# Purina unveils energy bars for dogs



## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Thoughts? Here is the information I could find about it:

Prime bar: http://www.proplan.com/dry-dog-food/sport-adult-prime-bar/

Refuel bar: http://www.proplan.com/dry-dog-food/sport-adult-refuel-bar/


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## ShoreDobermans (Nov 18, 2013)

The refuel bar is Maltodextrin which does work and really well. However, unless your dog is involved in extreme activity, like sledding, skijouring or horseback hunt trials you don't need it.

If you do really want something like this, Glycocharge is the one to use.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

No I don't, I never have needed it, even when I did have hard working herding dogs working cattle all day.

I am wondering why you say that someone doesn't need a performance food or supplement unless they are doing something demanding? Some dogs are just hard keepers.


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## misswolfy (Jul 13, 2013)

Eek with super high energy dogs....could you imagine what it would be like? I dunno, I have No use for it... even if I was doing majorly strenuous activities..

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Agreed, I was just wondering what others might have thought of something like this lol, I am not too impressed with the prime bar because it has metidone in it :/


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## Losech (Apr 5, 2011)

I saw some dog power bars in the petshop the other day (don't know if they were the same as these or not) and man were they EXPENSIVE! No thanks... Eggs, high-fat ground beef, and chunks of plain ol fat work best with my dogs, is much cheaper, and healthier.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

the heck would most people need that for? lol! that's the last thing i need...


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

Why would anyone want to give their dog a bar of sugar? I'd much rather give him some chicken or other protein for energy than a sweetner.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

I know lol, I just make my own "energy bars" I guess you could call them, called satin balls or "fat balls" that works really good for us lol. 

I honestly don't know why anyone would pay for somejongblikenthisbwhen they could make their own for half the price lol


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## Fade (Feb 24, 2012)

I just think. maybe this could get my basset hound to walk more then 2 blocks without getting tired ^_^


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## ShoreDobermans (Nov 18, 2013)

NicoleIsStoked said:


> Why would anyone want to give their dog a bar of sugar? I'd much rather give him some chicken or other protein for energy than a sweetner.


The idea is to replace muscle glycogen. There is tons of research on this. It takes too long otherwise. This is meant for dogs that have several days of activity. Protein and fat doesn't do it fast enough. The first bar is kind of useless, but the maltodextrin bar is probably pretty good if you are doing something hard over several days. You can buy maltodextrin powder a lot cheaper.

If you want to argue with established research, be my guest. It wouldn't surprise me.


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## Kyndall54 (Apr 26, 2013)

Fade said:


> I just think. maybe this could get my basset hound to walk more then 2 blocks without getting tired ^_^


Haha I just think, whats the only other more way Ammy could be more cracked out? I can't imagine her being more than she is now haha.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

I can't even imagine. If this worked Jasper would be....unstoppable. With 6 hours strenuous exercise a day he still is up for anything. I shutter even to think about it. 

In all reality I wouldn't feed it but I know many people who would. Lots of sports dog people swear by Pro Plan. And they would feed anything from them. I'd rather add meats, eggs, etc to my dogs foods.


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## ShoreDobermans (Nov 18, 2013)

http://books.google.com/books?id=20...e&q=maltodextrin muscle glycogen dogs&f=false


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

ShoreDobermans said:


> If you want to argue with established research, be my guest. It wouldn't surprise me.


Relax bumper1. We all know you are the smartest person ever.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Damon'sMom said:


> I can't even imagine. If this worked Jasper would be....unstoppable. With 6 hours strenuous exercise a day he still is up for anything. I shutter even to think about it.
> 
> In all reality I wouldn't feed it but I know many people who would. Lots of sports dog people swear by Pro Plan. And they would feed anything from them. I'd rather add meats, eggs, etc to my dogs foods.


Yeah a lot of working dog people (including a lot of ACD working dog people ) would stake their paychecks on pro plan and even I have fed it before when I couldn't afford anything else. It's not a terrible food per say and if I had to then I would because they have a grain free. That's what the shelter fed Josefina and she really didn't eat it.


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## KuroSaya (Jun 3, 2011)

Four soy products.. menadione sodium bisulfite complex in the first bar.

I rather just give a good diet, salmon oil and joint supplements seems to work well for Saya and she gets a lot of outdoor time since I'm outdoors a lot.

Coarse she is no high exercise dog, but if I needed something like this I'm sure there is better brands out there.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

I would be interested to read what the dog food advisor would say about them, but I am not sure if they would review them because they aren't technically a dog food.


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## ShoreDobermans (Nov 18, 2013)

OwnedbyACDs said:


> I would be interested to read what the dog food advisor would say about them, but I am not sure if they would review them because they aren't technically a dog food.


