What to feed, how much to feed, and how to feed

[Kirbysowner]

---any suggestion and/or correction is welcomed

What to feed?

When feeding your husky you have four options: Raw food, dry dog food, homemade dog food, dehydrated food

A) For raw food refer to the raw food thread.

B.) when picking a good dry dog food consider the following:

-always make sure you read the ingredients list and the first 3-4 ingredients are meat and meat meal.

-Make sure that if it includes grains it is good grains such as cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, millet.

- Never buy dog food containing the following: Corn, Corn gluten, Animal Fat Preserved with BHA/BHT, Meat by-products. (meat-by products = parts of the animal not safe for human consumption)

-Some famous dry dog food brands are: TOTW (taste of the wild), HALO, Orijen, ACANA, FROMM, EVO Welness Core, Artemis, Merrick.

Please note there is no "Best food" out there and as long as you stick to good foods like the ones I mentioned you should be able to find one that your dog works with better.

C) There are many recipes out there, but the basic one is : boiled meat such as chicken or beef (DO NOT ADD SALT OR SEASONINGS), Brown rice, Peas, Scrambled Eggs. Make sure you check Danger foods thread to know what you should NOT put in the food.

D) Go to your pet store and see if they have dehydrated or frozen dog food, it's hard to go wrong with any brand or type.

Important notes: A and D are usually the most expensive options. B and C can and should be combined for better nutrition. when feeding dry food, make sure you know the amount of metabolized energy (usually listed as KCal per cup) because it tells you the overall amount of calories that can be metabolized by the body. This information can be found at www.dogfoodanalysis.com. If you choose B, sometimes you will find it cheaper and easier to shop online.

How much to feed?

The following chart shows averages and every dog is different. This guide is to give you a start-up idea. Always monitor your dog's weight and overall health.

How many calories:

amount varies from 800 to 1300 kcal/day based on 35 to 55 lb dogs. Adjust calories depending on activity level. when sledding, dog will need around extra 600 cal per working hour. From age 0 to 18 months of age, your dog will require extra calories to be able to grow. as your husky reaches 2 yrs, you will most likely have to drop the amount of food they get daily.

Daily requirement:

Dogs depend and require animal protein to survive and maintain overall health. It is their nature to eat meat, and Nordic dogs such as the husky have a high metabolism as well as require more protein and fat in comparison to regular dogs. The following table gives you a basic idea of how much Protein and Fat they need MINIMUM!

Growth Stage ----Recommended Protein % -------Recommended Fat %

Puppy ---------------------- 28% ----------------------------17%

Adult dog -------------------25% ----------------------------20%

Racing sled -------------- 35% ---------------------- ------50%

Lactating dog ------------- 28% --------------------------- 17%

How do you use this table?

Let's assume you have a 50 Lb male husky who requires 1100 Cal a day and gets plenty of exercise. he will be considered to be an adult, non working, dog. So, from the table he needs 25% protein and 20% fat.

fat contains 9 calories per gram. Protein contains 4 calories per gram. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram

So on a 1100 cal/day requirement the husky will need 275 calories (25% of 1100) to come from animal protein which translates as 68.75 grams (275 calories/ 4 calories in gram of protein). The same for Fat, 20% of 1100 is 220 cal. which translates as 24.4 g of fat.

This is easier to track using dry dog food, since it lists the amount of protein and fat contained in the food. if the percent of crude protein is not listed, you can find out more at www.dogfoodanalysis.com.

The rest of the calories can come from maybe extra protein from vegetables or legumes products such as lentils, extra good fats such as bacon fat or fish oils(please make sure you do not over feed fat since it can cause health problems), Fiber (very important) and other carbs.

Real Life Example:

Let's assume you already picked a dry food, and your puppy works well with it. this is how you can use this information.

1) go to dogfoodanalsis.com and get the following information

Calorific Content:

Calorie Content: 3,719 kcal/kg (348 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy.

