HOW TO FEED YOUR DOG BEFORE AND DURING HUNTING SEASON
Nutrition scientist, Dr. Steven Hannah,
has extensive experience working with hardworking dogs and understands their
nutritional needs. In the following article, he makes recommendations on how to
feed your dog before and during hunting season.
Your dog requires a lot of energy to perform and survive the rigors of
hunting season --with increased physical exercise, often in cold, wet
conditions. Before beginning a conditioning program, your dog should be examined
by a veterinarian.
Extra Energy Food
Many active, hardworking dogs can benefit from nutrient-dense diets
formulated with extra energy needed to help dogs maintain stamina and good body
condition. Nutrient-dense means a dog can consume smaller quantities of
concentrated nutrition and still meet the higher energy requirements of hunting
season.
Specially formulated dog foods are available for active dogs. Through proper nutrition and pre-season conditioning, body stores of
physiological fuel can be increased as can the dog’s ability to efficiently draw
on those fuels. Dogs can better respond to the demands of the season.
Feeding Frequency
About six to eight weeks before hunting season, begin
conditioning your dog through proper training and feeding. As training
increases, gradually increase the amount of food being offered while monitoring
the dog’s body condition. The goal is to match food intake to the individual
dog’s activity level. For some very active dogs, you may need to feed twice a
day.
Food Amount
A complete and balanced diet is particularly essential to
help maintain your hunting companion as weather gets colder. On average, dogs
require about 7.5 percent more food for each 10 degree (F) drop in temperature.
Adequate levels of a complete balanced diet helps ensure your dog is getting the
nutrition necessary to maintain body temperature, hair, coat and muscle.
Use the feeding instructions on the dog food package as a
general rule-of-thumb to determine how much to feed. If the dog seems to be
gaining too much weight, feed him less. If the dog seems too thin and there are
no health problems, encourage him to eat more.
Adding warm water to a dry food helps make it more palatable
and may improve intake. If your dog still is not eating a sufficient quantity of
product to maintain good body condition, it may be advisable to offer a more
nutrient- and calorie-dense food.
Remember these tips as you train and prepare for hunting
season:
1. Do not feed your dog immediately before or
immediately after a period of hard work. Feed a light meal at least two or
three hours prior to the anticipated period of activity. Then feed the
remaining portion of the meal when your dog has calmed down and cooled
off.
2. Good quality dog snacks or a handful of the dog’s dry
diet fed periodically during the day is recommended. Some hunters believe
that giving a dog a candy bar as a snack will prevent low blood sugar
(hypoglycemia). This can be dangerous and should be avoided as chocolate
contains theobromine which can be toxic or even fatal to dogs.
3. One of the most important nutrients we can provide
for a hardworking dog is cool, fresh water. Dogs cool themselves by panting.
Small water breaks throughout the day are a must, even in cold weather. Take
cool, fresh water with you if you suspect you might be in an area where
water is unavailable. At the end of the day, after your dog rests for about
an hour, allow him as much water as desired.
4. Don’t use water substitutes. Water is best. Since
dogs are incapable of perspiring, they don’t lose electrolytes like humans.
Electrolyte replacement products do not provide a benefit for hardworking
dogs and can have the effect of actually drawing more water out of the body.
5. Supplementing a properly tested, complete and
balanced diet with vitamins and minerals is not only unnecessary, it can be
dangerous. Supplementing with vitamins and minerals may create nutrient
imbalances and can result in reduced availability of some nutrients in the
diet.
6. By feeding a single high-performance food consistently
throughout the year, you eliminate the risk of digestive upsets or
food refusals. However, if you do switch dog food to match the dog’s
seasonal activity, make the change gradually over a 7-10 day period well in
advanóe of the beginning of the season. Each day, you should replace more of
the food currently being fed with the off-season food. This slow changeover
minimizes the possibility of problems.
Selecting a complete and balanced dog food is crucial for
your dog’s continued good health and performance. There are no laws that require
dog foods to be evaluated by feeding trials before going to market. Your best
bet is to select food from a well-known, reliable manufacturer and read the
label to determine if the product’s nutrition has been evaluated through actual
feeding studies. If you have any questions about a particular product, contact
the manufacturer.
Help get your dog conditioned well in advance of hunting
season by feeding him a complete and balanced diet that meets high energy needs.
Dogs simply cannot be alert and keep their minds on their business when they are
fatigued or in poor condition.
Be responsible to your dog and look forward to many happy,
healthy hunting seasons.
Ralston Purina Company
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