Best Food for German Shepherd with Sensitive Stomach: 5 Picks and a Vet Guide

Merck Veterinary Manual says inflammatory bowel disease "may be more common in German Shepherds, Yorkshire Terriers, and Cocker Spaniels," so the question is a fair one for the breed. A dog with vomiting or loose stools that keeps coming back needs a vet visit before a food change. The five dry foods below are sold with sensitive stomach labels, two for large breed puppies and three for adults. None of them treats a stomach condition, and each description sticks to what its Amazon listing says. After the list you will find a seven day switching schedule from Tufts University and the signs that mean a call to the vet. If itchy skin is the bigger worry, see our guide to the best dog food for German Shepherds with skin allergies.

Do German Shepherds Have Sensitive Stomachs

Merck names the breed in the parvovirus, bloat, and inflammatory bowel disease sections of its guide to stomach and intestine disorders in dogs. German Shepherds are among the breeds at increased risk of parvovirus, among the breeds affected most frequently by bloat, and among the breeds in which inflammatory bowel disease may be more common. Merck says the signs of inflammatory bowel disease "are often present over long periods and sometimes come and go," and that vomiting, diarrhea, changes in appetite, and weight loss may occur.

The Wag Walking page on sensitive stomach in dogs lists nausea, vomiting, excessive gas, and diarrhea with or without blood in the stool among the signs. VCA Animal Hospitals names changes in diet or food intolerances as one common cause of diarrhea, along with infections, stress, and eating something a dog should not.

Sensitive Stomach Foods for German Shepherds

Check price and stock on each listing. Two of these foods are made for puppies and three for adults.

Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Puppy, Large Breed

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This is the large breed puppy food on the list. The listing puts salmon first and says the formula supports an appropriate growth rate for large breed puppies. It names oat meal as the easily digestible grain, sunflower oil for omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin A, and DHA from fish oil for brain and vision development. A 2021 systematic review of randomized studies looked at EPA and DHA supplements in dogs and cats. For digestion the listing names guaranteed live probiotics and natural prebiotic fiber.

Cornell University's veterinary college says the most widely known probiotics are the live cultures found in yogurt and that they are also sold as supplements. For a dog getting probiotics in their diet, it says labels should include "an expiration date, the exact species, the number of microorganisms in the product and a guarantee for the number of live organisms." The listing does not give the species or the count, so read the bag. We cover supplements in our guide to the best probiotics for German Shepherds.

Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Large Breed

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This is the adult version, and the listing calls it complete and balanced nutrition for large adult dogs. Salmon is the first ingredient, with fish oil as a source of EPA. The listing also names glucosamine and EPA for joint health and mobility, omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat, natural prebiotic fiber, and easily digestible oat meal. The listing names oat meal and the bag reads salmon and rice formula. Our guide to the skin allergy picks lists the same Purina formula, so a Shepherd with itchy skin and a touchy stomach can look at both pages.

Blue Buffalo Basics Turkey Puppy Skin & Stomach Care

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The listing says real turkey is the number one ingredient and that the food is formulated for puppies with ingredients that support gentle digestion, plus DHA for brain and eye development. It also states no chicken or poultry by-product meals, and no corn, wheat, or soy. The listing does not mention large breeds, so a Shepherd puppy's vet should say whether this formula fits the puppy's growth.

Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin

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The listing describes a highly digestible formula with prebiotic fiber, vitamin E, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat, made as complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs. It states that chicken is the number one ingredient. VCA says the most common food allergens in dogs are proteins, "especially those from dairy, beef, chicken, chicken eggs, soy, or wheat gluten." For a dog with known protein allergies, check the ingredient list for chicken first and ask your vet which proteins to avoid.

Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin Large Breed

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This is the Hill's formula with the large breed label. Its listing carries the same feature list as the regular Hill's food: prebiotic fiber, vitamin E, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, chicken as the number one ingredient, and complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs. The bag is labeled Large Breed Adult 1-5, so read the age range printed on it.

