pre hunt nutrition

[T-Bob Parker]

I've got a couple dogs who have very high metabolisms and alot of drive. These two factors together have me feeding 2 qts of victor 24-20 per day, that's 8 cups if you didn't know. Coincidentally I'm fixing to with these two over to something with a lil corn in the mix, but that's neither here nor there. Knowing that I've got a long hunt tomorrow night, I've upped their feed and am trying to give them lots of fuel to burn tomorrow.

I've been taught that you dont feed a dog the day of a big hunt, but as every hunt has increasingly become a big hunt, its made me change my mind and wonder what everybody else is doing.

For those who only hunt once or twice a week, do you withhold food on the day of?

[circleb54]

If I know that I am going hunting I don't feed but I usually hunt during the day and I always feed at night I never feed then turn around and go it like you if you eat a good meal you don't want to run around after it

[Mike]

I always feed my dogs in the evening, if i'm hunting that night i'll wait to feed after the hunt.

[redtick23]

I always feed my dogs in the evening, if i'm hunting that night i'll wait to feed after the hunt.

x2

[Munoz]

i wont feed the day of the hunt but will usually feed double the night before. like marathon runners they will usually carb load the night before a long run. don't know if there is any truth to it but thats what I do.

[Reuben]

I feed in the evening, If I am going that night i feed several hours earlier but only half a ration...

If I am going in the morning I feed later in the evening or a little extra if I feed at normal evening time...I believe the dogs hunt harder and longer if not full but not too hungry...

I think this is an important part of the hunt.

[T-Bob Parker]

I understand not feeding within the 4-6 hour period before a hunt, that makes sence for obvious reasons, but I hunt at night but I feed in the mornings so i dont see anything wrong with that time frame.

[Caseydejohn]

When my dogs start getting run down I put them on automatic feeders. Dogs seem not to eat as much when they are full.

[Rusty Knife]

I tend to feed about 1730 everyday, I only seem to be able to hunt at night but the day of the night hunt I'll feed the morning of and give 1/2 more than what I typically give at night along with a bowel of generic pedialite to drink.  Depending on how many I have, I'll blend up whatever bananas and excess bread/buns there are and pour it over the food, helps food from going to waste and gives the hounds some potassium and carbs before a long hunt. This give 10-12+ hours to process through the digestive track and usually allows the dog to deficate before loading up. Hunts on average are 12-16 hours, often I find myself sleeping in the mountain, no matter how long the hunt is, I always wait 3 hours afterwards.  I've seen dogs colic like a horse because hunters fed there dog right after a work out.  Depending on when i get in, sometimes I'll even wait until the next evening just to help keep them on a schedule.

[Critter Catcher]

Hey Terry I feed after our hunts and any hunt, I was always told never run a fed dog because their predator drive is greater on an empty belly. I don't know if that is just my uncle's and other old timers ways or if there is something to it but that is what I have always done. It could be the feed you give them but it seem high in require portions and to tell you the truth Red looks pretty good along with the rest of your dogs.

[T-Bob Parker]

Thanks, I just dont like his high back bone. I know what a hard bodied dog is, and that's what he is. A few weeks ago when he did 22 miles, he seemed just as fresh and ready to rock as he was the night before. I'm not real worried about my dogs, I have a pretty good inclination as to what they'll do on any given hunt, I just wanted to start a conversation and see what folks thought about carbs for canines mostly. Potassium is a fantastic idea as well as supplemental B12.  Thanks

[Purebreedcolt]

B12 is good never thought about bananas they help me out why not a dog? Feed extra the night before and like giving them meat.  20 miles is not a lot on my blue dog he is always moving never slows down but the rest seem to tucker after about 13 so this has me to thinking??

[circleb54]

B12 is good never thought about bananas they help me out why not a dog? Feed extra the night before and like giving them meat.  20 miles is not a lot on my blue dog he is always moving never slows down but the rest seem to tucker after about 13 so this has me to thinking??

