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TheKO
10-29-2008, 22:28
How do you resupply your dog's food when on a thru hike? Do all of the stores sell dog food? It seems you have to buy a 5 pound bag and that is an awful lot to carry unless you break it up into smaller conatiners? If you do this what/how do you accomplish this?

Rouen
10-29-2008, 23:05
I can't comment on how easy it is to locate dog food while thruhiking. but I can say with ziplock/freezer bags it can easily be broken down and divided among the baggies. the bags can be reused until they get a hole in them. and depending on how big your dog is will determine how much s/he needs to eat and how much you need to buy, and if the dog can carry some of it's food.

karoberts
10-30-2008, 00:01
It is very easy to resupply. Most stores have some sort of pet food. My dog carried a full 5 lbs of dry food in his pack and that lasted four days. Every time we saw civilization, I bought him high calorie treats like cans of dog food, cans of cat food, or hot dogs. Cat food is easier to find, comes in 2 lb boxes, and is a bit higher in fat than dog food.

My dog also got tons of trail magic. I tied him outside of restaurants when I went in to eat and he is just so darn cute, the waitress or chef would often offer him meat scraps.

The trail was good for him. After our 6 week section, I brought him to the vet and she was very impressed with his lean body and big muscles. He is a cattle dog, built for extreme exercise. Not every dog is right for the trail.

clicker
10-30-2008, 09:00
You want to be carefull with cat food for dogs, I know that the protien is higher, but there is often more taurine in there that can be bad for a dogs eyes, joints and other body functions. But the hot dog thing is a great way to go.

My concern is that I refuse to feed the grocery store brands of so called dog food that contain ingredients that are foul, and disgusting. The holistic foods that I feed are only available at pet stores (which is where I am employed). I don't know how available these will be along the trail.

Marta
10-30-2008, 09:34
A fellow hiking SOBO in 2006 ended up needing to feed his dog special dog food for working dogs. (The dog was losing weight before the switch to that kind of food.) Special dog food isn't available in most grocery stores. He had someone mail it to him.

RiverWarriorPJ
10-30-2008, 09:53
........Zeus normally takes along Purina 1 "puppy" chow...most chain stores carry Purina 1, so a regular diet can be maintained.... as mentioned...use the zip lock bags.....tral magic & franks are all kool, as long as the basic (chow) is also eaten daily.....

karoberts
10-30-2008, 10:01
I asked my vet and she told me that cat food for dogs on the trail is perfectly fine. In fact, she said I should feed him kitten chow because it is higher in calories.

After I got home, I switched back to puppy chow.

Rouen
10-30-2008, 13:20
I dont generally listen to vet recommendations on food, their area of study is body, not how the body breaks down the matterials that enter it. thats why most vets sell science diet, they really dont know whats good.

TheKO
10-30-2008, 13:47
Thanx for all of the good information. I won't tell Rocco he is eating cat food as he would probably rather have the cat.

I am going to have him carry most of his food. I am working slowly with him so he can carry 5 pounds which is my goal for him. I also planned on zip locking the food into individual meals.

John B
10-30-2008, 14:16
I dont generally listen to vet recommendations on food, their area of study is body, not how the body breaks down the matterials that enter it. thats why most vets sell science diet, they really dont know whats good.

On the contrary, two years of physiology are required, not including whatever was taken while an undergrad. What is your area of academic specialization?

superman
10-30-2008, 14:40
When Winter and I first started the AT I was going to give her some super duper dog food all the way that her vet recommended. I was having it sent to us in the post offices. The food was fine...I tasted it. The problem was connecting with the dog food as we hiked. I gave up on the post office and resupplied along the trail. I tried to keep using the same brand...purina, I think. It wasn't always available. One time all I could get was cans of dog food. Winter was never a chow hound. She's been closer to spoiled. I carried sardines, beef jerky...what ever treat I could find that got Winter eating. We usually shared the treats. There's always something that you can get for your dog to keep going. I only put 3 days food into Winters pack. The rest I carried in my pack or bounced it forward. Any dog food that your dog won't eat you can eat with beer at a town stop. :D

wrongway_08
10-30-2008, 15:54
No catfood!!!! Not good for them. You can buy dog food almost the whole way along the trail.
You should also buy some meat for them along the way - remeber that you dont want to cook it, warm it up over a fire if you like but keep it raw.
Also when in town, buy 2 wet cans and toss them in a zip lock bag, feed them to him/her that night or by the next morning if its hot out. this will help them also.

I carried about 6lbs of food for my dog between town stops, they eat a lot! You cant skimp on them - they are out there because of you.

