# what should a husky-type dog eat?



## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

I hear that huskies/malamutes should eat foods that are high in protein and fat. I also hear that they "have to" eat something with tuna, salmon, or something in it. 

Does anyone have recommendations for kibble?


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

I don't think that they have to eat kibble with fish but if you would like to give it a try Orijen makes a 6 Fish formula. My samoyed loves it.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

you don't have to give things with fish...it just makes their coats nice and pretty. The key with huskies is finding something that their stomach agrees to...they can be so weird about their food. Find something they like and gives them good solid "deposits" and stick with it. I found the raw diet, but I know some people find a good quality kibble that works too.


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

Yes you hear all sorts of things. They are one of the few breeds that may have gotten a lot of meat and fish the last 10,000 years while other breeds were making do with offal and grain. Still, I have seen Huskies do very well on Pro Plan. I think that if they are doing well on what you are feeding, you should stick to it.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

The idea that huskies/malamutes need high protein/fat food is derived from working sled dogs, not pet dogs. And furthermore, it applies to all dogs, not just huskies/malamutes.

The higher energy requirement for the dog, the more protein and fat he will need in his diet. And in this case, that would be Huskies having to cover 50 miles a day pulling a 1500lb sled. A lot of fat and protein is needed to accomplish this.

It's like how a staple diet in long distance hikers is nuts and M&M's. That chocolate is necessary in the diet is counterintutive for most people. However long distance hikers tend to burn through muscle and fat like it's nothing (resulting in the skinny, boney look many hikers/runners have). The extra fat from chocolates and the protein from nuts help rebuild muscle.

Long story short, it's less important for pet dogs that do short runs or long walks daily than it is for working dogs.


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## Jordan S (Nov 21, 2009)

Well dogs are dogs are dogs are dogs. Their nutritional needs are roughly the same, they are all one species you know. Fish doesn't need to be their base diet.

Grain-free is best, if your not budget-tight, go with Orijen or EVO and if you are go with TOTW.


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## Eric G (Jun 30, 2009)

I switched Dexter to Wellness Salmon & rice(allergy stuff) and he has improved beyond my expectations because every food he was on before that gave him stomach problems, loose poo 3-5 times a day, diarrhea and a poor coat. I switched him to fish because it was the only meat that I hadn't tried and people were telling me to give husky's fish and now he goes to the bathroom 2-3 times a day and his coat is soft and he is shedding much less.


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

That is a good point, working sled dogs vs. pet dogs. That is also a good point, with the hikers and M&Ms comparison. I love to hike, and that is the only time I eat peanut M&Ms. 

So, I got four samples of different foods from the pet boutique I go to. I let Luna do the sniff test and the taste test. I previously did this with Bishop. These were the choices given to Luna:

Now! Adult Dog Formula
Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Canine Formula with Smoked Salmon
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison
Innova Red Meat

I let her sniff and taste each one. I then held her back and let her pick which one she wanted to eat. She actually sniffed each one before eating a few of the Now! kibble. Then she sniffed the others, actually passed over one or two of them, took some bites of another one, and went back to the Now! and ate whatever was left in the little bowl! 

Then I took the two bags of the ones she tried the second time around, and let her sniff each one (the bags were about 12 oz). She sniffed the Now!, sniffed the other one, and then tried to take the Now! bag out of my hand! That is the one she picked, so I guess that will be the one she gets! 

This is the nutrition info on the Now food, in case anyone was curious or had never heard of it (none of this is alarming....right??):

Crude Protein (min) 26% 
Crude Fat (min) 16%
Crude Fiber (max) 4%
Moisture (max) 10%
Calcium (min) 1.2%
Phosphorus (min) .8%
*Omega 6 Fatty Acids (min) 2.5%
*Omega 3 Fatty Acids (min) .5%

INGREDIENTS

De-boned turkey, potato flour, pea, apple, whole dried egg, pea fibre, tomato, potato, flaxseed, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E) , natural flavors, salmon, de-boned duck, sun dried alfalfa, coconut oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), carrots, pumpkin, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, papaya, pineapple, grapefruit, lentil beans, broccoli, spinach, cottage cheese, alfalfa sprouts, dried kelp, flaxseed, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, lecithin, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, vitamins: ( vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vit. C), niacin, inositol, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, beta-carotene, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement) , minerals: (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), taurine, DL-methionine, L-Lysine, chicory root extract, lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, enterococcus faecium, bifido bacterium thermophilum, dried aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, yeast extract, yucca schidigera extract, marigold extract, garlic powder, L-carnitine, dried rosemary.

Calorie Content: ME (calculated) = 3600 kcal/kg or 400 kcals per 250 ml (8 oz) cup


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

One thing to keep in consideration is, the one the dog likes is not necessarily the best. Companies like Iams among others will add sugar additives to make the food more appealing. Read: letting a kid choose between Plain Cheerios or Fruit Loops.

