Last Updated: 05/06/2025
Want to know what vets recommend as the best dog food for German Shepherds? Find out here.
Author: Dr Brittany Ward BVSc
Reading Time: 37 minutes - long read
The majestic German Shepherd is a popular breed known commonly for their strength, intelligence and loyalty. They need lots of exercise to keep their active minds occupied and satisfy their energy needs as a working dog. It also essential that t hey receive a premium quality, protein-rich diet to satisfy their energy needs, nourish their luxurious coat, maintain a healthy weight and support their bone and joint health.
Factors to consider when choosing a diet for your German Shepherd:
Our Vet team use their health and husbandry knowledge, along with their own personal and clinical experiences to evaluate each product and provide detailed, informative reviews, free of any commercial bias. We then collate this information into our 'best of' recommendations.
In conclusion, choosing the right food for your German Shepherd is essential for their overall health and well-being. As highlighted by veterinarian Dr. Brittany Ward, a premium, protein-rich diet is crucial to support their energy levels, maintain a healthy coat, manage their weight, and ensure strong bones and joints. By carefully considering factors like age, specific health needs, and the quality of ingredients, you can find the best food to keep your German Shepherd thriving. The veterinarian-reviewed recommendations in this article offer a great starting point for making an informed decision about your dog's nutritional needs.
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Veterinarian
Dr. Brittany graduated from James Cook University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and started working in her home town in the Wide Bay-Burnett Region. She has always been excited about working in the veterinary industry, but over the last few years has grown especially fond of dog behaviour and training, surgery and orthopaedic disease.
Royal Canin are the experts in breed specific diets designed to meet your dog's individual needs. They back this unique diets with a lot of research and tailor them to the health needs of that breed. In the case of German Shepherds, that is their sensitive digestion, sensitive skin and luscious coat, and notable joint problems, wrapped up in a uniquely shaped kibble to suit their long, slender jaw. Many reputable breeders and German Shepherd owners use this food and report improved health and vitality into their dogs' senior years.
"We have always had German Shepherds and for the last ten years we have been feeding our Shepherds on Royal Canin. Our ten year old girl started on RC as a pup, and she is very healthy and her coat is stunning. Never any problems with her digestive system and every day loves her biscuits. It is the BEST!"
This is another highly digestible breed specific diet backed by science and designed to manage the health conditions typically seen in Shepherd breeds. It can be more diversely used in all Shepherd breeds and crosses. Alongside digestive health, joint support and skin nourishment, it also has a shape designed for dental care, and Colostrum to strengthen the immune system. Advance packs the quality of the big name brands and often at a reduced price.
"A biscuit my GSD actually eats! She is so fussy with everything but loves these. I have been feeding my dogs on Advance Turkey and Rice and I noticed a huge improvement in wellbeing and coat."
Eukanuba invests research into every ingredient used in their diets, which are aimed at supporting dogs with a healthy lifestyle. They focus heavily on weight management, with obesity being a growing problem in pets and overall health with highly digestible ingredients, omega fatty acids and antioxidants. Another great feature of these diets is their 3D Dentadefence kibble design and the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate which binds salivary calcium and has earned this maintenance diet approval from the Veterinary Oral Health Council for tartar prevention.
"Terrific product for a happy healthy dog with a shiny coat. It keeps my dogs coat healthy and shiny and she has energy when she needs it. My dog always had problems with his tummy until we put him on Eukanuba. My German Shepherds are very happy with these biscuits. My dog is such a stunner on Eukanuba, no excess weight, sparkling eyes and beautiful coat!"
SavourLife is a family-owned, Australian made brand decidicated to providing high quality nutrition that is sourced locally. They also support 50% of their profits to pet rescue. This diet has a tailored nutritional profile to meet the needs of active large breed dogs and therapeutic ingredients to support their health like omega fatty acids, glucosamine/chondoitin and pre-biotics. The diet is gluten and grain free and contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, making it a wholesome, superfood packed option for your German Shepherd.
"We order food for our dogs always through PetCircle. Why? Because you can trust this company to deliver. We change food every time for our dogs, PetCircle always has the best price, great food quality and outstanding delivery service that you can count on. Like I wrote the dogs love Savourlife ocean fish, they are large size kibble both our GSD and Mini Dachshund love it."
This breed specific diet is formulated to meet the unique nutritional requirements of the German Shepherd breed and is suitable for extended feeding throughout the growth period. It also allows for easy transition on to the corresponding adult food. The kibble has a unique shape to suit German Shepherd puppies and it addresses the common health concerns in the breed with its ingredients. It's a trusted product by many reputable breeders and vets alike.
"My 11 week old puppy had an upset tummy - switched to Royal Canin not only does she look forward to eating it she no longer has tummy issue or smells! His stools are solid and he eats every morsel we give him with gusto. His coat is shiny and healthy as well. He loves it,so we love it. My GSD loves his tucker. He has been fed this product from the get go and absolutely loves it. Wouldn't change to any other product."
This is an excellent Australian-made, natural diet targeting common large breed puppy health concerns such as digestive upset and joint support. It comes in a variety of sizes to suit your individual needs with an easily resealable bag for convenient storage. It uses fish oil and emu oil to supply omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat as well as brain development.
"My German Shepherd Puppies and their mother love the food. My puppy has been raised on Black Hawk since birth and she loves it plus it is Australian made!"
This well reviewed joint support diet is perfect for adult and senior dogs struggling with joint problems. It is designed to support mobility with multiple beneficial ingredients which may vary from other products and controlled energy levels to prevent excess weight gain. It is great for use on its own or alongside a joint supplement. This diet uses high quality, highly digestible ingredients to produce a healthy, nourishing, joint support diet that is balanced for everyday use as well.
"My rescue GSD has been diagnosed with spondylosis and he needed to lose weight. This food has assisted with his mobility and has helped him drop almost 5kg.My old dog was having difficulty walking with his back legs, some days couldn't walk at all. After 1 month of feeding this product to him daily he started to walk around more. After 2 months he now runs around and plays. Very grateful for this product."