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein 28% Minimum

Crude Fat 17% Minimum

Crude Fiber 3% Maximum

Moisture 10% Maximum

Sodium 0.3% Maximum

Zinc 180 mg/kg Minimum

Selenium 0.4 mg/kg Minimum

Vitamin E 300 IU/kg Minimum

Omega-6 Fatty Acids * 3.3% Minimum

Omega-3 Fatty Acids * 0.5% Minimum

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) * 0.05% Minimum

2) try finding out how many calories your puppy needs (this all depend on age and activity level) my dog is 7 moths and weighs 30 lbs, and his activity level is high so I have calculated that he needs about 800 calories a day since he is a growing pup (i can figure out if 800 is too much by looking at his stool and see if it's soft and not caused by other things)

from the information I got about the food I know I can give my dog 2 cups of dry food and that will give him 696 calories, 28% protein and 21% fat. his protein intake is right on the spot, but fat content is a 1% high. also, he still has 104 calories to consume. Personally, I would just mix in brown rice and vegetables to meet the extra 104 calories and not worry about the extra fat, since it is only 4% higher and should not affect him at all because he runs a lot. Or, I could just give him a piece of lean cooked chicken to give him more protein, which would help his muscles and give him a bit more energy, but it all depends on whether he still needs the exercise or if it is too late and he can't get any real exercise.

Something else to consider is the treats you give your dogs. I give mine raw meat or cheese, which are both loaded with fat, protein and calories. Since my dog is a growing puppy i think the extra calories won't affect him too much, but you should always keep in mind the calories your dog takes from treats and add it to the total amount your dog needs daily.

Feeding schedule

It is a common practice to put the food down for 15-20 mins and let your dog eat, and put their food away until their next feeding time. Huskies will require different feeding schedules depending on age.The following is a schedule I developed after research and reading the overall suggestions given in this forum:

AGE -----------------------------numbers of time to be fed

0-3 months----------------------4 times a day

3-5 months----------------------3 times a day

5 mo. - 2 yrs---------------------2 times a day

2 yrs + ---------------------------2 times or 1 time a day depending on your dog

How to switch Dry food/formulas:

******************when switching food, always monitor your dog's health and pay extra caution to allergy signs. Feeding overcooked rice will make things worse, so make sure it is not overcooked**************

switching from one type of food to another one is something you will most likely do. When doing so there are two approaches that seem to work very well:

1) 1/4-7

(all credits for this approach go to Mazz, I'm just going to copy and paste what he wrote on another thread)

----

Whenever I've changed over from one dog food to another, I do the 1/4-7 approach. Here's how it works out:

Day 1 - 3/4 old food and 1/4 new food at each meal

Day 2 - Same as above.

Day 3 - 1/2 old food and 1/2 new food at each meal

Day 4 - Same as above.

Day 5 - 1/4 old food and 3/4 new food at each meal

Day 6 - Same as above.

Day 7 - All new food.

------

2) 50/50 --this is the approach I usually take

50/50 requires a bit more effort, but sometimes it will help your puppy better. With this approach you use 50% boiled chicken and brown rice, 25% old food 25% new food. Chicken and rice will help your puppy not have soft stool and if he does it gives you a quick hint as to whether he can tolerate the new food. You do this for 4-5 days and if by the 5th day he is doing fine then you can switch to 50% chicken and rice and 50% new food. If you will feed only the new food, gradually decrease the chicken and rice over the next two days that way by the 8th day you can feed only the new food.

Note: rice is fed to firm up the stool by absorbing some of the liquids in the stool. If you overcook the rice, it will defeat the purpose and can make diarrhea worse.

Things to consider:

-Huskies stomachs are very delicate, so it is very likely your dog will have the runs when switching, regardless of the approach you use. Give it time and if by the 4th day he/she still can't tolerate the new food then you can ask the forum and/or vet for advice.

-you can always try giving your husky 2 tbsp of plain yogurt (NO SUGARS) after every meal. this will help them get used to the new food better

- boiled chicken and brown rice are excellent for settling the stomach. If something goes terribly wrong with the switch you should consider putting your puppy on a chicken and rice diet for a couple of days to give the stomach a rest.

