Dog Nutrition

[Frogdown]

Did a search and could not find the info we need. There is a dog doing a thru. She is quite small but in excellent health. She is taking a weeks vacation now as her owner hikes thru the SMNP. The question is this. She has lost a bit of weight and we are seeking a diet that will give her the protein, fats and calories needed to keep her fit. She has no problem doing 10-12 miles a day. What have others fed their dogs to achieve this?

[Phreak]

I feed my dogs Evo dog food and freeze dried liver for treats. More expensive than traditional dog food but well worth it. Runs about $55-60 for a 28 pound bag here in Atlanta.

[grayfox]

Dogs are a lot like people in that you want to avoid giving them a lot of empty calories. Dry food packs more good stuff than wet but you want to read the labels and look for a balanced mix of fat and protien. Science Diet is a good brand around here and they have several different formulas.

Liver is good. If you can't find the FD mentioned above, you can try freezing small chunks for the dog to chew on through the day like ice cubes. Don't forget lots of clean fresh water. If the dog likes to lay on a rug it might ease some muscle aches and a bit of play would be good too even on RnR.

Have a vet check for worms and ask about food choices. A tick repellant might be a good idea if the dog is not allergic to the chemical and make sure heart worm meds are up to date.

TLC is always good.

Missing my dog I guess--hope you do well with this one.

[grayfox]

I forgot to mention that if you really feel that you need more protien, look at cat food. It is usually higher in percentage of protien and might be a good short term fix-or even good as trail food.

[shoe]

Alot of people I have met on the trail feed their dogs some puppy food as well. Maybe it's higher in calories/protein. And lots of scooby snacks

[mweinstone]

add nutritional brewers yeast, egg and milk to the food. any brand, any form.

[general]

bil jac puppy food. puts weight on faster than any thing else. expensive though.