Problems getting dogs to eat in the field?

goldenboy

goldenboy

Well-known member
I have had this problem for years. When we hunt hard for multiple days in a row, I find it really hard to get my dogs to eat anything. They are in great shape, but after 3-4 days of hunting everyday they seem to loose all their appetite and I am afraid they are loosing muscle mass at some point. Any suggestions?
 
litlle bit of ketchup or anything else with a "new" flavor...with a bit of warm water over the top might encourage them a bit. It works with mine when she gets that way. sometimes it might be nerves...who knows
 
I have this problem on trips sometimes. I think traveling long distances kind of messes up their digestion and appetite a little. As the dogs get older and more experienced, they tend to learn when to eat and drink. I have found that adding a little milk to their water makes them want to drink. I give them a good bowl full in the morning and before they hunt so they will be hydrated. A little sausage or eggs mixed with their food helps too. I have had dogs that will be on a 5 day trip and not eat hardly anything though.
 
Most all of my dogs have always been light eaters while hunting. I have always packed a few cans of food to put in with the dry. Pick something with gravy. Gravy makes everything better:). He still doesn't eat well, but at least I feel like he is getting something.
 
cockrocker said:
litlle bit of ketchup or anything else with a "new" flavor...with a bit of warm water over the top might encourage them a bit. It works with mine when she gets that way. sometimes it might be nerves...who knows
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I agree about the nerves. A buck in rut stops eating too. He's got does on his mind. Our dogs have birds on theirs. They're bred for birds. Birds are like a drug to them.

The dog I have now eats on hunting trips, but he's the first to do so. My last dog would come back looking like a bag of skin and bones. I would buy that dog steak and he wouldn't eat it:eek:

Once in a while McDonalds did the job. He had a good stomach on him so it didn't mess with his gut.
 
I have found that after over 25 years of taking bird dogs on long out of state hunting trips of from 2 to 14 days that if you leave food and water in their dog boxes over night that most mornings they have ate and drank most of what I gave them. They are tired and dont want to eat until after they have rested some, but be sure and give them ample time for potty breaks ,which isnt a problem if you hunt them during the day. I realize that they sometimes get their bedding in their food and water so try and get as much of the bedding away from their food and water. Also I do use their regular food but also give them good can food with gravy and some moist and meaty too. Some dogs are just more finicky eaters than others and require more care to not become a bag of bones.
 
When I had dogs that wouldn't eat I either mixed some canned food with their dry or I carried along some chicken broth and poured some on their dry food. Both seemed to work reasonably well. If you have a way to heat the broth first it seems to work better.

Fortunately I don't have that problem with either of my current dogs. After the hunt and I've given them amble time to rest I feed them and they both chow it down.
 
One of my Golden's from years back went five day's without eating...

I agree with the canned food idea that has gravity - works well. Anything that is different seems to make a difference. Of course there's always raw hamburger if you have it on hand.
 
Copied from your other thread,LOL.

They always eat, but may rest first. I never feed for a couple hrs after any excersize. The amount of running I just feed more cups during rough pounding weeks. And I switch dogs keeping them fresher. The beauty of having 3-4 I guess. Back when I had one, she got it done but those 5 days in the dakotas had her cut up, sleeping sitting up, and wore down. Basicly like she had a fight with Mike Tyson. So that is common with any dog we run in to the dirt expecting them to carry the load on their own. They better be in great shape going in condition wise for those hunts. Or they just cant do it. I saw some of the not eating behavior back then too. I would go to the cafe and order 2 roast beef comericals or 2 orders of eggs OE hash browns bacon and toast. Then mix one for the dog with the food. They will gobble that up LOL.
 
During the peak of the season I only feed my dog at night/ in the evening. It's not good for dog to have a full colon while hunting, hence is why I don't feed in the morning. And I don't feed for at least an hour after exercise, let's the dog cool down. And I usually only feed my dogs once a day, except during the summer.
 
david0311

jimmy j said:
I have found that after over 25 years of taking bird dogs on long out of state hunting trips of from 2 to 14 days that if you leave food and water in their dog boxes over night that most mornings they have ate and drank most of what I gave them. They are tired and dont want to eat until after they have rested some, but be sure and give them ample time for potty breaks ,which isnt a problem if you hunt them during the day. I realize that they sometimes get their bedding in their food and water so try and get as much of the bedding away from their food and water. Also I do use their regular food but also give them good can food with gravy and some moist and meaty too. Some dogs are just more finicky eaters than others and require more care to not become a bag of bones.
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XX2 found this out by accident with one of mine--would not eat at end of day until he had rested--sometimes several hours--other idea of topping food with something else help many times as well--one other suggestion--stay as close as possible to regular feeding schedule as well--any or all may work--regard--dc
 
If mine hasn't eaten in day or so (I think she just gets too excited to worry about eating) I will buy a plain hamburger at a cafe at lunch and feed it to her bun and all. Figure that gets her some good protein and some carbs. Seems like that primes the pump and she then will eat some dry food at supper. Sometimes if I have access to a stove will mix some burger (and a little gease) with her dry food.
 
I think getting dogs to eat in the field is the ages old question, maybe it began with creation! i think I have tried everything, i stewed up vegetables, ground beef, and rice, tried that with stored in tupperwear. It worked and kept them energized. It was wet mixed, I think that was a value, because they get so dry when they hunt, even if it's cool. i have tried canned food supplement, with varying results, so days it works, other times they don't. The only product which is no longer available which seemed to do it, was an old Science diet endurance. It was in a metal pail because it was fat, story is they used pork fat. About 30% fat, about that much in protien. Dogs ate it and got fat. In the 1970's it was $50.00 per pail, of about 25#s. At that price I should have been eating it! These were the pointers and setters, in my opinion hardest to overcome the finnicky diet, most went a whole 3 day weekend and never ate. They would stoke up at home though. Now I have a 90# Lab, he eats everything, including the leavings of other dogs dinner, and your ice cream cone, he also chews on raw hides in the back seat from field to field.
 
my experience has been any departure from their regular diet, just to see them eat, results in diarreah.......if a dog is hungry, they will eat, mine go on and off their food from time to time on hunting trips, but not to the extent it affects their performance.....i think keeping them well hydrated is more important.
 
My theory is the dog is too tired to eat. I have found that when you know your done for the day that if I put the food out with the water before loading up my dog will eat if hungry.
 
Dog won't eat on hunting trips

I had the same problem hunting my dog in SD in October. I took her back again in Nov. and poured a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup on her dry food each nite and that's all it took. We worked her pretty hard in some brutal weather and I think she needed a little something extra. There is some salt in the soup. Maybe she needed a little potassium boost after a hard day in the field.
 
I feed my dogs once per day in the evening year round, never in the morning. I have never had a problem with them not eating on a trip. I am not sure if their feeding schedule is the reason, but I would guess it helps.
 
eating while hunting

Same here. My pup is not a breakfast eater either. She ate at nite while out west, once per day. She needed the water though, no matter if it was mild or cold outside.
 
Lots of good ideas. If using canned dog food mixed in just be careful to not add too much or you may get the "Green apple two step".

Something else to try that's pretty cheap is just a can of beef or chicken broth. Just warm it up and pour over the kibble.
 
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