Backpacking And Dog Nutrition

[IAMs]

Hey everyone,

I'm taking my hound (Ashe) backpacking on his first multi-night trip. On our single night trips he doesn't have much of an appetite and I'm concerned about making sure he has the nutrition he needs. Getting him to drink while hiking has also been problematic. So, I was hoping some folks could provide some insight on the following questions.

1) What tricks have you used to get your dog to drink water while hiking? Treats, broth, other?

2) How do you ensure your pup is getting enough calories during and after hiking or other endurance activity? I've thought of re-hydrating gravy to pour over kibble at the end of the day and ordering Dog Bars (http://www.design4000.net/dbar/dbstory.html) to break up and feed along the trail.

3) Do you have food products or recipes for homemade energy treats that you trust implicitly?

4) Can you recommend some resources for further research?

Thanks everyone!

Leigh

[Time4ANap]

When Rocket wouldn't drink (not hiking - tummy issue) I put a splash of Gatorade in his water and he drank it all. The boy has a sweet tooth.

 

You don't want to do it every time, but t's a good way to get them "jump started" into drinking when they need it.

[Yamaha_gurl]

Ensure? I'd be concerned about bloat, make sure he is resting an hour before and after walking.

[XTRAWLD]

1. We give Gatorade for hydration during hikes. Even watered down just so it has some flavour was good enough too. Hint: Don't use blue flavour for a white dog, just sayin'. That said, I would worry about drinking a lot and then dealing with cramps. If they don't want to drink, they don't have to, but they should have SOMETHING during the journey. It would also help if running streams are on your journey. Ryder loves walking into them and laying down and drinking from them LOL. And Kasey will stand on the edge and lap as necessary.

 

2. When we break for a snack, they break for a snack. Surprisingly, they love apples on the go, and granola bars actually. We used to feed some of Clif energy bars too off ones we were eating.

 

3. No.

 

4. We geocache and there is a wealth of hiking info you can gleam off of that site or other sister sites and forums. Meet fellow people, and get their tips and tricks. The Bruce Trail is really big here. Stretches from Tobermory to Niagara.

 

Long hikes can make paws tender at the end of the day, and might result in less energy and enthusiasm the next day. Of course as would aches and pains. Don't overdo it.

 

Have fun and post some pics!

[RedHead]

I used to do a lot of overnight backpacking with my old dog. To be honest, I didn't really do a whole lot different, unless you are doing some seriously long hikes, I wouldn't worry too much about things.

 

For food, my personal preference is dehydrated food. I used to use NRG but that was quite a few years ago, there are tons of brands now. I like them because they are very light to carry (my dog carried her own food and water ), are easily digestible, and you can add as much water to them as you like. I added extra water to make it like soup and added in some kibble as well. Obviously, try out anything new before you go to ensure it agrees with the dog. I don't do the energy drinks, if you read the labels they are basically sugar and dyes, but if you do use, make sure they don't have artificial sweeteners which are toxic to dogs.

 

You may want to check out the hiking hounds blog. I think these greyhounds even have the WPD (working pack dog) titles in hiking. You can search for different topics on the blog. Good luck!!

 

http://hikinghounds.blogspot.ca/

 

 

 

 

[hikinghounds]

A lot of times my boys don't eat as well when we backpack, or sometimes even after a long day hike even if we go home after. They tend not to drink as much on overnight trips or big hikes too. I notice they drink less as the hike goes on. My boys have not been thrilled with the powders they make to add to water for energy and hydration, although I keep some for emergencies. I think part of it is they are so excited they don't want to eat as much for meals. I've also noticed that after big hikes or other big activities they want to sleep awhile before a big meal. So, I try to feed them before they totally fall asleep and I leave the food out in the tent or offer food again when they wake up, even in the middle of the night. The best thing I've found to keep their energy up and make sure they get enough calories is to bring and give them lots of high quality treats with high protein and fat, and I bring some cooked meat if it won't be warm too long to go bad. I make sure to give them these throughout the day and I put some in with their food to encourage them to eat. I know one of my boys can get low blood sugar when he exerts himself (found that out through separate vet experience) so that's another reason I give good treats through a long hike. I've also noticed that eating something like treats during the hike will then make them thirsty. Sometimes they will get loose stools, but it hasn't made them feel bad and I guess I'd rather have that than dogs that aren't getting enough food. And, my guys get loose stools whenever they're excited anyway. Some treats that I like are Plato salmon strips, Evo biscuits, cheese, Natural Balance rolls of moist food, and dehydrated organ meat like liver, heart, etc., is nutrient rich and super flavorful. There are other good ones too, I just usually go for grain free and high quality, which usually does mean they are more expensive. Cheese and meats that you cook are good ones that aren't too expensive compared to some of the treats. I hope that helps, or at least lets you know your not alone in experiencing this.