Bloating:

Bloating can be life threatening for dogs so always try to be careful how and when you feed your dog. Bloating can happen because of various reason, and when not caused by actual medical problems it can be caused by the two following things:

1) The dog ate too fast: some people recommend you put part of the dog's food in a treat dispensing toy to give your dog some mental stimutlation as well as give them part of their daily feeding. Some dogs will swallow everything in a second which can cause bloating; therefore, feeding your dog with toys will reduce how much they swallow while eating their normal meal and decreasing the chances of bloating.

2) Exercise after eating: after eating, allow your dog to relax and digest some of the food. The food will get digested as the day goes by and as your dog burns energy, but giving your dog 30-45 mins time to relax after eating will decrease your dog's chances of bloating. when dogs play they breathe through their mouths to meet oxygen requirement, filling up the stomach with extra oxygen and nitrogen which will promote bloating. Also, some foods expand once in the stomach and allowing your dog to rest after eating will allow for some of the expanded foods to work better with your dog.

To learn more about bloating you can visit the following website: dog bloating information

Seniors dogs ( @SolitaryHowl, because she asked. @Sutsibe, I always trust your advice so correct me as needed)

Senior dogs are dogs who have reached half their age. So for a husky that would be at around 7-8 years. As they age, their caloric intake decreases, and that is why you see many senior dogs overweight. an overweight dog will age slightly faster than a lean dog, and can have more health problems such a joint pain and injuries.

senior dogs need more nutrients/vitamins/minerals and less calories. Some vegetables such as kale are a good source of vitamins. but I need to find more research on that.

As you start noticing your dog becoming less energetic, you need to adjust the calories so they dont become overweight. Also, their bodies aren't as good as they used to be, so you need to slightly increase the vitamins and minerals intake. If you are feeding dry kibbles, you can choose a formula designed for senior dogs (which has less protein and less fat). also, feed according to your dogs need and not bag instructions. Additionally, try selecting a formula based on fish or beef, as those meats have higher content of joint supplements and omega fats.

If you are going raw, you will obviously need to feed less and will have to start feeding meats other than chicken. Chicken is good for young dogs, but nutritionally doesnt offer much nutrients. you will have to feed a bit more fish(with skin) and/or beef (but be careful with beef as most dogs find it too rich so feed only a small amount) as well as lean pork. Other good meats are lamb and venison, but those tend to be more expensive. (any corrections @Sid_Wolf ?)

you can also try supplements to give your dog the nutrients it needs

Notes: fish is high in omegas. Beef is good for muscles and joints. Pork is like a combination of beef and fish, but not as good as the two separate. Lamb tends to be lean meat. Venison dont know much about

Diarrhea and Allergy:

By now you already know huskies have delicate stomachs (I've said it many times by now). The following should help you understand better how the food interacts with your dog.

The runs: soft stool is not a good thing and can be caused by many things:

- too much fat in the diet

- introduction to new food or treat

- High protein diet with not enough exercise (by exercise I mean running and pulling like a real husky)

- the dog was fed too much food

- your dog ate something off the ground

- too many grains in their diet

if your dog has this, go through the list I just mentioned and figure out what it is causing it. If you can't figure it out, ask the forum after consulting with your vet first!

Allergy: dogs can be allergic to food and some of the symptoms are:

- Red skin

- Rash on the skin

- The runs

- excessive scratching

- Red eyes

- Vomiting

- Strange behavior

if your dog has this, go through the list I just mentioned and figure out what it is causing it. If you can't figure it out, ask the forum after consulting with your vet first!

Important notes:

- Some huskies are allergic to chicken

- Some huskies are allergic to ingredients in some dry dog foods

- Huskies are picky eaters. when finding out what dry food to feed them make sure you change foods gradually (over a week period) and never try too many options.

