Doberman's diet at home: 5 best foods and menu for the week

Those who just got a Doberman may ask a fair question: what can you feed a Doberman at home? This working breed has a fairly large appetite, so it is simply impossible to survive on dry food alone.

Therefore, the Doberman's diet should be combined. But to choose the right menu, it is not enough to include all the main components of a dog’s diet. Let's figure out what veterinarians advise regarding the Pinscher's daily menu, portion sizes and the subtleties of choosing the ideal food.

Basic rules for feeding dogs

Dobermans should be fed primarily meat at home. Just like any other working breed. This is due to the fact that such a large dog spends a lot of energy and calories to cope with physical and mental stress.

Other key rules for feeding pets with a height at the withers of 50 centimeters are as follows:

• Give food regularly. The dog must have a strict feeding schedule and understand when it can count on treats and when asking for them is useless;
• Gradually reduce the number of feedings. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but as your dog ages, you need to feed it less frequently. For example, a month-old individual is given food up to six times, and a one-year-old only twice;
• Do not give your dog food if it has not eaten the previous one within 15 minutes. This signals that the animal is actually full. Remember this, no matter how pitiful the eyes it makes.

Brit Care lamb with rice 12 kg (for large breeds)

The food is produced in the Czech Republic. It is rich in protein due to the significant amount of natural meat and fish in the recipe. Rice is used, enriching the body with carbohydrates, including fish and chicken oil, which produce fatty acids. Brit Care is most useful for large breeds, because its components prevent joint diseases - a problem for many large four-legged pets. Premium and super - premium class.

pros

• Vitamins and minerals in balance.
• Hypoallergenic.
• Nice smell.
• Causes a huge appetite.
• Optimal size granules.
• High quality.
• For a healthy pet's body.

Minuses

• It smells strong.
• Unpleasant color.
• Too dry.
• Not suitable for all breeds.
• Insufficient bag volume - up to 12 kilograms.

What type of food should I choose for my Doberman: dry food or natural food?

Before you figure out what to feed a two-month-old Doberman puppy or an adult, you need to understand whether, in general, such an animal can have a completely artificial or completely natural diet.
The answer in both cases is no. Useful! To make your pet feel good, you need to combine dry food with natural food.

In the case of a Doberman, natural food means fresh, non-heat-treated vegetables, cereals and cereals.
And, of course, meat and by-products of its production. Expert opinion

Kuzmenko Olga Olegovna

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However, offal must be cleared of long bones - pinschers have a powerful jaw, but bone fragments can seriously harm them. "

We need to talk separately about how to combine suitable products and which ones should be preferred.

Food selection

From a medical point of view, there is no clear answer to the question of feeding option. There is dry and natural food. Each of them has both supporters and opponents.

For example, supporters of natural food argue their position by the fact that its composition already contains everything that a Doberman needs for normal life.

Adherents of dry food are of the opinion that the food contains all the beneficial substances without the dog having to prepare his own food, which is very convenient.

The only point is that you should not buy food in the budget category, since it is often made from the cheapest raw materials with the addition of a large amount of dyes.

When choosing natural food, you need to adhere to certain rules, which will be discussed a little later.

What to feed a Doberman?

Feeding will vary depending on the age of the individual. Therefore, before you get scared about how much dry food for a Doberman costs, you need to figure out what you should feed your pet depending on its age. The difference exists for puppies, adult dogs and four-legged companions aged over eight years.

Puppy

Proper nutrition in the first year of a puppy's life affects how he will eventually grow up.

Advice! Ideally, you need to plan the nutrition of a small Doberman at home so that about 60% of the diet comes from natural ingredients.

The main products for young representatives of this breed for one day are as follows:

• 400 milliliters of milk, its volume should be reduced over time;
• 250 grams of fresh meat without bones;
• 150 grams of vegetables at the owner’s discretion;
• 100 grams of boiled cereals;
• 100 grams of cottage cheese without dressing;
• Boiled chicken yolk.

Adult dog

Having figured out how to feed a Doberman to gain weight at a young age, you need to figure out what to do next. An older dog will require more nutrition. Therefore, by the age of one year, you need to give her the same as before, only twice as much. And milk should be completely excluded from the menu. It will only harm an adult dog.

And a pet weighing over 23 kilograms, that is, a sexually mature and adult individual, should be gradually given dry food.

Expert opinion

Kuzmenko Olga Olegovna

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It is important that it contains protein, which is quickly absorbed by the body - this is the only way an active breed can cope with growing loads.”

