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German Shepherds: Gastrointestinal Tract Health
German Shepherd dogs often suffer from many digestive issues due to their sensitive stomachs. Some common issues that the German Shepherd dog breed face are Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) and gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). German Shepherd dogs are also prone to becoming obese if the diet is not closely monitored.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is a disorder in which the pancreas produces insufficient amounts of digestive enzymes EPI is generally a result of pancreatic acinar atrophy in dogs, an autoimmune disease and is believed to be an autosomal recessive disorder that is more prevalent in purebred dogs.

However, nutrition has been shown to help prevent onset and progression of EPI by reducing the risk factors for EPI. A high fat diet (19% or more) has demonstrated to be beneficial in reducing EPI as well as restoring body condition from when EPI has already affected the dog. A highly digestible diet has also shown benefits in prevention EPI and restoring the dog’s body condition as well. Diets that are rice based and contain hydrolyzed soy can also help in significantly improving the body condition score of effected dogs and can help with the prevention of EPI as well.

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is more commonly known as bloat. GDV is likely to be the most common cause of death related to gastrointestinal problems. Specifically, for large breed dogs, GDV is the second leading cause of death.

This disorder in dogs involves the process of air quickly collecting in the stomach, which leads to the stomach positioning incorrectly and increasing pressure in the gastrointestinal tract. This often results from the when dogs eat their food too quickly, which is an issue with German Shepherd dogs. German Shepherds are a large breed dog which are often purebred, which also contributes to increasing their risk with GDV.

It has been shown that specific diets fed to large breed dogs can also increase the risk factors of developing GDV. This includes high consumption of dry commercial pet food, especially pet foods that contain highly processed cereals. Feeding routine and behaviour can also increase risk of GDV, as dogs shown to be fed the same meal three times daily were more likely to develop GDV This could be due to familiarity of the food which may lead to increased consumption rate, and thus more uptake of air into the stomach. On the other end, feeding just once a day, feeding from an elevated food bowl, and moistening dry pet food have also shown dramatically increased GDV risk.

By feeding a mixture of foods, including table scraps, including canned foods and adopting routines that enable slower eating prevents and reduces risks for GDV. Kibbles that are designed to increase chewing and is large in particle size can significantly help decrease GDV by encouraging slower eating rates. High fats and high fiber diets will also aid in satiety to reduce fast eating, while ensuring the sustained energy that the German Shepherd dog breed needs.

Obesity is another common gastrointestinal health issue that German Shepherd dogs face. It is 5.18% prevalent in German Shepherds, which is abundant considering the widespread problem of osteoarthritis is 5.54%. Obesity is the accumulation of adipose tissue in disproportionate amounts.

The risk of obesity is due to many factors. The main factor is essentially due to the amount of intake surpassing the amount of energy expended. It’s vital to ensure that obesity is prevented as it can cause many other comorbidities in the German Shepherd dog breed, such as dysplasia. German Shepherd diets tend to be formulated and marketed for high energy, therefore matching the energy expenditure and ensuring proper feeding routines is also important for preventing obesity.

Some ingredients to look out for that supports weight loss are L-carnitine and conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). L-carnitine is an amino acid that animals produce naturally in the liver, but can be supplemented as it is shown to increase lean mass while decreasing fat mass. This is because L-carnitine retains nitrogen and enhances fatty acid oxidation. CLAs are derived from linoleic acids, which can be found in ingredients such as safflower, sunflower, or soybean oils. CLAs function similarly to L-carnitine in which it improves fatty acid oxidation and thus, reduces fat mass while increasing lean body mass.