Dutch Shepherd Forum

I have a 12 year old Shepherd. He is the best athlete in our house. I am noticing that his is starting to have issues in his hips. I guess he and I are getting a bit older. I wonder if anyone had suggestions on what to feed him as he ages. I notice that there are Senior dog food. choices He is a great dog and I just want him to be as healthy as possible.

Our german shepherd will be 18 this year and still goes for his daily walk - though he spends much of the time sleeping. One reason he can still get around is we've always kept the weight off him (and his hips), feeding him a consistent amount of food each day.

According to our vet, that's the secret to his longevity: limited calorie intake.

At 12, he was still running around and eating what all the other dogs ate: kangaroo (lean red, macrobiotic meat), sardines in olive oil, and human left-overs combined with a good fish and non-grain based kibble. Omega 3s are good for joints, skin and coat, and limiting the amount of fat in their diet as they slow down (ie; substituting animal fats with fish and olive oils) seems to work well.

You'll get many opinions on dry kibble - everything from which brands are best, grain-vs-grain-free, to kibble versus RAW/BARF etc - but we've mainly used it as a staple to other foods, and have always avoided kibble with lots of fillers (corn etc - our dogs usually get a bit of rice left over from our meals), chicken (some shepherds are allergic to chicken), and anything artificial.

We've also always avoided processed foods: no tins, or meat logs/rolls etc, as they tend to be high in salt.

Some people swear by raw food diets, but our dogs have always eaten whatever we eat (however no onions). That includes lots of rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes and green vegetables, but not usually bread.

Feeding the old boy is a challenge these days because, apart from being much less active, his digestive system does not work well, and the slightest upset leads to diarrhea. He stopped eating raw meat last year, and even cooked meat is limited. The best things we've found to keep his stomach in check as he ages are sweet potato, a little bit of yoghurt, rice, cheese (low fat), and his usual kibble. Though cheese is harder to digest, it is high in protein and calcium and keeps his stools firm. It makes up for him not being able to eat fresh meat any more.

Anyway, that's what works for us.

Its expensive but look up ziwi dog food its the best thing I've seen on the market hands down and keeps weight great and has the best Ingredients you'll see in a dog food

Yeah, Ziwi is good stuff. Made in New Zealand. Really expensive, but no fillers and very high quality. You can also mix it with fresh meat and anything else you feed your dog to stretch it out a bit.

I fed Thalie raw. Yes, keeping them light is important, and as active as they can handle. I had Thalie on CBD for her arthritis and that really helped with pain management.

Indi wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:21 am Yeah, Ziwi is good stuff. Made in New Zealand. Really expensive, but not fillers and very quality. You can also mix it with fresh meat and anything else you feed your dog to stretch it out a bit.

I use it with my dogs raw and it does amazing things!

Dutchringgirl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:46 am I fed Thalie raw. Yes, keeping them light is important, and as active as they can handle. I had Thalie on CBD for her arthritis and that really helped with pain management.

A little CBD for puppy a little THC for me hahaha

Steve Gossmeyer wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:30 pm

Dutchringgirl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:46 am I fed Thalie raw. Yes, keeping them light is important, and as active as they can handle. I had Thalie on CBD for her arthritis and that really helped with pain management.

A little CBD for puppy a little THC for me hahaha