As dry food is introduced into the diet, the dog will feel more energetic, and “chronic” diseases may begin to recede. Veterinarians say: adults who eat dry food are less likely to have digestive problems and constipation.

Their stomach dilates less often and volvulus almost never occurs. However, as your pet ages, dry food will need to be gradually reduced. Let's figure out why this happens.

Elderly pet

An aging dog will not be able to eat dry food. In any case, completely dry. Some owners begin to soak the granules in kefir. And choose varieties that have small granules so that it is easier for the dog to chew them.

How much dry food does an aging Doberman eat per day? It all depends on the individual characteristics of the body. Some people start to gain weight as they get older. Others, on the contrary, refuse to eat.

There is only one thing: the owner needs to make sure that the elderly dog ​​gets enough vegetables and fruits. This is the only way to keep her digestive and excretory systems healthy.

Reference! To make everything effective, give your dog only vegetables that he likes.

How often should you feed your pet and what should the portion be?

It’s easy to figure out how to properly feed a Doberman with natural food. But there are some difficulties with the feeding schedule. It is influenced by the individual characteristics of the animal’s body, so ideally you need to coordinate the intensity of feeding with your doctor. But the general scheme is this:

Vitamin supplements

If the dog eats natural food, it needs to be periodically given vitamin supplements. Not all useful substances a dog can get from food - for example, vitamins D and E.

Therefore, for the normal functioning of the body, she requires seasonal vitamin supplements.

Also, vitamin supplements are necessary for growing puppies, and pregnant bitches, in addition, require preparations containing calcium . Due to their heavy weight, large breed dogs require additional support for their joints and ligaments.

The need for vitamins in dogs is significantly different from that of humans. For example, a dog’s body is capable of producing the required amount of vitamin C , so the animal does not need this vitamin from the outside.

Similarly, dogs have virtually no need for vitamin K , which is also synthesized in the required quantities. But they often lack vitamin D

This vitamin is especially important for bitches during pregnancy and small puppies - it is responsible for the absorption of calcium and promotes normal bone development.

Exactly the same problems often arise with vitamin E - its content in food is often insufficient. Vitamin E is important for the health of your dog's skin and coat, and it also promotes a healthy pregnancy.

Some of the brands that produce vitamin supplements for dogs include:

• Royal Canin;
• 8 in 1;
• Beaphar;
• Nestle;
• Unitabs.

These manufacturers produce both multivitamin complexes and special supplements high in calcium and glucosamine to strengthen bones and ligaments.

We recommend reading an article about average indicators for Dobermans: height, weight and life expectancy.

How to choose the right dry food for a Doberman?

The daily diet, if you decide to feed your dog exclusively dry food, should be made taking into account the composition of the specific product. Some foods for large dogs actually contain everything you need.

But the intake of others will still have to be combined with natural supplements. In order not to worry about how the dog’s body will accept food, buy one of the top best foods.

5 best foods

Reference! The best dry food is considered to be all that belong to the holistic class.

Such food contains only natural ingredients, it does not contain meat production waste and harmful high-calorie components. In addition, such food is always sold in reliable packaging, which contains everything from the amount of dry food per day to a complete list of ingredients:

CHAPPI MEAT ABUNDANCE WITH VEGETABLES AND HERBS, adults

https://dog-care.ru/zdorove/pitanie/luchshih-suhih-kormov-dlya-dobermana.html

CHAPPI is produced in Russia for economy class. It contains cereals, which are considered the best sources of carbohydrates. Proteins are present in the form of meat and offal. Use vegetables, for example, carrots, vegetable oils. CHAPPI is convenient because there is no need to add vitamins to it; they are already contained in sufficient quantities.

pros

• Wide availability.
• Nutritious food.
• Does not cause constipation in the animal.
• Decent quality.
• Promotes healthy appearance of coat and teeth.
• Doggies like it.
• There are no artificial flavors or flavor enhancers.

Minuses

• Treatment of the animal after eating these dry granules.
• Bad composition.
• Allergic reactions.
• Hair falls out.
• Bloating.
• Not suitable for all individuals.
• Unattractive packaging.

What foods can be given in a natural diet?

