canned food, but these foods are good enough for me to eat, and Hawk loves them.
Also, for his hips, try a daily treat or supplement with Glucosamine &/or Chondroitin (spelling?) in it. Or Vitamin C.
A good supplement is NuPro. There’s actually a GSD figure on the packaging label. A lot of people use it ans swear by it for their dogs.
Good Luck.
April 2nd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
They told me to keep my German Shepherd Mix on Iams Puppy Food until he’s a year and a half. Taking him for regular walks helps too.