[krissy]

In one of my BarkBox orders recently I got a couple of "energy gels" for dogs. Like the ones they have for people. I haven't had an opportunity to try them out yet though thanks to winter. We've taken Summit camping before and we never had any problems with him, so I can't be too helpful. He always finished normal meals at normal times, he takes snacks on our hikes and will drink from lakes/streams as well as whenever I offer him water from his travel bowl. Kili hasn't been camping yet, but on long, summer hikes I have also had no trouble getting her to drink and she loves food so much I doubt she'd skip a meal just because we're camping.

 

If your dog likes ice cubes that might work for the first day, or if you're more camping and not so much backpacking in the backwoods and can run into a small town every morning.

[Guest Lillypad]

What about coconut water?? I have given to my girl once or twice, she liked. May be a more healthy option than Gatorade, of course research it first.

[Guest WhiteWave]

Haven't had a chance to try them yet, but I got a Refuel and Prime Pro Plan bar for Joey to try. One is for before strenuous activity and the other for afterwards. I have considered trying a supplement to add to water for all day hikes since we live in FL and it can get hot. Last hike I mixed 1/2 a bottle of my Sobe Coconut Water with regular water and the dogs seemed to handle that very well. Sometimes regular water is too "heavy" on the stomach when it is so hot out and Rocky (French Bulldog) will throw up. Jack my Boston Terrier and Circe my friends Rat Terriers rarely drink, but the other dogs are all big drinkers on hikes. We go thru 4 liters of water in about 2 hours sometimes plus they drink from the marsh, lakes, and ponds, but this is for 8 dogs.

 

We have always done just day hikes. Never overnight. Too hard to with so many dogs so no real experience there. But for day hikes, I do not feed them before we go. May offer a bit of treats/snacks during the hike and feed them more at night after we get home.

[Guest roweboy]

We plan on taking our new boy hiking and camping this summer and it's been good to read these tips. We're new to greyhounds. I don't mean to change the subject but all who answered here may have a thought for me on this: since greys have such thin skin, I was wondering if it would be beneficial to use sports wrap to protect his legs on these excursions to protect against thorny weeds etc. Thanks!

[IAMs]

Hey Everyone -

Thank you for your advice, we head out this weekend and I can't wait!!! For food I've settled on mixing Sojos Complete (Beef) with his regular kibble. During our test run at home he loved the Sojos (freeze dried raw) and tolerated it great. I'm excited because a days worth of food for him weights just over a pound and water is plentiful along the trail so rehydrating won't be problematic. I also purchased a few high protein high fat treats for along the trail if he needs a little pick me up. Although heavier I did pick up some Zuke's power bones because Ashe LOVES them. For water, I've read up on it and the basic gist I get is don't worry to much about it. So, I'll continue to offer him water every time I take some and bribe him with a treat in the bottom if needed. Thanks folks!

 

<<Picture of food and treats to come>>

 

Leigh

 

 

We plan on taking our new boy hiking and camping this summer and it's been good to read these tips. We're new to greyhounds. I don't mean to change the subject but all who answered here may have a thought for me on this: since greys have such thin skin, I was wondering if it would be beneficial to use sports wrap to protect his legs on these excursions to protect against thorny weeds etc. Thanks!

Roweboy - I have never thought to do that and I say go ahead and try it if you like it can't hurt. I frequently take Ashe out with me and occasionally he gets a little scratched up, I just make sure to always have his first aid kit with me. That being said I've never had any serious gouges happen just minor cuts and scrapes and the occasional cactus spines. Our first greyhound, Maya, had really thin skin and we became pros at first aid with her.