A portion of dry food can be easily replaced with natural food. But not every owner knows what plant and meat components should be in the daily portion of a pinscher’s natural diet. It is made up of the following products or combinations thereof:

• Meat products and pure meat should not account for less than 35-50%. This category of food includes meat or fish meal, fillets, defrosted tenderloins;
• Cereals account for about 25-35% of the daily portion. Preference should be given to oatmeal, rice, buckwheat and barley;
• Dairy products occupy 25-30% of an animal's diet. The dog literally needs fermented milk products, that is, fermented baked milk, kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese. Some breeders even provide Greek yogurt;
• About 15% of daily nutrition is allocated to vegetables, dried fruits and fruits. Typically, dogs are given pumpkin, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, beets, apples and some garden berries;
• Eggs are not given to animals every day. It is most important that the dog consumes the yolks. They are better absorbed by the pinscher’s body. Like any other large breed;
• There is a lot of controversy surrounding bones in a dog's diet. Some veterinarians advise against them. Others see bones as a means of preventing tartar. The optimal solution is artificial bones made from veins.

Reviews

Vladimir, 35 years old, Vologda

“My “baby” is already 5 years old. At first they fed them natural products. And it fell off the table. They drank problems to the fullest. He was often tormented by diarrhea and vomiting. We went outside and he ate grass. I cleaned my stomach. We fiddled around for a long time. There was no contact from the veterinarian. In the end, the doctor said to transfer him to holistic medicine. What can I say... there were no problems. He eats it with great pleasure. Expensive, of course. But the peace of mind for the whole family is worth it.”

Olga, 43 years old, Kovrov

“I am only for natural food. The children gave me Baron a year ago. I am preparing a large pot for two days. You have to watch both your diet and his. It was difficult at first. Up to a year, you need to especially carefully monitor your diet, adding new foods. It's easier now. The menu is quite monotonous. The main thing is to give meat. Dobermans cannot live without this.”

What is it forbidden to feed Dobermans?

Is it difficult to feed a Doberman? The previous points proved that any relatively experienced breeder can create the right menu. However, there are foods that are strictly prohibited for representatives of this working breed.

The list of strict prohibitions includes:

• Sausages, sausages and other store-bought meat products. They pose a danger to the dog’s sensitive digestion because they can provoke gastritis or indigestion;
• Potato. It doesn’t matter whether it’s boiled, fried or raw - the abundance of starch cannot be processed by the dog’s body and complicates the digestive processes;
• Bakery products and pasta. They are poorly digested by Dobermans. Because of these products, fermentation begins in the pinscher's stomach;
• Soups. Boiled vegetables and broths do not change any benefits for your pet. And the excess fluid that the dog receives due to the consumption of broth provokes urinary incontinence even in well-mannered dogs;
• Products that contain refined sugar. This list includes sweets of all types. They have a bad effect on the animal’s pancreas and can provoke the development of diabetes;
• Waste from the human table. No food prepared for humans should be given to a dog. This threatens him with premature stomach problems or death.

Peculiarities

The growth rate of Dobermans is such that after a year the weight of the animal is 10 times greater than in the first month. Such rapid development requires special attention to the preparation of the pet’s daily diet.

Representatives of the breed are prone to cardiomyopathy and gastrointestinal problems. Gastric bloating and volvulus are more common in males. They are caused by the consumption of large amounts of dry food and other errors in nutrition.

Dobermans suffer from allergies (food, pollen, mold products, etc.). The breed is characterized by weak ligaments and joints. Joint dysplasia (especially hip dysplasia) is common. To reduce the likelihood of their occurrence, a large amount of protein is included in the diet, especially of puppies.

Sample menu for the week

A weekly menu, including specialized food, can be compiled according to the instructions on the package. Usually everything is calculated taking into account the weight of the Doberman. But with natural menu items they act differently.

You need to create a complete menu for your dog. The universal one looks like this:

This menu takes into account all the needs of the dog’s body. However, this weekly menu may vary depending on the food preferences of a particular animal. Be sure to delight your four-legged friend with food that he likes. This will make the dog happier and more energetic.

Buying tips and advice

Firstly, you should decide why such a dog is needed and only then make the decision to buy a puppy of this breed. In any case, you should ask about his pedigree, although even having all the documents does not guarantee that you will be able to get a puppy with excellent characteristics. It should be noted that the chances of acquiring a cowardly or aggressive animal are much less. Before 2 months of age, it is unlikely that a puppy will be separated from its mother.

It should be remembered that females are more gentle and affectionate, but males have a better developed protective instinct. As a rule, experienced breeders sell animals with cropped ears and tails. A purebred and healthy puppy should not have breed defects. It is imperative to check the abdominal area so that the puppy does not have an umbilical hernia. It is mandatory to draw up a purchase and sale agreement, with the possibility of returning the puppy to the kennel in case of any negative manifestations. If a puppy is purchased from a nursery with all accompanying documents, then its cost starts from 36 thousand rubles.