Gundog Nutrition, keep them Hunting

You may be familiar with the saying you are what you eat, but did you realise its just as relevant with your gundog as it is with you. You must provide your gundog with gundog nutrition.

Normal dog food may be ok for a pet dog who gets taken out a couple of times a day, but for a hunting gundog its essential. The strain placed on their body during hunting and field trails is immense, so for good performance, hunting dogs require a superior level of nutrients.

If you provide your companion with the maximum amount of gundog nutrition, he will provide you with maximum performance when hunting. Below I cover the main things you need to be aware of in improving your gun dogs nutrition.

Water

A very important ingredient in gundog nutrition is the water especially in performance and hunting dogs. More water is lost during general running than you may think. Water loss can come from urinating, breathing and salivating. The dehydration, combined with extensive exercise, can cause stress to the body of the highly trained and active gundog.

Clean, fresh water must be available at all times.

If you have a problem with your dog not drinking enough you can add some flavoring such as Gatorade to make it taste better.

Food

You should have a good feeding program for your gun dog. If you know the characteristics it can make selecting or creating a balanced diet easier. Many reputable brands are dedicated to making well-balanced forms of dog nutrition suitable for the hunting dog.

A strong feeding program should provide:

• A high level of nutrients, providing high energy.

• contain at least one animal based protein sources

• be high in fat unless your dog is overweight

• contain a source of fibre

• It must contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid

• Depending on your time it may need to be easy to purchase or prepare

• Your dog needs to like the taste and texture.

I admit to using an off the shelf, I realise its not perfect but that’s what I have time for, I use Eukanuber for puppies and novice dogs. All dogs are different though, I suggest trying a few of the quality brands and see which suits your dog best. Always check the labels for dog nutritional supplements.

If you wish to make your own foods, some hunting dog owners use raw chicken carcasses.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an important component in your dog nutrition. Rice can be an excellent source of carbohydrates due to the rapid rise in blood sugar and energy levels it will cause in the dog, enabling stronger performance. Corn is the other source of carbohydrate I recommend as it will provide a stable energy burn over a longer period of time than rice, giving your dog loads of energy. I should avoid wheat as it lowers blood sugar.

Fibre

Insufficient fibre levels can lead to your dog being constipated. It may also cause problems to the intestinal tract. But keep in mind the wrong fibre can provide too many nutrients to the gut, leading to bad gas. I find a good fibre source id beet pulp. The recommended amount of fibre is about 5% to keep the gut healthy, and provide enough bulk.

Protein

Like us our dogs need protein, the most important being amino acid. Amino acid will increase strength and stamina, help maintain and rebuild muscle tissue, Increase muscle and increase red blood cells.

All the above are vital in the performance of your gundogs. Also remember your dog is carnivores, and animal based protein is the most beneficial and easily digestible. Soybeans have been used traditionally as a protein source in dog food, but their amino acid balances are inferior to those of animal-source proteins. Always look at the ingredients of dog food on the shelf before you buy.
Calories and fat.

Calories are the primary nutrition that your gun dog requires for energy. Calories will promote stamina, and boost your gun dogs overall performance. Providing calories in a balanced way is the best way to feed your dog. Fat contains at least twice the calories of carbohydrates or protein and surprisingly high fat is the best way to provide your dog with his stamina for the hunt. High fat diets also make your dog burn oxygen which will result in better performance.

Fat can come from a lot of different sources and they are all different. Some are better for your dog than others. Fatty acids are best and will provide nourishment to the skin and boost and strengthen the immune system.

There are different types of fatty acids, the most common being the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 6 works to gives your dog an essential part of healing to response to injury. Good sources: sunflower oil, soybean and corn oil. Omega 3 works to counteract excessive inflammatory response of the body. Good sources. flaxseed oil, and cold water fish oils.

Both of these fatty acids are required in your dog’s diet for maximum performance. Look for a guaranteed ratio of omega 6 omega to omega 3 fatty acids in the dog food packs in your local store.