Have fun!!!

wrongway_08
10-30-2008, 16:06
I am going to have him carry most of his food. I am working slowly with him so he can carry 5 pounds which is my goal for him. I also planned on zip locking the food into individual meals.

How large is your dog? remeber to add the weight of his pack and dog food to get a % of what he is supose to carry. :)

Mercy
10-30-2008, 17:39
I'm just a section hiker, not a thru... BUT, my dog eats 150% of her normal diet when we're hiking... Plus whatever scraps I and fellow hikers pass her way...

I use a "premium" dry dog food that allows the same carbs and protein in a lesser volume than cheaper dog food. Unfortunately, its not available in grocery stores, just pet/feed stores. I put her dog food in zip lock bags in my food drops.

Jack Tarlin
10-30-2008, 17:45
Not having thru-hiked with a dog, I generally stay away from the dog threads,but there's lots of "Re-Supply" information available at the "Articles" section of this website, including a lengthy piece on where one can shop, how many days it takes to get from place to place, etc.

With VERY few exceptions, places on the Trail where humans re-supply will also sell pet food; the Article in question will also point out the places where it's best to have stuff mailed rather than relying on buying en route.

Wise Old Owl
10-30-2008, 18:56
You want to be carefull with cat food for dogs, I know that the protien is higher, but there is often more taurine in there that can be bad for a dogs eyes, joints and other body functions. But the hot dog thing is a great way to go.

My concern is that I refuse to feed the grocery store brands of so called dog food that contain ingredients that are foul, and disgusting. The holistic foods that I feed are only available at pet stores (which is where I am employed). I don't know how available these will be along the trail.


I read this and wonder - Don't finish your plate and give him or her the leftover bones.....

superman
10-30-2008, 19:54
Not having thru-hiked with a dog, I generally stay away from the dog threads,but there's lots of "Re-Supply" information available at the "Articles" section of this website, including a lengthy piece on where one can shop, how many days it takes to get from place to place, etc.

With VERY few exceptions, places on the Trail where humans re-supply will also sell pet food; the Article in question will also point out the places where it's best to have stuff mailed rather than relying on buying en route.

That's good information. I wish I'd had that in 2000.:-?

smokymtnsteve
10-30-2008, 19:59
blackwood 2000

Rouen
10-30-2008, 23:14
On the contrary, two years of physiology are required, not including whatever was taken while an undergrad. What is your area of academic specialization?

Environmental science, I never claimed to be an expert on canine nutrition. I was just pointing out that someone who sells and recommends science diet as a top of the line diet for dogs has no clue as to what a good food is, and someone who suggests cat food, which kills more cats than anyone cares to think about, probly shouldn't be giving dietary advice.

hikrgrl
10-31-2008, 10:20
My dog is on a "special" (hypoallergenic) diet - I discovered the hard way that she develops ear infections on run-of-the-mill dog food (and my vet confirmed that this can be a sign of a food allergy). So, she'll carry some of her food and so will I, and we'll have to do it by mail drop. I hate experimenting on what she can or can't eat by seeing if she develops a painful ear infection - since I've found what works for her, I'm staying with it!

clicker
11-01-2008, 10:13
Vets recommend science diet because Hills, their company, gives the vet science diet for all of their pets for free. Most vets I know have admitted this and will tell you that most grocery store brands are junk. They have also admitted that they are required to know very little about proper nutrition, or quality of ingredients. Do some research online about dog food ingredients, because if the food your feeding says meat-by-products, you could be feeding your dog euthenized shelter animals, road kill, or any number of things. But there are some quality foods that are becoming more and more available.

karoberts
11-01-2008, 13:33
It is hard to be picky on the trail unless you do post office drops, which I did not. My dog has never been happier or healthier than he was on the AT, despite the crap I was feeding him. BTW, human hikers end up eating a lot of crap while on the trail too.

superman
11-01-2008, 13:47
It is hard to be picky on the trail unless you do post office drops, which I did not. My dog has never been happier or healthier than he was on the AT, despite the crap I was feeding him. BTW, human hikers end up eating a lot of crap while on the trail too.

Yes, I had the same experience although I tried to use the post office. The post office may have been the biggest problem. Everything else worked out along the way. Winter has trouble getting her balance first thing in the morning now but if I touch her pack, that hangs by her bed, she perks right up.

