What supplements does my young German Shepherd puppy need?

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.

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.

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.

Hello and thank you for choosing Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Since glucosamine and chondroitin fall under the category of medications we refer to as nutraceuticals (fancy word for supplements) there is no specific age that is recommended. Generally, we start recommend using these types of medications when pets reach the senior stage (7+ years of age). Since Bella is still young, I would recommend feeding a quality food that is formulated specifically for large breed dogs as it will include all of the beneficial joint health additives. I am personally a fan of Purina foods, but any of the other brands (Hills, Royal Canin, etc) are all excellent foods. This way you don't have to worry about trying to remember giving Bella pills everyday and nothing in her routine has to change. The supplements may be needed further down the road. Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck to you and Bella!

A fully balanced diet such as large breed food formulated for the age of your dog (puppy or adult) would not need to be supplemented with any calcium supplement and indeed over supplementation can also cause problems. I suggest you speak to your local food suppliers to suggest a suitable, balanced diet in order to ensure all his needs are being met, not just calcium and phosphorous

Bully Max is not a brand I'm familiar with, which always makes me a bit cautious. It looks like they have both a kibble and a supplement. The supplement is not needed or recommended if Cleo is getting a good quality food. I would recommend Purina ProPlan, Hills Science Diet, or Royal Canin. She should definitely be on a large breed puppy diet until she's a year old. The large breed is important. I hope that helps, best of luck to you and Cleo!

Puppies naturally explore the world using their mouths. Chewing on himself may be related to itchy skin caused by fleas or excessively dry skin. If you are not familiar with normal puppy behavior, I recommend to read a few books so that you will be better educated and know what to expect and how to recognize a problem. You should be feeding Jackey a commercial dog food meant for large breed puppies. If you are feeding one of these diets already, it is fortified with the needed amounts of calcium, phosphorus, proteins, calories as well as the other needed nutrients. Giving additional supplements can actually hurt Jackey’s bone development and I recommend to not give him calcium supplements or any additional milk. If you want to feed a homemade diet, you need to consult a veterinary nutritionist. Large breed puppies are prone to several growth abnormalities and it is especially important to feed proper diet right now while the bones are developing and growing. Royal Canin makes an excellent diet called German Shepherd Puppy and it is formulated to meet the appropriate growth requirements as well as the often sensitive G.I. tract of the breed. You would feed this diet once he is six weeks old. There is another formula called Baby Dog that is appropriate for puppies less than 6 weeks old. You should also consult your veterinarian for his routine deworming, and to check out potentially itchy skin. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.