Does my German Shepherd dog really need calcium supplements?

Do not give Rocky eggshell, he does not need it. Also do not supplement with calcium, it's too easy to overdose on it, and it's not recommended. Feed him a high quality puppy food like Royal Canin, and that will give him all the calcium he needs.

A balanced puppy food which has been specially formulated to be a complete diet should not be supplemented as this can lead to dietary excess, which can also be harmful to bone development. Check that the puppy food is suitable for the age and breed type and if you have concerns about bone and joint development I recommend a full physical by your vet to determine which, if any, supplementation is required

Puppies should never get multivitamins. They don't need it, and you run the risk of overdosing them on certain vitamins. As long as Koda is getting a puppy formulated food, he is getting all the vitamins he needs.

Hello. This may be a pretty low quality food. And adding unnecessary supplements may do more harm than good. You are much better off feeding a good quality large breed puppy food such as the ones made by Purina, Science Diet & Royal Canin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for asking PetCoach!! Confusing is putting it mildly when trying to sort through good, scientific based information regarding nutrition for our pets. First of all, for large breed dogs, keep them on a good large breed puppy food until AT LEAST 12 months of age. For a German Shepherd, sometime between 12-15 months would be a good time to transition. (larger breeds do more growing for a longer period of time than small breeds, so need puppy food longer, which in a way seems counter-intuitive as they "age" faster than smaller breeds!) http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/04/when-your-baby-isnt-such-a-baby-anymore-when-to-switch-to-adult-foods/ As far as he Ca:P ratio, while still important, my recommendation would be to stick with something around 1.2:1. For large breed adult foods vs regular adult foods, the difference tends to be more geared towards long term skeletal and joint health; meaning in large breed adult foods you're more likely to find glucosamine/chondroitin supplementation built in, extra fatty Omegas, etc. I hope that answers your question. Thanks for asking PetCoach! https://www.petcoach.co/article/calcium-phosphorous-requirements-for-dogs/

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Halo and your other dog are on a good quality, balanced diet there is no benefit to giving calcium. I'm assuming you mean that they are already on a glucosamine supplement. Glucosamine supplements vary in quality so make sure they are on a quality veterinary product like Dasuquin. Adding in an omega-3 supplement may also be helpful. Nordic Naturals pet products offers a good omega-3 supplement for pets. Finally, it would be a good idea to ask your veterinarian about Adequan injections. These injections can be very helpful managing hip dysplasia and are very safe!

Commercial dog foods are required to contain all necessary vitamins and minerals and Gunner should not need an additional vitamin supplement. I'd recommend purchasing a high quality puppy food intended for large breed dogs and using the feeding recommendations on the bag as a general guide for how much to feed in a day. Many dogs need less food than what is suggested on the bag, and if he doesn't finish the food offered in 15 minutes you don't need to coax him. It is important for large breed puppies to stay lean when growing for appropriate growth of the bones and joints.