CrumbSnatcher
11-02-2008, 16:36
my dog had over 6,000 trail miles on the A.T.(99% of the time on thruhikes) one year we used maildrops and it worked fine. most of the time i bought dog food about once a week or so at the stores along the way. alot of the bigger stores carried good brands like iams, and pedigrees not to bad. 5lbs bags at a time. after a few miles in 98' i ditched her pack and carried everything she needed over the years. she had a z-rest sleeping pad. food bowl, water bowl, booties,first-aid kit(including neosporin to keep her pads moist and soft) daily vitamins,pain killers,tick and flea control,treats, etc. at restraunts we shared burgers and i bought good canned food any time we hit a store in towns. she liked beef jerky and grandmas peanut butter cookies on trail, vienna sausages and spam she liked also. a few vet checkups along the way.(traildays in damascus over the years had a local vet. giving free checkups to dogs. during the event,might still do it?) its a whole different ballgame thruhiking with a dog. you have to hike thier hike,not try to keep up with the crowd or new friends you made. the journeys hard on them too. me and my dog did alot of dusk,dawn,night hiking to beat the heat.

SteveJ
11-03-2008, 01:30
<clip> at restraunts we shared burgers <clip>

chuckle....I think that one reason Phoebe gets so excited when I get her pack out is that she knows she'll get one - maybe two - burgers on the trip home!

6,000 miles - wow! Lots of trail miles for both of you....part of me envies your freedom/ability to do that!

TheKO
11-03-2008, 16:28
CrumbSnatcher -
Very good information. This is what I was looking for. 6000 miles must mean your system is working!

Rocco has a z-rest and does seem to enjoy that.

CrumbSnatcher
11-03-2008, 20:36
CrumbSnatcher -
Very good information. This is what I was looking for. 6000 miles must mean your system is working!

Rocco has a z-rest and does seem to enjoy that.
anything i can do to help,let me know. bear was a big black hairy dog, proably had no buisness being on the trail? but i would never think of leaving her behind!she overheated alot. we took most afternoons off during the heat of the day. she power napped in the shade and i did numurous things. looked at maps,snacked,read,wrote,cleaned &checked gear and whatever i could do to kill time. night hiked alot,funny i never was nervous or worried about anything at night when she was with me. sometimes we'd just throw down camp for a few hours right on the path. between 2.00am til 5:00 am or so. get going before someone tripped over me. always starting hiking around 5:00 am or so on regular days. i remember in 03' a group of us left walnut mtn. shelter arould midnight or so and reached hot springs by sunrise,the group that went on to deer park shelter the night before,should of seen the look on thier faces when they walked into the smokey mtn. diner the next morning. they thought we yellow blazed into town, that was funny as ****!!! i prefer to tent,its alot more comfortable for you and your dog,and safer. someone could step on thier paws and hurt them. and keep the shelter campers happy too.

CrumbSnatcher
11-03-2008, 20:41
not to many of us carry all the dogs gear. i agree some of the dogs probably love carrying thier packs but i really liked carrying bears gear.and she loved me for it... i did have a light weight pack for her the first year and i made her were it a few times,IMHO if your dogs going to be wearing a pack, day after day, i like to start off in the morning without the dog pack on for the first mile or so to let them stretch out. and always took it off too the last 1/2 mile to mile befor camp,for the same reason.

SteveJ
11-03-2008, 22:16
<clip>if your dogs going to be wearing a pack, day after day, i like to start off in the morning without the dog pack on for the first mile or so to let them stretch out. and always took it off too the last 1/2 mile to mile befor camp,for the same reason.

Great idea...I never thought of that.....

anie77
11-03-2008, 23:43
Have you considered bringing raw dehydrated dog food with you? I found a recommendation for it on this website:
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/

It's a LOT lighter than lugging kibble around, and you just have to add water to it before serving. 5lbs should get you pretty far, and will help balance out the weight if you can only get kibble or canned along the way.

tori
03-23-2011, 22:40
Totally missed this thread by a couple of years but im glad to see its here! Im looking to hike the trail with my dog this year sometime not sure how far yet probably gonna head south from NY for as long as my dog and I can hold up. Hes a bit crazy after an abusive youth, got him from a shelter a few years ago, but noting quite cheers him up as much as the woods so I cant in good mind go off hiking and leaving the poor guy behind, this is much a journey of discovery for him as well as myself. Just wanted to thank everyone for the helpful comments im trying to get my stuff together so I can leave in May.

enburns1018
08-05-2011, 19:04
Have you considered bringing raw dehydrated dog food with you? I found a recommendation for it on this website:
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/

It's a LOT lighter than lugging kibble around, and you just have to add water to it before serving. 5lbs should get you pretty far, and will help balance out the weight if you can only get kibble or canned along the way.

