Hello All - I am looking for some advice about good quality protein bars that can be given to dogs during the hunt? I have a hard hunting Setter that is tending to run out of energy midway through the hunt. What advice or experience does anyone have with giving their dogs some protein/energy bars that would give a boost of energy for the remainder of the hunt? We hunt mostly in South Dakota which requires alot of extra energy. All advice would be appreciated.
Canine Protein/Energy Bars
- Thread starter BrdDg1
- Start date
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
A protein bar is not going to do you any good. First, ask yourself why the dog is running out of energy. Is the dog getting conditioning through out the season? How long are you asking the dog to maintain a high level of energy?
More than likely the problem lies in the dog's diet. What food are you feeding? Also to get the most out of the dog it is important to feed the dog at the end of the hunt. Dog's are different than people. For people, the pregame meal is the most beneficial when eaten approximately 2 hours before game time. For dogs, they need a much longer time between feeding and performance.
More than likely the problem lies in the dog's diet. What food are you feeding? Also to get the most out of the dog it is important to feed the dog at the end of the hunt. Dog's are different than people. For people, the pregame meal is the most beneficial when eaten approximately 2 hours before game time. For dogs, they need a much longer time between feeding and performance.
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
I would agree with westksbowhunter that the protein bars are probably not going to help much. I've used them and never seen any positive effect. I think the answer to you dog running out of energy is conditioning and/or diet. You should be feeding a very good quality food with 30% protein and 20% fat. And on days your dog is getting strenuous exercise increase the portion. And don't feed before the hunt. The dog will run harder and longer on an empty stomach. I feed once a day in the evening after the hunt. But not right after you kennel the dog. Give the dog at least and hour to cool down before feeding. I too would be interesting in what food you are feeding.
Thank you for the advice. I feed my 35lbs. setter, Purina Pro Plan Sport - she gets food nightly 2 1/2 cups. I don't feed right away out of the field but wait for her stomach to settle for about an hour or so in the kennel. I am just hoping to find an energy bar that might give her a little boost during the day.
PheasantWhisperer
Member
How old is the dog? If she's young, she probably just doesnt know how to pace herself yet. I have a hard charging setter pup. 8 months old. Runs big, wears out quick. Take breaks, water often, and when it gets colder things will probably change too.
birdshooter
Well-known member
Interesting topic. If you want to add anything to your dogs diet that will increase endurance, add fat. Fat is what gives them increased long term endurance. Many ways to increase fat, but maybe the easiest is to add a tbs of olive oil to their kibble.
Interesting article from purjna: http://www.purinaproclub.com/resour...the-breed/the-role-of-fat-in-canine-nutrition
Interesting article from purjna: http://www.purinaproclub.com/resour...the-breed/the-role-of-fat-in-canine-nutrition
ranchodeluxe
New member
Fat 41
Carbs 33
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The third ingredient is poultry by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It?s made from what?s left of slaughtered poultry after all the prime cuts have been removed.
In addition to organs (the nourishing part), this stuff can contain almost anything ? feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs ? anything except quality skeletal muscle (real meat).
We consider poultry by-products slightly lower in quality than a single-species ingredient (like chicken by-products).
On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.
The fourth ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.
Although corn gluten meal contains 60% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label ? a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The fifth ingredient is wheat. Like corn, wheat is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
For this reason, we do not consider wheat a preferred component in any dog food.
The sixth ingredient includes animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.
Since there?s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere: roadkill, spoiled supermarket meat, dead, diseased or dying cattle ? even euthanized pets.
For this reason, we do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient is corn. Corn is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as wheat (previously discussed).
The eighth ingredient is corn germ meal, a meal made from ground corn germ after much of the oil has been removed. Corn germ meal is a protein-rich by-product left over after milling corn meal, hominy grits and other corn products.
However, the protein found in corn germ meal (about 25% dry matter basis) must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The ninth ingredient includes brewers yeast, which can be a controversial item. Although it?s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and other healthy nutrients.
Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.
Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
In addition, a vocal minority insists yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is a claim we?ve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.
What?s more noteworthy here is that brewers yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The tenth ingredient is fish meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the ?clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings? of commercial fish operations.1
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With five notable exceptions?
First, animal digest is a chemically hydrolyzed mixture of animal by-products that is typically sprayed onto the surface of a dry kibble to improve its taste.
Next, garlic oil can be a controversial item. Although many favor the ingredient for its claimed health benefits, garlic has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.2
So, one must weigh the potential benefits of feeding garlic against its proven tendency to cause subclinical damage to the red blood cells of the animal.
In addition, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.
Next, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
And lastly, this dog food contains menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Since vitamin K isn?t required by AAFCO in either of its dog food nutrient profiles, we question the use of this substance in any canine formulation.
Purina Pro Plan
Sport Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Purina Pro Plan Sport looks like a below-average dry dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product?s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 32%, a fat level of 21% and estimated carbohydrates of about 40%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 32% and a mean fat level of 21%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 39% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 65%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, corn germ meal and brewers yeast, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Purina Pro Plan Sport is a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of poultry by-product meal as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 2.5 stars.
Not recommended.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.
What constitutes "midway thru the hunt"? If you are asking a dog to hunt all day at a high energy level, you may be asking too much of the dog. Good problem to have as it sounds like your current dog needs a buddy to help carry the load.
I have 4 britts in pretty decent shape and tend to swap them out every hour or two depending on terrain and temperature. After 3-4 days away from home we're all ready for a break.
I have 4 britts in pretty decent shape and tend to swap them out every hour or two depending on terrain and temperature. After 3-4 days away from home we're all ready for a break.
Crossing shot
New member
Meal is pulverized bone. Fat is rendered from the chicken and is sprayed on the dry kibble (grain, meal, dry ingredients). Everything not fat or bone is dissolved in acid and sprayed on the dry kibble before the fat.
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
ranchodeluxe, it would appear that you copied and pasted that post from the Dog Food Advisor web site? Not sure what point you were trying to make. I do not put much stock in that site and what they say. Pro Plan Sport, and mainly Pro Plan Sport Performance, is probably fed by more field trial people and breeders than any other brand. There is nothing wrong with that chow for an active dog. The OP of this thread didn't say if he was feeding the Active formula 26/16 or the Performance 30/20. If he is feeding the Active I would change and feed the Performance.
Bottom line is that not every dog will do well on any one food. You might have to experiment a little and see what food is optimal for your dog.
I personally have been feeding NutriSource made in Perham, MN and been very happy with it.
Bottom line is that not every dog will do well on any one food. You might have to experiment a little and see what food is optimal for your dog.
I personally have been feeding NutriSource made in Perham, MN and been very happy with it.
ranchodeluxe
New member
I won't offer my opinion, been through that mill too many times already, just something to ponder. If your dog isn't performing the way you would like, perhaps some "experimentation" is in-order.
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
I would wholeheartedly agree. Dog food isn't a "one size fits all" deal. You have to find out what works best for YOUR four legged friend.
Crossing shot
New member
If I wake up a couple hours before the dog will be hunting, I give them a hot dog. Maybe a hot dog between hunts or some bread.
Feed about an hour after hunting.
Feed about an hour after hunting.
ranchodeluxe
New member
Processed/cured meats are really not good for dogs due to the nitrates used in curing. Bread is empty carbs, I won't feed it to a dog. I just stick with the foods that dogs have eaten since time immemorial. The Fresh Pet Select fresh food product is a great light meal before, during the hunt. I just make my own version and freeze it in serving sizes for a light snack at lunchtime. When it's hot, they love it frozen and it cools their internal temp.