- puppies and working dogs always need more calories

- Never exceed 60% fat if you are sledding

- Too much fat IS DANGEROUS.TOO MUCH FAT IS DANGEROUS FOR THEIR LIVERS AND NUTRIENT ABSORPTION

-some huskies' stomachs are like black holes. make sure you do not overfeed your husky because it leads to vomiting and even malnutrition.

- Just because your friends husky likes one food, doesn't mean yours will.

- if your husky is constantly hungry make sure he does not have worms

-sometimes your husky will seem to beg for food, but this is often mistaken with Husky curiosity. To elaborate, they will sniff your cup and plate just to see what you are eating and does not mean they want it

-If they can reach a food, chances are that food is gone in 1 minute

- on a personal note, I do not suggest following feeding amount on the back of your dry food bag. The reason why is because huskies have a completely different metabolism. Learn how much your husky needs and stick to it. learning only takes an hour, and will have life-time benefits

-as a rule of thumb, if your husky needs 1100 calories a day, multiply by 100,000 and that's how much attention, love, care, and patience they require.

I will constantly update this as info comes my way.

[storm-boi]

this would be a great to help for many husky mummy and daddy's +1

[Kirbysowner]

any suggestion and correction is welcome

[Jeff&Duke]

Great info + 1

Oh and I think you live near me (Sacramento?) I live in Rancho Cordova. PM me we should meet up and have a husky play date! (Sorry to throw the topic off...)

[Elyse]

Thanks for this!

You might want to add some information about feeding Senior Sibes; as in what amount of protein they would need, etc.

I feed my boy Merrick but he won't eat it unless I put Beneful wet food in. Thinking of switching to TOTW but I don't know if my pet stores sell it. Is it any different than Merrick?

[Sarah]

Made a sticky

[Kirbysowner]

@ solitaryhowl: it depends on the merrick formula you use. Some of their formulas list a grain as the second ingredient which would stop me from using it. TOTW most often than not always have meat and meat meal as their first 3 ingredients. And I will update with senior info if I can find any info on it, but there don't seem to be much out there sadly. but thanks for the excellent idea

@Jeff&Duke: I live near sac state. We should definitely meet. I know someone else in rancho who might be interested. We usually go to power in and ramona dog park on week days, and Hagan park near coloma on weekends.

[Elyse]

I use the 'Campfire Trout Feast'. By looking at their ingredients here, it seems like a really good one: http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/detail.php?c=14&s=20301

Also, when you switch formulas (I usually do the trout in the fall/winter and another formula in the spring/summer) do you have to do it gradually? (ie: ease in the new formula and fade out the old one.)

[Kirbysowner]

@ solitaryhowl: Trout, Oatmeal, Barley, Salmon Meal, Whole Brown Rice, Canola Oil....the first five ingredients is 2 meats and 3 grains. I would say it might be worth changing to a different formula but you've been feeding him that for a long time and if he is doing fine then just stick to it. and I will be adding a section regarding the process of changing food.

[Tams Teeko and Keeta]

When should you change from a puppy food to an adult food?

[HuskyCouture]

i heard usually between 12-18 months, but i think it depends

we switched embry off puppy food at 6 months, but he's on taste of the wild, which is an all stages dog food so i never have had to worry about switching him from puppy to adult.

i know some people don't feed puppy food because it can make the puppy grow too fast.

[tinkerbell]

really interesting facts to know,kodah is 12 weeks old now,it seems a hit and miss from one day to another,hes on james wellbeloved,one day his stools are fine the next can be slightly runny,so maybe cutting out the puppy treat that we use to toilet train him,could be the problem.

[Kirbysowner]

@ claire: try plain yogurt (1 teaspoon since he is a puppy). if after checking the treats he still has the problem check and see how much fat (most likely culprit) or protein you are feeding him

[forestbeekeeper]

We have been making a meat stew with either moose, mutton, chevron, bear, or hog. Boiled to a loose broth and I add a large helping of hog lard, then I put in a grain mixture of barley, corn and oats. And I boil that until the grain softens and absorbs most of the liquid.