IMHO, This seems to a GREAT alternative option to regular kibble bulk. My 55lb labbe would require nearly 4C/day for The Honest Kitchen Verve label. A 10lbs 'box' holds 40-43C of food which is approximately 10 days of food for $61USD. If you bounce AND have some one drop for you, it looks like it could work reasonably well. Ultimately, I think buying the HUGE bag of dog jerky at Costco (no salt) along with unseasoned rice is a great way to keep 'em happy and healthy, pack light and provide the sustenance they'll need to hike day after day. Raw meat from the town grocer is as natural as you'd get when you make pit-stops.

nufsaid
08-07-2011, 09:18
Vets recommend science diet because Hills, their company, gives the vet science diet for all of their pets for free. Most vets I know have admitted this and will tell you that most grocery store brands are junk. They have also admitted that they are required to know very little about proper nutrition, or quality of ingredients. Do some research online about dog food ingredients, because if the food your feeding says meat-by-products, you could be feeding your dog euthenized shelter animals, road kill, or any number of things. But there are some quality foods that are becoming more and more available.

I did some research online. Did PETA supply any of the "shelter animals" used as pet food from their freezers? http://www.petakillsanimals.com/petasdirtysecret.cfm

nufsaid
08-07-2011, 09:23
Clicker, not sure if you support PETA but you may want to do some online research before sending you donation. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1540785/Peta-workers-dumped-80-dead-animals-in-skip.html

Sassafras Lass
08-11-2011, 11:18
Have you considered bringing raw dehydrated dog food with you?

Excellent idea!

I've learned a ton about nutrition over the past few years and I won't get into the tangent now, but there is not a chance in hell I'd ever feed processed kibble to my pets ever again.

The majority is nothing but grains laced with carcinogenic dyes, preservatives, and fat from God knows what animal.

Yes, that includes IAMS/Eukenuba, Science Diet, Pedigree, Purina . . . . pretty much any highly advertised food is trash in a bag.

People think that allergies and stiff joints and hyperactivity is 'just how Fluffy is' - guess again, it's that junk you're feeding him.

Dogs are carnivores - have the digestive system and dentition and instincts of carnivores - and even though kibble has been around barely 100 years, we've somehow all gotten brainwashed that kibble is the only way to go. Marketing is a powerful tool, isn't it?

Anyways, it's obviously a touchy subject and one of great importance to me, but PM me if you'd care for more info about diets for your pets . . . .

chiefdaddy
08-13-2011, 10:09
Mail ahead if you have to or...... Like I did train your dog to eat more foods you eat and share meals. Google can tell ya what not to feed the dog, just avoid those foods or add them after cooking ect.

ScottP
08-22-2011, 10:49
F-stop, do those bad dog food brands include the super-premium ones you'll find at specialty dog stores?

That's what I feed my beast. It's really not THAT much more expensive than crappy dog foods. Works out to like 2 less drinks at a bar per month.

Sassafras Lass
08-24-2011, 18:56
F-stop, do those bad dog food brands include the super-premium ones you'll find at specialty dog stores?

Depends - some supposed 'higher-end' brands are still chock-full of grains and sometimes use questionable fats and preservatives.

Pretty much, the techniques used for dissecting 'people' food applies to dog food as well. Ingredients are broken down into different sayings, and the Top 10 is the most important, as it will make up nearly 90% of the total end product.

What's listed is by weight before processing - so that is inclusive of H2O and fat which must be removed to produce kibble. That skews things quite a bit.

For instance, a label reading:

lamb meal
brewer's rice
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
chicken by-product meal
corn grits
ground whole grain barley
chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E)
dried beet pulp
dried egg product

Wonderful, right? Lamb right there at the beginning, chicken by-product meal too. But my that is a lot of grains!

That 'lamb meal'? It's indeed whole lamb, ground to a meal. A great ingredient, as it's already had the water and some fat removed. Exactly what you want to see in the #1 slot of an ingredient list.

But then we have brewer's rice - which is actually the chaff and whatnot that falls to the floor in breweries. We're not talking whole rice (which isn't healthy for dogs anyways), we're talking what is swept up off the floor, literally floor sweepings. It's filler.

Corn meal is next - this is whole grain corn, which is incredibly difficult for carnivores to attempt to digest, and does nothing but spike their insulin. It's filler.

Ground whole grain sorghum? Added for sugar - just filler.

Chicken by-product meal? An okay ingredient - but not substantial. We're talking the leftovers that aren't used for human consumption - beaks, feathers, skin, feet, backs, etc. It's not awful, but not a real source of protein - a dog would naturally eat the muscle and organ meats and bones, and only 'by-products' if it were starving - dogs know where the real nutrition is!