Never heard of the bananas for a dog so is that some thing you could just add a few times a week and no problem even if not hunting hard

[Reuben]

Hey Terry I feed after our hunts and any hunt, I was always told never run a fed dog because their predator drive is greater on an empty belly. I don't know if that is just my uncle's and other old timers ways or if there is something to it but that is what I have always done. It could be the feed you give them but it seem high in require portions and to tell you the truth Red looks pretty good along with the rest of your dogs.

I have heard the same about not feeding the dogs because there ability to hunt goes up because of that old predator instinct to hunt for food. It makes a lot of sense to me but I have noticed over the years that hard hunting dogs start to wear out after a long day and it seems that when I give a 1/2 ration they hunt hard for a longer period of time.

[Rusty Knife]

B12 is good never thought about bananas they help me out why not a dog? Feed extra the night before and like giving them meat.  20 miles is not a lot on my blue dog he is always moving never slows down but the rest seem to tucker after about 13 so this has me to thinking??

Never heard of the bananas for a dog so is that some thing you could just add a few times a week and no problem even if not hunting hard

Honestly I really don't know anatomically if giving dogs bananas really does much.  But scientifically bananas are proven to be enriched in potassium and has been proven to eliminate lactic acid build up and speed up muscle recovery in humans. I can't see why it would be much different for canines. Weither it's nessacary to do it through out the week maybe a day or two after a hunt?  But it is a natural sugar which would be excess energy to be burned.  Bananas are very plentyful here, as a matter of fact I have a few extras hanging from my tree in backyard now for whenever one of you fellas decide to come out to Hawaii for a hunt!

[TeJaShOgSlAyER]

i only feed after hunt never the day of, but one time we fed then some friends came into town and want to hunt so we loaded up and went anyways and it didnt change there drive to hunt or find a pig cause they got the job done anyways!

[Critter Catcher]

i only feed after hunt never the day of, but one time we fed then some friends came into town and want to hunt so we loaded up and went anyways and it didnt change there drive to hunt or find a pig cause they got the job done anyways!

In the past I had a dog I fed then ran and he died on me, from healthy as a horse to dead. Brought him to my vet to find out what happened, he was full of food and the vet said his stomach flipped (not exactly sure what that means) gases built up and restricted his ability to breath. It was not a hunt we were on, just let him out to run an after 45mins to an hour this occurred. This only happened to me once and I never let a dog run after eating but it seems most everybody is on the same page..

[T-Bob Parker]

Well heck, guess its settled.

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

[TeJaShOgSlAyER]

i only feed after hunt never the day of, but one time we fed then some friends came into town and want to hunt so we loaded up and went anyways and it didnt change there drive to hunt or find a pig cause they got the job done anyways!

In the past I had a dog I fed then ran and he died on me, from healthy as a horse to dead. Brought him to my vet to find out what happened, he was full of food and the vet said his stomach flipped (not exactly sure what that means) gases built up and restricted his ability to breath. It was not a hunt we were on, just let him out to run an after 45mins to an hour this occurred. This only happened to me once and I never let a dog run after eating but it seems most everybody is on the same page..

Thanks for the info.. Its always good to learn new stuff thank ya sir!

[Reuben]

i only feed after hunt never the day of, but one time we fed then some friends came into town and want to hunt so we loaded up and went anyways and it didnt change there drive to hunt or find a pig cause they got the job done anyways!

In the past I had a dog I fed then ran and he died on me, from healthy as a horse to dead. Brought him to my vet to find out what happened, he was full of food and the vet said his stomach flipped (not exactly sure what that means) gases built up and restricted his ability to breath. It was not a hunt we were on, just let him out to run an after 45mins to an hour this occurred. This only happened to me once and I never let a dog run after eating but it seems most everybody is on the same page..

its called twisted gut or a more proper name is called bloat. It usually happens to big dogs with large or barrel chested . Bloat usually happens when the dog is fed after a workout or hunt...