The grain mixture is what I feed our hogs year-round. I also feed it to our chickens to over-winter them during their molt, in the summer I add sunflower for egg production. In the winter I have to add a bit of molasses and salt to the grain mix for our goats and sheep, but only in the winter.

[angelaplynn]

Thank you for sharing those. They are indeed helpful although dog's diet requirement depends on their breed. For small ones I always hesitated to give them raw since I'm afraid it could put them in danger.

[<3Jess<3]

great post =D

[mydiamond]

this is a nice thread, very informative =D Thanks

[Sid_Wolf]

Just a few things: the only fillers I would consider acceptable would be potato or rice (brown or white), I wouldnt want barley or millet in there (though i have never seen this in a food).

Most common allergies are poor quality cereals such as wheat and corn

Any EC permitted attitives or preservatives are a no go (dunno if this is what they are called in the states?)

But other than that very good +1

[Blue Eyes]

Eeeek can someone help a complete novice please. I bought my puppy home on Fri with a bag of Pedigree Chum Puppy Chicken and Rice cause I was told this is what she had been weaned onto. Although the breeder had said that Kara had also been eating Mum's food too which looked like Tesco Complete Dog Biscuits.

Granted I wasnt sure how much she needed so I went with a little in the bowl to see if she left anything. Day 1 and I have a puppy with a large belly and farts that could kill anything alive within 50yds. Her poo was also quite loose when she arrived but seem to have become more consistent although a way to go yet. I put this loose stooling down to stress too.

So then I progressed to reading the side of the bag. **Cue an embarassed smiley after reading the above comment**

I have no scales so dont know how much she weighs so what is the average weight of a 7 week old Husky? I hope that isnt a stupid dumb question.

How much would you suggest I feed Kara to ensure a healthy diet?

[lord storm owner]

@Blue Eyes first things first the breeder should not have sold you a seven week old pup thats far to early for a pup to leave his/her mum...what are you feeding her food wise? wainwrights,taste of the wild,james wellbeloved are three really good foods for husky and husky types...i was feeding mine 25g four times a day and by three months he weighed in at 7.1 kg which was healthy for him as he was a gangley pup anything over 5kg would be good but please speak to a vet...hope some of this is helpful

[Sarah]

Eeeek can someone help a complete novice please. I bought my puppy home on Fri with a bag of Pedigree Chum Puppy Chicken and Rice cause I was told this is what she had been weaned onto. Although the breeder had said that Kara had also been eating Mum's food too which looked like Tesco Complete Dog Biscuits.

Granted I wasnt sure how much she needed so I went with a little in the bowl to see if she left anything. Day 1 and I have a puppy with a large belly and farts that could kill anything alive within 50yds. Her poo was also quite loose when she arrived but seem to have become more consistent although a way to go yet. I put this loose stooling down to stress too.

So then I progressed to reading the side of the bag. **Cue an embarassed smiley after reading the above comment**

I have no scales so dont know how much she weighs so what is the average weight of a 7 week old Husky? I hope that isnt a stupid dumb question.

How much would you suggest I feed Kara to ensure a healthy diet?

I'd wean off that food Wainwrights is good and not overly expensive either - as per the above thread fillers and over feeding cause the nasty "smells" and the squits. They don't need a huge amount of food, i gave a handfull of kibble per meal when my boys were 8 weeks old 4 times a day as an example:)

[Blue Eyes]

Im feeding her what the breeder weaned her onto which is Pedigree Chum Puppy Chicken & Rice.

http://uk.pedigree.com/food-and-treats/dry-food/puppy-complete

[Blue Eyes]

Cross posted with Sarah. Thank you I will look at my local feed merchants to see what Wainwrights they have and consider weaning her onto that.

[Sarah]

Cross posted with Sarah. Thank you I will look at my local feed merchants to see what Wainwrights they have and consider weaning her onto that.

that was just one suggestion - where are you based? UK / US / other? lol

[Blue Eyes]

UK.