Want to check out more chewables for your friend? Have a look at these best dog treats for German Shepherds to help with your daily training sessions! Merck says that during an elimination diet "no treats of any kind should be fed unless approved by the veterinarian," so ask first if your dog is on one.

What to Check on the Label

Start with the first ingredient and the life stage. A puppy food, an adult food, and an all life stages food are different products, and the label says which one the bag is. If your vet has named an ingredient to avoid, read the full ingredient panel on the bag, because the listing text only names the first ingredient.

Omega-3 and omega-6 on a label are Essential fatty acids. The Canine Nutritionist, a UK nutrition site, says "dogs cannot make their own EFAs." Prebiotic fiber is not the same as a probiotic. Cornell says "Prebiotics are fiber upon which the probiotics feed." A review on the canine gut microbiome in health and gastrointestinal disease says "Age, diet, and many other environmental factors may play a significant role in the maintenance of a healthy microbiome."

A store-bought food with a sensitive stomach label is also not a vet's trial diet. VCA says retail pet foods are "not manufactured with the extreme health and safety protocols to prevent cross-contamination" that veterinary diets use, and that "Your veterinarian will prescribe the best option specific to your dog's needs." For how trial diets work, see the best dog food for German Shepherds with skin allergies guide.

How to Switch Foods

Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, in an article by Deborah Linder, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition), says some pets switch foods overnight while "other pets require 4-6 week transitions to avoid stomach upset." Its advice is to mix in the new food gradually over "at least one week." This is the general schedule it gives:

Tufts says "some soft stool can occur during a diet change." If a dog shows minor signs such as loose stool and otherwise acts fine, it says you can continue but stretch the switch out, staying at the last ratio that caused no trouble for another day or two. It also says that if a pet has "continued vomiting, liquid diarrhea, or appears painful or lethargic," you should call your veterinarian. Foods differ in calories per cup, and Tufts says to check the bag or ask your vet how much of the new food to feed.

When Stomach Trouble Needs a Vet

VCA says that if frequent liquid or semi-liquid stools "persist for more than two days, you should consult your veterinarian." It adds that severe, bloody diarrhea or general signs of illness such as weakness, fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, loss of appetite, or weight loss mean you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Merck says parvovirus most often affects puppies or unvaccinated adult dogs and lists German Shepherds among the breeds at increased risk, and VCA says diarrhea is one of the first signs seen in parvovirus.

For ongoing trouble, a vet may suggest an exclusion diet. Merck says the new diet "should be the only source of food for a minimum period (often 4 to 6 weeks)," and that for inflammatory bowel disease "Relapses of signs are common and are often triggered by diet changes."

One emergency is specific to deep-chested breeds. Merck calls bloat "a life-threatening emergency," names German Shepherds among the breeds affected most frequently, and lists once daily feedings, a dry food diet, and eating quickly among the risk factors. Its listed signs include restlessness, rapid breathing, abdominal pain and swelling, repeated dry retching, and excessive drooling, and it says to "Immediately seek veterinary care" if your dog shows them. Merck says a vet may recommend smaller meals more often for a dog prone to bloat, so ask your vet what feeding schedule fits your dog.

Sources

• Merck Veterinary Manual, Disorders of the Stomach and Intestines in Dogs
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Diarrhea in Dogs
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Food Allergies in Dogs
• Tufts Petfoodology, How do I switch my pet's food?
• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, The power of probiotics
• The Role of the Canine Gut Microbiome and Metabolome in Health and Gastrointestinal Disease
• Therapeutic Effect of EPA/DHA Supplementation in Neoplastic and Non-neoplastic Companion Animal Diseases: A Systematic Review
• Wag Walking, Sensitive Stomach in Dogs
• The Canine Nutritionist, Dogs and Essential Fatty Acids

Food details come from each product's Amazon listing.