Corn grits? Why more corn? Just filler.

Whole grain ground barley? Just filler.

Chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols? Fine, it's added to flavor this grain-filled concoction and make it palatable so the dog will actually consume it, and it's good they used a natural preservative, but it shouldn't be one of their major 'meat' sources, as it appears to be.

Dried beet pulp? Fiber (not necessary) and sugar. Just filler.

Dried egg? Fine - but more real MEAT is best!

This food is clearly more grains than anything else, despite how the ingredients are divided.

See how deceiving labels are? It's the nature of big business - keep it 'real' enough so that dogs aren't dying left and right due to lack of nutrition, market the heck out of it, and sit back and let the dough roll in.

This food? IAMS.

Paisley1985
12-25-2011, 21:31
I know this is a really old post - but i thought I would revive it a little. A really light way to go for dog food - is just like people food - dehydrated! You can cook and dehydrate your dogs food yourself, or buy dehydrated food in bulk like Honest Kitchen Force. ( http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/dog-food/?gclid=CNLI797Knq0CFYJdtgodQWJZKA ) Of course using dehydrated food equals needing to have water available, and warming it up. So you do have to take that into consideration. As for re-supply - I'm planning on doing it with mail pick ups. Nutrition is SUPER important and I don't want to worry about a place only having poor quality food available when I know my dog needs high quality nutrition to make it through something as tough as a thru hike!

Ginger Snap
12-26-2011, 14:36
Nutrition is SUPER important and I don't want to worry about a place only having poor quality food available when I know my dog needs high quality nutrition to make it through something as tough as a thru hike!

I think this is the real essence of it all.

argue as you will over the quality of ingredients, but veterinarians do in fact study how the body breaks down the food that is put into it, more than you might think, and in ways that may not be very palatable to most people. Suffice it to say that the entire process of breaking down food is studied directly from the stomach and intestinal contents, and that necropsy can reveal information about how food affects the body as well- vets may know more about how dogs and cats process food than your human doctor can concretely say about how you process what you put into your body.

Corn, wheat, beef and chicken are the prime culprits for dogs with food allergies (which can result in ear and skin infections as the previous poster mentioned), however that doesn't mean they are bad for all dogs. It is more important to keep your dog on a consistent diet that meets his or her pre-existing health needs (i.e. high fiber, low fat, or urinary stone prevention. . . whatever). Constantly changing diets, adding table scraps, adding high fat foods, all can cause GI issues, primarily vomiting and diarrhea, but not limited to that. Obviously both of those are bad outcomes on the trail.

It would be best to consult your veterinarian about your dog's specific health needs, and keep them informed about your plans on the trial. They may have suggestions (the much maligned Science Diet makes a high calorie working dog formula), they may be willing to prescribe you preventative medications in the event that you have to switch foods, or that you encounter unexpected microbes/illnesses/insects along the trail. If your vet doesn't seem knowledgeable about your dog's trail needs, perhaps you should look for a vet who best meets your needs. contact your state's veterinary college for references or specialists who focus on nutrition. There are obviously many variations on diet, and no one diet will be perfect for every dog, but you owe it to your dog, as a dependent on you, to seek the best, most well researched, accurate information on how to preserve their health!

lostinfflood
12-26-2011, 15:03
I used to think I was doing right by my dogs by giving them Science. It sounds so analytical. Then, as an above poster explained, I read the ingredients. I now give my dogs, Border Collies, dried food with meat as the first ingredient and no grains. I disagree that dogs are now truly carnivores. along with their association with humans I would classify them as omnivores, contrary to their genus name.
I would not feed my dog cat food, it is harsh on the digestive system. My big male can eat most stuff he finds in the woods with impunity but if he sneaks a bowl of cat food he gets diarrhea. It's amazing how the coloring of the food stains the rug if they puke (no it's not bile) or get the runs. Makes you wonder what they put in it. I also agree with another poster, don't ask your vet for dietary advice. Like doctors in med school vets don't take courses in nutrition and are heavily influenced by big business.

Robishack
12-26-2011, 21:38
Has anybody here dehydrated their own food for their dog? What do you use as ingredients? What quantities do you carry (say, how much food would you need weekly per dog weight)? And have you found there to be any cost benefits?

Kitecop
05-06-2012, 23:13
My 40lb. Australian Shepherd eats 2 cups a day. Ive packed individual servings in bags ive sealed with a heat sealer so they are 100% waterproof. I include a piece of doggy jerky in each bag for extra calories. This takes up less space then using sandwich bags. I also seal pasta for myself using the same system. Dividing it helps make sure u dont run short or over or under feed.
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