My GSD puppy's ears are floppy. Should I give calcium or B12?

Typically, if a GSD's ears have not stood up by 6-8 months it is likely that they will not stand up at all. There are however, some taping methods that can assist the ears to stand up. You should talk to your veterinarian before taping the ears because it may make your puppies prone to developing ear infections. The amount of cartilage in a puppy's ears is determined at birth. Oral or injectable supplements will not affect the amount of cartilage in the ears.

As much as you can keep the other dog from chewing on her ears, do so, but it's not the end of the world. Their ears will go up and down as they're teething and growing, so they may tip up and down for a couple months more until they stand for good. Congratulations on your new baby, she's absolutely beautiful!

The ears will not have developed completely before the age of approximately 18 months. Until then they will stand up and flop many times. At the age of 2 months ears of a German Shepherd dog naturally flop, ie do not stand up. Your dog is normal and his ears should start to stand up in a few months.

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 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

Congratulations on your new puppy! He definitely needs to start his vaccinations as soon as possible, so I would recommend bringing him to the vet for his first visit as soon as you can. Your veterinarian can advise you on what vaccines are recommended in your area, and will also give him a general check up to make sure he seems healthy. The pup may also need to be dewormed, if this hasn't been done recently. In German Shepherds, it's common for the ears to go up and down quite a bit until six months of age or so - so I wouldn't worry too much just yet, if he has one ear up and one down. It's likely that this will straighten out over the next several weeks.

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.