Words are not enough to describe the love of rice for humans and people having GSD seems to ask nutritionists and vets that can German shepherds eat rice.
In the case of the German shepherd breed, they have a sensitive digestive system, which needs to be monitored and screened. Also, they are extremely energetic and active dogs, which require enough strength to perform daily training/exercise.
Since German shepherds are healthy, watchful, and sporty dogs that is why we should not just feed them anything blindly. Not only they are sensitive to the stomach but they also suffer from various food allergies.
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Can German Shepherds Eat Rice?
So, is rice good for German shepherds? Yes, a German shepherd can eat white rice as it is completely safe and easy to digest food for dogs.
Rice as Diet for German Shepherd
German shepherd dogs can have rice as long as it is perfectly cooked. Rice is the type of diet that is not harmful to dogs. Rice is the kind of food that offers a great amount of energy through dietary fibers, carbohydrates, and proteins. Another benefit of rice is that they are easily digestible and delicious at the same time.
If you are willing to give your dog rice so you should boil them properly at a high temperature without adding any seasoning or flavor into it. However, some people like to add toppings and vegetables to cook with rice but you need to be picky about choosing veggies to add in the rice you will be cooking for your loyal pet.
However, some people wonder can German shepherd puppies eat rice? You can feed home-cooked rice to your pup as an alternative to processed dog food. It is safe and healthy for a German shepherd puppy you may know that nowadays many commercial kibbles are made of grains and rice. Fully cooked rice with the only addition of vegetables is safe to feed your small dog.
Many new pet owners are not confident about giving the rice diet a try for their dogs. In general, rice is an easily digestible and safe diet not only for German shepherds but for all dog breeds. However, excess of everything can be harmful so you need to be thoughtful especially if your dog suffers from a food allergy.
Stay with us a little longer to know how much rice you can feed to your dog and which type of rice is better for your dog?
Can German shepherds eat brown rice?
You can feed both white and brown rice to German shepherds in a controlled portion. However, white rice is way easier to digest as compared to brown rice so it is better to limit the portion of brown rice if you are giving it to your dog.
The processing of white rice is different than brown rice although the process of removing seed coat reduces nutrition level in white rice but this makes white rice easy to digest for dogs. On the other hand, brown rice is not fully processed thus the presence of seed layers makes them extra rich in vitamins and protein. Even though brown rice offers extra nutrition but German shepherds have to face difficulty digesting them.
The Animal Medical Center stated that brown rice contains vital nutrients, which are mainly deposited in the seed layers. Further explained that portion of the fiber is higher in brown rice and the qualities like antioxidant make it hit in the eyes of veterinaries.
It’s just the coat of brown rice, hard to digest for dogs, still, you can serve a very little amount of it to your dog occasionally. In case your dog suffers from gastrointestinal issues or digestion problems so you should never think of giving them brown rice, instead, an easy digestible white rice diet would be better.
Besides, the hard texture and taste of brown rice are not favorable by many dogs and they refuse to eat that.
Also Read:
- Can German Shepherds Eat Scrambled Eggs?
- Can German Shepherds Eat Salmon?
- German Shepherd Puppy Behavior Stages
- Can German Shepherds Eat Fish?
- Can A German Shepherd Eat Raw Chicken?
How much rice is safe to feed a German shepherd?
For a healthy and fit dog, you can serve them 10% of their daily meal while the portion of brown rice should be less in portion. Make sure to serve rice in a combination of diets, which is healthy and balanced for your German shepherd. You can serve white and brown rice to your German shepherd only need to be careful with the portion size.
Everyday consumption:
The German shepherd can eat well-cooked rice every day if it is given with well-balanced diet to complete its nutritional requirements. However, the amount of fully cooked rice is mainly depending on the size of the dog, roughly half a cup of rice in a day is safe to feed a large German shepherd dog.
When to feed:
Rice, in particular, is the best diet when your canine is dealing with stomach problems or indigestion. if your German shepherd dog is having a tough time due to diarrhea so one of the best foods to serve them could be the small portion of white rice and plain, cooked chicken. Plain boiled rice with vegetables serves your dog best and fasten recovery at the time of food allergy or meat contamination.
Whereas, you should decrease the portion of rice to 1 to2 tablespoons if your dog is diabetic or has a blood pressure problem. In the worst case, avoid feeding rice to your dog as the high glycemic index can be the reason for high sugar levels in the blood.
What Rice has to offer to your dog?
One cup of white rice comprises of:
- 12 g insoluble fiber
- 6 g proteins
- 16 g carbohydrates
- 86 mg Iron
- 22 mg Magnesium
- 02 mg Calcium
- 9 mg Phosphorus
- 48 mg Potassium
Rice is not only a diet that provides energy to your German shepherd canine but it also boosts the growth of muscles as well as good for healthy hair growth, nails, skin, ligaments, and cartilage.
It also maintains or controls the pH level of the stomach also helps in the growth of the intestines. Rice is beneficial for the problem of constipation in dogs.