German Shepherd is the breed known for its high energy level and its active personality.
So if you, being the owner, are feeding your adult German Shepherd a large meal once a day, then it is not ok to feed your pet once a day because of their playful nature; they easily burn the energy, so most vets recommend feeding your pet twice a day.
However, feeding your German Shepherd once a day or twice a day depends on different situations, so here in this article, we will let you know what you should consider before making a meal schedule for your beloved German Shepherd.
Age consideration:
A German Shepherd puppy can bloat if fed a larger meal once a day if he is younger than 1-year-old. Also, if you have a pet who is older in age and is going through medical issues, feeding your dog, a large meal can cause damage to your pet.
Adult German Shepherd:
Adult German Shepherds can survive on one meal in a day. Still, most vets recommend feeding your adult German Shepherd two times a day as it is better to divide the required protein and calorie intake in different small meals as compared to feeding your pet a larger meal once a day.
The reason to divide the meal is caused because feeding a larger meal can cause bloat, which is a significant cause for breeds like German Shepherd.
Considering the old age of your German Shepherd:
German Shepherd has a life expectancy of 10 – 15 years almost, and as soon as they cross the age of 6 or 7 years, they are considered as a senior or older dog.
German Shepherd is a large size breed, and because of their big posture, they grow faster than compared to small dog breeds.
Because of their large size and older age, it is normal for them to suffer from arthritis and hip dysplasia and may want to rest all day long, so feeding them one large meal can cause obesity.
So as they reach old age, they need to eat their food in small portions throughout the day to maintain their energy level and not to cause any obesity.
Activity level:
German Shepherd is a herding breed, so naturally, this breed has a lot of energy stored in its body. Most German Shepherds need at least two sessions of the intense level of exercise, including long walks and running. Apart from this German Shepherd also needs someone to play with.
Because of its herding traits, the German Shepherd doesn’t like to be alone and needs someone to accompany it almost all the time.
So naturally, after considering your pet’s activity level, feeding your pet one meal a day will not be enough for it to remain active throughout the day.
Considering if your German Shepherd does not involve any kind of activity because of being sick or because of any other reason than to save your pet from obesity, you should consider taking your vet’s recommendation and should feed your pet a balanced diet.
Size consideration between male and female German Shepherds.
The meal is not all about the considerations for the activity of your beloved dog and his age. The meal can also vary between the genders of the German Shepherds. Female German Shepherd diet can be different from that of males and thus gender also plays a role.
Feeding your male and female German Shepherds can also be compared according to theirs.
Feeding all of your German Shepherds the same feed is not mandatory as male German Shepherds can grow to a height of almost 26 inches, and female pets can gain a height of nearly 24 inches.
So as male German Shepherds have a different body size, they also need to have more feed than female German Shepherds.
Portion considerations:
Many people like to take one meal per day as their diet to keep them in shape, and they want to do the same for their German Shepherd.
And so, if you are content with giving one meal to your German Shepherd, it is important that you keep everything in consideration.
One of the most essential things to keep in mind is how much nutrition, vitamins, fatty acids, and energy comprises in the meal that you are giving your Beloved pet.
You need to keep in view the activities he is performing along with the size and age of your German Shepherd. Once you have the knowledge of everything, you can then make portions of the meal and give it to them.
This method can help you in making an optimal meal for your German Shepherd that does not make him lazy.
Conclusion:
If you have just bought or adopted a German Shepherd and are feeding your pet once a day without any specific reason, then this article is for you.
Most adult German Shepherds can survive on one meal in a day, but most vets recommend not to do it as it can cause serious health damage to your pet.
As German Shepherd has high metabolism which makes their feed digest easily So most vets don’t recommend this type of feeding schedule because German Shepherds need to have a diet full of nutrients and proteins in two different meals throughout the day.
So after considering all these points we have discussed some important points which can help you to make your pet healthier and happier.
If you are someone who is not at home to meet your pet feeding schedule, you can use an automatic feeding device that can release the set amount of time at exact timings to make sure your pet is well-fed.
