Safety Tips : Feeding & Watering
your German Shepherd Dog...
Immediately prior to or following strenuous exercise, do not feed your dog or allow it to drink large quantities of water. German Shepherds can be prone to
torsion, or twisting of the
gut, due to their large, deep chest and intestinal cavity. They can also fall victim to a condition known as
bloat, if allowed to eat or drink to excess just prior to or following hard or strenuous exercise...
Ice cubes or chips are a great way to cool your dog and help to lower it's body temperature. Given sparingly following heavy exercise or in extremely hot weather, this is very effective in preventing your dog from becoming overheated, and in keeping your dog hydrated.
**These medical occurrences present a most serious and life threatening situation, requiring
immediate veterinary attention.
A large block of ice is helpful in discouraging over consumption of water following exercise, and will keep the young dogs occupied for long periods while not allowing them to ingest too much
water or to take it in too quickly.
A good rule of thumb to follow when exercise is anticipated for your dog is to allow a minimum of the
"half hour rule"
time span to elapse, prior to and following your dog's eating or drinking schedule...
