Dog food survey

I would feed them a little something prior to exercise. Something to have in their stomachs to keep blood sugar up. I ran mine one morning, and I didn't feed them prior. My oldest went down. He vomited, he would not move. I carried him into water thinking it was heat related. It wasn't. I carried him about a mile and a half to the truck and rushed to the vet. Low blood sugar. Got some food in him and he was fine. But scared the hell out of me. I carry some syrup with me now. I'm not talking a huge meal, but just a little something to have in his stomach to keep his sugars up.
 
Shadow said:
apoligise- I had my 3 on Puriana One- hunting season was coming and I had 2 nephews who were in better shape than my bird dogs coming down for a 4 day hunt-

seemed reasonable that I should feed mine Purina Pro Plan Performance- since they were going to be chasing mine- so two months before- we switched from Puriana One to Pro Plan Performance

thought mine were gaining weight a bit- no worries

to this day- if I want to hunt one of mine 4 days in a row- I will start them a month in advance on PPP

what I saw- there was no quit in any dog- they didn't loose any weight- because they ate every evening- as long as I gave them 2 hours when we got home, unloaded, and let them chill out a bit

I'd put Purina Pro Plan Performance head to head with any dog food out there as to can your dogs run 3 days going

I was just saying- you feed your dogs 2 cups in the evening- they are doing real good- you change nothing- and feed your dogs 2 cups of PPPP
you might have a fat dog in a couple months
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Now I understand.
 
V-John said:
I would feed them a little something prior to exercise. Something to have in their stomachs to keep blood sugar up. I ran mine one morning, and I didn't feed them prior. My oldest went down. He vomited, he would not move. I carried him into water thinking it was heat related. It wasn't. I carried him about a mile and a half to the truck and rushed to the vet. Low blood sugar. Got some food in him and he was fine. But scared the hell out of me. I carry some syrup with me now. I'm not talking a huge meal, but just a little something to have in his stomach to keep his sugars up.
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V-John,

I would be interested in what type of dog food you are feeding. Does the dog do this everytime you hunt it?

It almost sounds that the food you are feeding may contain too much or a high level of carboyhdrates, and the dog is running out of gas (energy).

A higher fat content dog food would more than likely promote better fat metabolism for your dogs energy. Fat metabolism is very important for hunting dogs. There are several studies that show better performance for short duration/high intensity work outs, as well as long duration/moderate intensity, when feeding a higher fat content.
 
OKIEGunner said:
V-John,

I would be interested in what type of dog food you are feeding. Does the dog do this everytime you hunt it?

It almost sounds that the food you are feeding may contain too much or a high level of carboyhdrates, and the dog is running out of gas (energy).

A higher fat content dog food would more than likely promote better fat metabolism for your dogs energy. Fat metabolism is very important for hunting dogs. There are several studies that show better performance for short duration/high intensity work outs, as well as long duration/moderate intensity, when feeding a higher fat content.
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I feed twice a day. Diamond Naturals. The first time it occured, and the situation I described, the last meal that he had was the night before. I got up in the morning and took them out to run. He had been on the ground an hour before he started to show symptoms. I like the food, and the percentages, which read out at 26 protein and 16 fat. During the season, I'll change to their Extreme Athlete.
After speaking with my vet, he said that the dog simply may need some sugars and had some issues with hypoglycemia.
He had one other instance where his body simply ran out of gas. About 5 hours into an all day hunt in the sleet and rain. And he had zero food, I was in the camp where I didn't want to feed the day of a hunt. I prefered to feed afterwards. His body started to shut down and I had to get him in shelter quick. Now, he'll get a small meal, or at least a granola bar prior to hunting. He simply may have an issue with hypoglycemia, or at least a propensity towards it.
 
Chuckles said:
A guy I hunt with feeds his dog a small energy bar before hunting and between fields. Seems like that might be a good idea after reading all your comments

http://www.google.com/products/cata...&sa=X&ei=qJteTr9L4_PSAbX8wN8C&ved=0CFgQ8wIwAA

Does anyone use these?
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I've used those and a similar product by Techmix during week long hunting trips to the Dakotas. My Brits like them and they are convenient. It makes me feel good to provide them with a few extra calories throughout a long day in the field.

I don't have any definitive evidence that they provide a great benefit on a daily basis or throughout the course of a week.

