Hi everyone.
We have an 19 month old GSD who is fed on James Well Beloved at £30.00 a bag. We are getting an 8 month old GSD next week and would like to find a cheaper food in the long term. Our 19 month old has a problem keeping his weight on and the 8 month old is of a good weight. Also as quite excitable am looking for a low protein dry food. Some people have suggested Dr Johns. Please help.

Thanks Fiona.

Hi Harley
I have been feeding Autarky for about 8 months now and am very impressed.My dogs have gained weight and their coats are excellent compared to before.Autarky is 100% natural ingredients with 18 added herbs .Its very reasonably priced because it is VAT free -classed as a food for working dogs.I cannot recall the exact protein level because I threw my last sack(packaging only)away but I know its not high.They have a web site-put 'Autarky' in to a search engine.

Hi Fiona

GSD's can be prone to dicky tummies and sloppy botties when you change their food so be prepared to persevere with whatever you decide for a few weeks at least to give time to adjust. Change over gradually.
Try Chappie complete :)
If your older dog needs bulking up a bit you could always add some rice or pasta to his meal.
Pointer cob dog biscuits are also pretty good for adding a bit extra to a dogs waistline :) They are also cheap.

Gosh Lara I haven't seen Pointer cobs for ages my dogs loved them. I only ever saw them at SKC shows and hadn't seen them there for a while
Anne

They sell pointers cobs at Pets at home. You can buy them loose so you can get however many you want. My dogs love them

Thanks everyone for the help on food. Will also have a chat with the people where i get my dog food but will definitely start giving Harley some pasta.

I keep reading that GSD's have delicate stomachs and have also heard this elsewhere - anyone have any ideas as to why this is?

Christine

Have you thought about a raw food diet? I recently started BARFing my two crossbreeds, both of whom had mild digestive problems on a commercial diet, and it has worked wonders, and its cheaper! if you are anti the idea of feeding whole raw bones, (as in chicken wings and lamb ribs) you can substitute with bone meal, seither bought, or preferably ground at home (that way ou know whats in it, and that it has not been heat treated). both my dogs eat fresh (whizzed in a blender) vegetables, raw chicken wings, diced turkey thighs, minced beef, raw eggs, cottage cheese, and a few extras, kelp, brewers yeast, and olive oil. and fish.

i hope this helps, it certainly helped me adn i would not go back to commercial dog food now!

Theemx