Pre/Post Hunt Dog Supplements

H

HuntnTeach

New member
Hey folks,

I’m excited to be heading west for another opener. This year we’ll have both our 8 year old lab and a 6 month old lab to kick up roosters.

So, I’m curious what you all think aboutpre-hunt meals/supplements and post-hunt? I plan to supply plenty of chicken and rice with an occasional pig ear, but anything else specific?

Thanks! It’s getting ever closer!!! 😁
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
Yeah what they said😂
hey and don’t run that dog to hard it’s still a pup😁
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Definitely! I took her out this past weekend for her initial grouse and woodcock experience. It wasn’t very game rich environment but she performed exceptionally and wasn’t gun shy, so I’m a happy papa.

I appreciate all the info guys. Sometimes it’s nice just to hear what other people are doing.
 
My vet recommends a little plain canned pumpkin or beets in with their food when traveling and/ or extended hunts, it’s good for their digestive system.
 
As a 40 year lab guy, I've done as "above". Water, additional quality food as days progress. I like to feed as soon as possible after hunt and maybe a second feeding (if day 3 or 3 1/2) always at night. Read your dog. I don't feed in the A.M. It's funny, all dogs are so different. The gal I have now doesn't drink like she should so I carry fresh water ALL the time. She maintained her weight pretty well during the season, all be it, she expends a lot of energy hunting. Sooo, read your dog. No extra supplements. I hunt her 4 to 4 1/2 days a week, as that also matters.
 
On long hunts or multiple day hunts, I also supplement his water bottles with a little GoDog (Amazon) powdered formula. I use about half the recommended amount. It’s got a little chicken flavor (and some vitamins), which helps him stay hydrated.
It seems he’ll normally drink a 16-20 oz bottle of water then he doesn’t want to drink any more.
With the 2nd bottle filled with some GoDog, he’ll drink both bottles and stay well hydrated.
 
I feel whatever you gotta do to get them to eat at night, be it canned food mixed in kibble, supplement, whatever it takes...they will need the energy the next day. I also float the kibble so she gets water with her food. I feel as long as she eats well the night before? She will hunt her tail off the next day. To me supplements may or may not help....but if it's tasty and makes her eat? I'll buy it. My lab can hunt hard for 3 days no problem. But if we will be there longer, I'll sit her a half day here and there or maybe even take a day off.
 
The key is proper conditioning before season. I never feed in the morning always worried about stomach twist and such. Years ago I learned a trick from a musher friend, I cook up a mash of rice and ground up venison, package it into servings and freeze.Take package out in the morning to defrost, place in bowl to feed with hot water. Rice is highly digestible and the water helps replenish that. Works great. Dogs hunt hard all season, average 4-5 days per week.
 
Rooster Shooter said:
The key is proper conditioning before season. I never feed in the morning always worried about stomach twist and such. Years ago I learned a trick from a musher friend, I cook up a mash of rice and ground up venison, package it into servings and freeze.Take package out in the morning to defrost, place in bowl to feed with hot water. Rice is highly digestible and the water helps replenish that. Works great. Dogs hunt hard all season, average 4-5 days per week.
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Totally agree about conditioning. My dog hunted as well at age 6 as she did at 1. My guess is she gets lots of exercise at home and fed and watered well when we are hunting.
 
I don't like feeding in the morning either. One of my setters really does not like to eat much to begin with, and on 4-5 day trips he would lose weight. I started buying BaconUp, which is just rendered bacon grease, and adding it to his kibble at night. He would really dig into his food with that added. I've also mixed in wet dog food as well.
 
So far for a golden retriever have not changed her normal feeding schedule when hunting. Breakfast and dinner of normal food, only difference is often added treats around lunch and late afternoon. Usually she'll have an hour plus to digest breakfast before hunting. She always has an appetite and finishes every bite. It seems some pointing breeds are more temperamental on this. I've read a lot on stomach flip, so if I had a breed susceptible to this I probably would not feed the AM of a hunt.
 
I'm no expert, but most everything I've ever read on the subject recommends not feeding the morning of the hunt. Something about the blood needed to digest food takes blood away from muscles needed during a hunt, food takes 12 hours to digest??? Like I said, I'm no expert. My dogs get a lot of pre and post season work. I find it easier to feed once a day in the evening, versus varying it up, based on the days activities. I feed the same 30/20 food year round, and I have to feed 2 of the 3 a half cup more than is recommended to keep weight on them. My youngest dog is 13 months old. His drive is so high that I have trouble getting him to drink while in the field. I just picked up some broth based water additive, hoping that will encourage him to hydrate. The only change I have planned for this season, is to add water to their food on the nights before we hunt. As far as supplements go, my dogs get a Dasuquin after every meal, year round. It's a joint supplement recommended by my vet.
 
I think one thing to keep in mind is caloric intake. If you look at what dry food your feeding your dog now, 1 cup probably has a caloric intake of around 450-500 calories. So if you supplement with only chicken and rice or something else, you will need to atleast match the caloric intake or exceed it since the dogs are working more then normal.
After a field or mid day I will swipe my dogs mouth with nutrical, it’s basically a caloric supplement to keep the dogs blood sugar steady throughout the day. It’s not high in calories but it’s equivalent to an athlete eating those gel packs. I’ve see a dog go down from low blood sugar. And WATER..
 
My dogs are typically fed twice a day - morning & evening. We hunt twice a week, about 1-3 hours per hunt, for the entire season (nearly 4 months). They're all different, but with my current dog, if I don't nearly double his intake of PPP Sport 30/20 during the season, he'll lose considerable weight (at least that's how it's been his first 3 seasons).

If we plan to start hunting at 10:00, he gets just a hint of breakfast, just to take his mind off it. (He really loves his meals.:rolleyes:) If we don't plan to hunt until after noon (once days get short), he'll get about 1/2 a breakfast. Early in the season, if we don't plan to hunt until mid/late afternoon, he'll get almost a full breakfast. After hunting, he gets whatever the difference is to make up his full daily food intake. Sometimes that's basically a double-dinner.

During a hunt, water as needed. Sometimes a little snack if it's a long day, but that's somewhat rare.

Unfortunately I've only had 1 dog live past 6. When he got to be about 8, my vet recommended aspirin for aches & pains. 5-10mg per pound of body weight, uncoated, buffered aspirin. 1 in the morning before hunting & 1 that evening really made a big difference for him. As usual, consult your vet.
 
Writing this based on a bad event with my lab from several years ago. I was of the opinion (based on reports of others) that I would not feed my lab in the morning prior to duck hunting because of the possibility of her stomach turning due to the food. Problem with not feeding in the morning is they have no calories to burn the harder they work. She picked up 17 ducks in ice cold water, and on the 18th and final bird dropped in the water she refused to go which is not normal. She went severely downhill during decoy pick up and the walk to the truck. Shaking uncontrollably. Luckily it was a Saturday in the small town in North Dakota so the veterinarian was open. Carried her inside, they put her on a warming blanket, hooked her up with IV's and she had a seizure. 2 hours later she ran out of the vet's office just fine. Found out she was hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) because she was not fed prior to working. Wake up early and feed the dog so they have energy to burn. I now carry corn syrup with me while hunting in the event this ever happens again.
 
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