JLMyers
 
Chuckles said:
A guy I hunt with feeds his dog a small energy bar before hunting and between fields. Seems like that might be a good idea after reading all your comments
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when my nephews came down for a 3-4 day hunt- I accused them of being pigs- they had sandwiches and candy in their game pouches-

little did I know- they fed mine during the day specially the dog they thought would stick arround them-

not that I minded- I always told them to pick one dog and become real pals- might just want to stick arround you- and you can have every point that dog makes- but the one pick is your dog for the day

but sheese- the 2 of them were on a mission to find out what my one Britt really liked in the way of snacks during the day-

I found out one time- uncooked bacon- give the dog one slice every 2 hours on the second day of a grulling 4 day hunt- that dog doesn't shut down on day 4

after Thanksgiving day- next morning 30 min after in the field- I called a meeting- checked out their game bag and pockets- turkey sandwitches in each- I chuckled and hollered lets go bird dogs-

had 4 real hard running bird dogs- course they were eating chicken sandwhiches- which I figure was the best food the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th day- for them

still an argument amount the brothers- who had better sandwhiches
 
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New to the board. Love it. Was feeding my GSP Science diet but after reading of its 2 star rating I started looking for another food to try. Looked at Innova, 4 star rating but over $60.00 per 30 lbs. Checked Kirkland, also 4 star rating and less than $30.00 for 40 lbs. The dog loves it.
 
FairOaksRod,

Can you find Victor Food out your way?
 
The bigger the dog food company the bigger chance for a mistake. I doubt any of these companies planned to produce a dangerous or defficient product, but accidents happen, they happen more often when trying to produce a product at a price point that doesn't make the product unacceptable to the public. The consumer doesn't want a justification for an extremely high price, and in reality you never get to make that pitch one on one, they don't want their dog poisoned either. Just like the human food producers, they seek raw materials which are acceptable in quality and priced competetively to maximize profit while keeping costs low. You want a real shock look at a human recall list. You can't even be assured your food is safe, let alone the dog, even if you share, and he eats what you eat. If you didn't grow it, or harvest it yourself from a source you personally know to be safe. There are no gaurantees.
 
FCSpringer said:
What does Victor run a bag?
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Depending on what type of Victor Dog Food, $22 - $30 a bag.
I have several friends that are feeding it. It seems to be a good food.
I have called the customer service and spoke with the nutritionists. I was impressed! I am seriously thinking of trying this food.

When/ if, you do your research on Victor, I think that you might be impressed. I have no affiliation to this company, as I have been feeding PPP for over 5 years with great success.
 
The Mercola article is a good read.

I've posted before that I feed Victor and did so before I read the Mercola article. The info in that article is the reason though. Victor puts out more info on their sources of protein and the percentage amounts from meat/plants & veggies/grains. Depending on the formula, it can be from about 70% to 88% meat sourced.

I used to feed a Victor Grain Free exclusively. After all the DCM/Grain Free huhu I started hedging my bets. I now rotate through about 3 Victor formulas. I still use the Grain Free Chicken but I also use the Professional and the Chicken & Rice. Just trying to cover all the bases. The dogs do well on any of these.

I wish the other dog food makers would give more information like Victor. Heck, I'd like Victor to even give a bit more info like what the vet talked about in the Mercola article.
 
I've been feeding Victor high energy/puppy to my dog for a couple years. Been through several different brands and formulations. He likes the Victor. He's in great shape for a 10yr old dog.

His craps are dark because of the blood meal in the food but that just makes them easier to find int he lawn when I need to clean up before cutting the grass. I think I pay $55/40lbs.
 
Are you guys talking about this Dr. Mercola?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola

OK, OK; so it's wikipedia, who doesn't exactly have the higest reputation for accuracy. Still, I'm not buying anything this guy is saying. He's essentially been promoting his own dietary supplements and medical "devices". He's been spanked by the FDA among others for making unsubstantiated claims. Here's a couple items I think are noteworthy:

Mercola's medical claims have been criticized by business, regulatory, medical, and scientific communities. A 2006 BusinessWeek editorial stated his marketing practices relied on "slick promotion, clever use of information, and scare tactics."[3] In 2005, 2006, and 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Mercola and his company that they were making illegal claims of their products' ability to detect, prevent, and treat disease.[6] The medical watchdog site Quackwatch has criticized Mercola for making "unsubstantiated claims [that] clash with those of leading medical and public health organizations and many unsubstantiated recommendations for dietary supplements."[6]

He basically said the Avian flu epidemic was bogus. Tell that to the folks who contracted that particular flu virus.

Another: Phyllis Entis, a microbiologist and food safety expert, highlighted Mercola.com as an example of websites "likely to mislead consumers by offering one-sided, incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information."[13]

Look, we all want to feed our dogs the best food we can. It's been stated before that not all dogs do well on any specific food. As well, we want to be informed of potential health issues, be it from food or other causes. Perhaps Mercola is but one of a number of places we can go to get information.

I guess what I'm saying is we're all trying to make informed choices. I'm not so sure Mercola is someone I trust enough to provide good information.
 
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