That said, Now! doesn't look very good to me. When you read ingredent lists, they are all in order by weight. So #1 is the heaviest, working down to the lightest amount.

So taking a look at the first four ingredents of Now!. #1 De-boned Turkey #2 Potato Flour #3 Pea #4 Apple.

#1 while a meat source, they weight it while it is hydrated. So meat is 70% water weight. Since they dehydrate the food in the process, there's actually a lot less meat than they would lead you to believe. So that brings the primary source: Potato Flour. Being that dogs are, well, primarily carnivores... It's counterintutive. #3 and #4 are water weight too, so who knows how much of either there is.

Compare this to Taste of the Wild:



> Bison, venison, lamb meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, roasted bison, roasted venison, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


The first four ingredents are Bison, Venison, lamb meal, chicken meal.

The previous rule applies, Bison and Vension are mostly water weight. So further down the list than they would like you to believe. However #3 and #4 are also meats, and it's lamb meal and chicken meal. The "meal" part means that they are dehydrated already, so actual amounts. As such, there's more chicken and lamb than anything else on the list.

Hopefully you can see what I'm getting at, even though it's a bit of information.


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## rubberduckey273 (Dec 30, 2009)

you don't absolutley need to have a nordic breed on a fish based diet, but a good thing to give them, either way, is salmon oil. personally, i rather be safe than sorry with my shiba, since i've heard both that a fishy diet is necessary and that its not. either way, adding fish oil isn't bad for them, and since my dog loves it, it makes the decision that much easier.


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

Well, true to what Northern_Inuit_Luv said, my Luna is picky about her food!

After she "selected" the Now! food to eat, I read RBark's advice and tried to give her TOTW the next morning. She refused to touch it. When I put down the Now! food, she gobbled it up. I went to the same pet supply store the next day because I had to get her food one way or another, and I asked about the ingredients. They said that in this particular food, the ingredients are not dehydrated, they are steamed. At $25 USD for a 6 lb bag, this food better be good! LOL

I forgot to pick up some fish oil. I believe I may add that to her food.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

olive oil also works  not sure what other people say about it, but I have a friend that used to show/breed malamutes and they always add a bit of olive oil to make their fur nice and shiny...my two love when I spoil them with a bit of it, and its something we always have around the house.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

I feed my ferrets Go! cat food. I happen to think that this company is actually good. Here is the link to their site. Since my ferrets have been eating the cat food (grain free 50% protein) their fur has gotten so soft and shiny. Before this food I was feeding them EVO cat food (also grain free and 50% protein) and their fur was more coarse and not nearly as shiny. I think that they make good food. But that is just my opinion.


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

Olive oil! That's right, I'd heard that about olive oil. Maybe I'll add it to both my dogs' kibble. 

iorek, is the cat food as expensive as the dog food??


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

I pay $40 Canadian for a 10 lb bag so I think that it is pretty comparable when you look at EVO and Orijen


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

I keep forgetting to add olive oil! LOL My assumption is that I just drizzle a little over the kibble, right? I wonder if it will give them runny poops for a little while. Does anyone notice a change in their droppings when adding fish oil or olive oil?


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

I've been wondering about olive oil as well! I don't have any fish oil around and I don't really know if I trust those supplements in the market to work... Cadence's fur has been looking really limp and dry lately (probably because of the weather) and he's been scratching scratching scratching! How much olive oil should I add to his food each day?


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

You know, I've also heard that a spoonful of plain yogurt a day helps with their coats. It gave one of my dogs liquidy poop, though, and I wasn't really down with that. Especially considering I don't have a doggie door.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

I just drizzle some on top of their food. I don't measure it, and I've never had any problems. I wouldn't give them a cup full, but I probably give them maybe a tablespoon or so.


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

How old is Bishop? The high level of calcium in yogurt isn't good for younger large breeds. They need to have less than 1.5% in their diet and many puppy chows are close to then and some adult food above it. 

Also a table spoon of olive oil sounds like a lot. Too much fat can wreck a dog's pancreas. Also, olive oil isn't a good source of the omega 6 fatty acids dogs need.


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

Labsnothers said:


> How old is Bishop? The high level of calcium in yogurt isn't good for younger large breeds. They need to have less than 1.5% in their diet and many puppy chows are close to then and some adult food above it.
> 
> Also a table spoon of olive oil sounds like a lot. Too much fat can wreck a dog's pancreas. Also, olive oil isn't a good source of the omega 6 fatty acids dogs need.


Bishop is 2 1/2 - 3 years old. He is an Aussie/ACD mix. 
Luna is a 3 year old husky/malamute and who knows what mix. 

Is the yogurt a bad idea?


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

I give yogurt as a treat sometimes, or if they are on anti biotics for one reason or another. I've never had a problem. I don't think it does anything for the coat, though. Its more for extra digestive enzymes, or so I was told. If you get yogurt, make sure you get the plain regular. They don't benefit from the fat free or low fat stuff as much.


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