It is hurtful when you find that your pup is ill. Whenever you know that your puppy is sick or needs treatment, it’s heart-breaking. So today, I will tell you about the best dog food for epi German shepherd.
Firstly, you have to know that Epi ( (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) dogs can spend a normal life and can enjoy all the life activities that an average dog enjoys. Moreover, it doesn’t short the life span of a dog. It is a digestive disorder, and dogs with the condition lack the enzyme to digest food naturally. 70 percent of german shepherds have this problem.
Finding the proper diet for epi dogs is complex and confusing, especially when recently diagnosed. So to overcome this difficulty of owners, I am here with the top food for a German epi shepherd. Give this article a read, and you will find a solution to your problem. So let’s start.
Best dog food for epi German shepherd 2022( Reviews)
1. Taste of the wild sierra for sick german shepherd
the canine formula is lamb-based dog food made up of high-quality ingredients. This formula is grain-free. It is formulated grain-free and with pro-biotics to help in proper and complete digestion. The elements present in it are lamb, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, peas, etc.
2. Wellness complete health whitefish and sweet potato
This formula is made of white fish and is a canine food of whole ingredients without any artificial food additives. It provides all the essential vitamins and minerals to avoid any type of nutritional deficiency. It doesn’t contain wheat, soy, corn, or other artificial flavors or colors. This wellness, complete health whitefish formula is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. The ingredients present in it are white fish, ground barley, rye flour, and menhaden fish meal.
3. Merrick grain free large breed real chicken and sweet potatoes
This formula is chicken and chicken meal-based. It includes multiple probiotics that help in proper digestion that can be good food for epi dogs. Moreover, it contains rich salmon oil that is quite good for healthy skin. In addition to this, it has safe antioxidants and preservatives. This formula is grain-free and is specifically designed for large breeds. Its ingredients include deboned chicken, chicken meal, peas, and sweet potatoes. It has fat to protein ratio of 48%.
4. Natural Balance LID Lamb and brown rice formula
This formula comprises limited ingredients and includes brown rice and lamb so that digestion can be done easily. It does not include any unnecessary ingredients like food and color additives. It is fortified with canola oil and has a good ratio of both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Its components include lamb meal, brown rice, rice bran, canola oil, and ground white rice.
5. Purina Pro plan focus on sensitive skin and stomach
This formula is designed with ingredients like salmon and rice. This is specifically designed for dogs with stomach problems and food allergies. It is fortified with glucosamine-rich ingredients to avoid nutritional deficiency. But some allergens are present in it, like wheat, corn, or soy. So the elements present in it are salmon, canola meal, brewers rice, barley, and oatmeal.
6. Instinct raw boost with real chicken
This protein-packed formula has real chicken as the first ingredient. The dog food is grain-free, like corn, soy, wheat, or potato. This formula contains probiotics for proper digestion. This instinct raw food is made up of without any food additive. Some antioxidants derived from fruits and vegetables are present to make it more efficient. It has fat to protein ratio of 61%. The ingredients present are Chicken, chicken meal, peas, egg products, and turkey meals.
7. Victor purpose Nutra pro dog food
This Nutra dog food is rich in low glycemic carbs. It is grain inclusive, which means grains are present in this formula. Probiotics are present that are very helpful in proper digestion. In addition to this, chelated minerals are present for optimal absorption. Omega fatty acids are present that provides a complete nutritional factor. This is made up of gluten-free ingredients. The ingredients present are chicken meal, blood meal, whole grain millet, chicken fat, etc.
8. Eagle pack power adult dog food
This formula of dog food contains safe antioxidant preservatives. It is grain inclusive, so grains are present in this formula but are without legume concentrates l. It has an excellent ratio of high protein and low carbs that every healthy food has. Moreover, it contains multiple probiotics that help in proper digestion. This formula has fat to carb ratio of 63%. The ingredients present in this eagle power pack food are chicken meal, pork meal, peas, chicken fat, and ground brown rice.
9. Dr Gary’s best breed German dog diet
This brand provides balanced nutrition for large breeds. All the essential vitamins are present in this diet. Its major ingredient includes the chicken meal, oatmeal, brown rice, chicken fat, and dried beet pulp. This Gary’s diet is grain inclusive, which means grains are present. It has 36% protein, 22% fat, and 34% carbs.
Special instructions for Epi German shepherd
Epi is a digestive disorder in which the dog fails to produce pancreatic enzymes that result in the indigestion of the food. So, epi dog requires supplementary enzymes to digest their food. Without these supplements, the dog will fail to digest food, resulting in starvation, weight loss, loose stools, etc. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, but it can be treated by adding various pancreatic enzymes to each meal.
Treatment includes the addition of pancreatic supplementary enzymes to each meal. Still, you have to consult the vet for the exact amount. The necessary condition is that enzymes must be included in every meal; otherwise, the food will remain undigested.
Dogs with Epi require a highly digestible diet for their entire life. However, some dogs deal best with Epi because of raw food and a grain-free diet. So I would strongly recommend you to use a grain-free diet with the addition of enzymes.
At the beginning of the treatment, the dog’s meal should be divided into several meals per day, every time with the addition of supplementary enzymes. Then, as diarrhea resolves and your pet starts gaining weight, you can reduce meals two times per day. But keep in mind that enzymes must be added with each feed as your dog must digest food.
Epi dogs do well with food with low fibre. They also do best with highly indigestible food. Fibre is the most challenging element in the food to digest for an epi dog, so in starting, I would recommend the food with 4% or less than 4% for an epi dog.
Preparation of meal with enzymes
When you are using enzyme replacement, you must know that the enzyme and the food should be at room temperature. Coldness makes the enzyme inactive, and heat denatures it. If you have frozen meat, then first soak that in lukewarm water to equal its temperature to that of the room temperature.
After getting the room temperature, add the powdered enzyme, and let the food incubate for about 20 minutes. Ensure that the water you are using to mix the enzymes is also at a suitable temperature.
If you are using enteric-coated capsules, they were then given the tablet as a whole with food or 5 minutes before the food would be recommended. Some people open up the capsule and sprinkle it on the top of the food, and the others give the whole enteric-coated tablet before the meal.
If you are using tablets, then, first of all, you have to crush these tablets and convert them into powdered form. The preferable method is to use powder enzymes available on the market.
If you are using the powdered form of enzymes, you have to use 1 tsp of the enzyme in one cup of dog food. If you are using dry food, you must add some liquid at a reasonable temperature with an enzyme and incubate it for 20 minutes. Many vets do not suggest the incubation period, but some dogs develop mouth sores or bleeds because of enzymes. These mouth sores can be treated by reducing the number of enzymes.
Porcine enzyme powder is the best method to deal with Epi. It is commercially available and is easy to use. Most of these enzyme powders include three enzymes types: lipase, protease, and amylase. These enzyme supplements are mixed in warm a then in food. Make sure that the food is not flooded in liquid water as most dogs don’t like it. Many brands provide suitable supplementary enzymes that include Viokase-V, Pancreatic 6X, Pancreatic 8X, bio case V, etc.
To deal with Epi, all you have to do is mix the supplementary enzymes with the food of your German shepherd but keep in mind that a highly digestible, grain-free, and low fiber diet is recommended.
Check out some exciting dog deals from Chewy here.
Frequently Asked questions
Are these dog foods suitable for Epi german shepherd?
Based on our research, these foods are perfectly suitable for epi german shepherds. They are a highly digestible and grain-free diet perfectly ideal for your pet.
Which external supplement can be used with these foods?
You can consult with your veterinarian and use an external supplement like b12 that can help you in absorption.
Read about Nutra Nuggets and Ziwipeak dog food here.
Probiotics
Probiotics may help in proper digestion and improve the digestive and immune systems by promoting the growth of good bacteria in the digestive system. The addition of probiotics in the diet of dogs can reduce diarrhea. Canine probiotics come in capsules, powders, liquids, gels, and soft chews. You can also use a diet of food that includes probiotics.
So don’t worry if your shepherd has an Epi problem. All you have to do is add enzymes according to the above instructions, and your pet will enjoy her life to the fullest.
Conclusion
I hope you like our reviews about the best dog food for epi german shepherd. If you have any questions about dog food, feel free to contact us. We have reviewed all the top products for epi german shepherd. You decide to choose the ultimate food for your dog. Here are reviews about Shih Tzu food with a sensitive stomach