I am pretty sure the head of clinical nutrition at Cornell published a study on maltodextrin. I think you would agree that is a better source than a dentist.

I wouldn't buy those bars either, you can buy the powder at any vitamin or sports training store and there are many products available from musher supply websites.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

For a quick boost of energy for a dog that either does really hard work or maybe has a health condition where his blood sugar drops, the basic ingredients in the second bar make sense. For extra calories in the diet overall though, no. 

It is kinda of like when I was running long distance I would carry gummy bears (the cheap version of the power gels) and those really gave that little energy boost needed after 8 or 10 miles. Same with those energy goop packets, they're not much different then eating some honey and drinking gatorade. But then to actually refuel later in the day after I'd cooled down, I needed a mix of protein, carbs and fat.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

ShoreDobermans said:


> I am pretty sure the head of clinical nutrition at Cornell published a study on maltodextrin. I think you would agree that is a better source than a dentist.
> 
> I wouldn't buy those bars either, you can buy the powder at any vitamin or sports training store and there are many products available from musher supply websites.


It doesn't take a canine nutritionist to understand what makes (or doesn't make) a good dog food, ESP the way the ingredients are broken down and explained. That being said, the "dentist" doesn't write the reviews himself, they are written by experts and canine nutritionists and PUBLISHED by his site.

I for one am HAPPY someone is getting this info out to the general public!


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

If I was still training sled dogs...maybe 
But now with Manna "kill me now" 
Manna doesn't need more energy, most pet dogs (not all but most) don't need the energy, they'll just drive owners crazy.


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## ShoreDobermans (Nov 18, 2013)

Shell said:


> For a quick boost of energy for a dog that either does really hard work or maybe has a health condition where his blood sugar drops, the basic ingredients in the second bar make sense. For extra calories in the diet overall though, no.
> 
> It is kinda of like when I was running long distance I would carry gummy bears (the cheap version of the power gels) and those really gave that little energy boost needed after 8 or 10 miles. Same with those energy goop packets, they're not much different then eating some honey and drinking gatorade. But then to actually refuel later in the day after I'd cooled down, I needed a mix of protein, carbs and fat.


The second bar is not for what you just stated. It is a post-exercise supplement. Trainers have been using maltodextrin for years and years after a hard day to rebuild muscle glycogen. It doubles or triples the recovery rate. My older son is a nationally ranked 200 meter and 400 meter high school runner and will take gel packs about 15 minutes before competing and always takes maltodextrin powder when he gets home because many times he has another meet soon after. During Christmas week he had three meets in one week at the Armory in NYC running 6 or 7 events.

The stuff works.....protein and fat do not replenish muscle glycogen like maltodextrin does. 

You treat exercise induced hypoglycemia with pure sugar, Karo syrup is what most people have in their kits.


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## ShoreDobermans (Nov 18, 2013)

OwnedbyACDs said:


> It doesn't take a canine nutritionist to understand what makes (or doesn't make) a good dog food, ESP the way the ingredients are broken down and explained. That being said, the "dentist" doesn't write the reviews himself, they are written by experts and canine nutritionists and PUBLISHED by his site.
> 
> I for one am HAPPY someone is getting this info out to the general public!


Sorry...you are incorrect. You need to go through his website where he even admits to not being qualified. You should also read the section where he discloses he accepts money from certain on-line retailers for orders referred by the information on his site. 

There are no experts and there is no scientific back-up to his conclusions. It is just him a dentist that had a little dog that died and he figured out a way to make money on it.

*"Yet none of my education or my more than 30 years practicing dental medicine should be considered a qualification for publishing The Dog Food Advisor.
Now, after publishing more than 800 dog food reviews representing some 3,500 commercial products, I’m considered an authority on reading and interpreting pet food labels."*

Sorry, he took you in as well. Take your cues from experts in the field, not frauds.


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## melundie (Aug 2, 2011)

Oh, absolutely not. My days are spent trying to tire out my dogs. I can't imagine giving them an energy bar. >.<


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

Strenuous exercise involves muscle damage, and some substances minimise the damage or speed up the recovery. For dogs who regularly exercise hard, this is a good idea, as is having regular days off so their body can recover.

It's not really about giving them more energy to keep going for longer (although is some cases I can see how that would be a good idea, like for events that last several days and is physically demanding), but about minimising damage to the body and replenishing muscles as quickly as possible so they can get stronger.

Of course you can build muscle without supplements, but it will likely take longer and if the dog gets sore, the soreness will last longer.

I don't see the point of giving an (overpriced) energy bar to a dog, but supplements for a dog who works hard are a good idea.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

ShoreDobermans said:


> The second bar is not for what you just stated. It is a post-exercise supplement. Trainers have been using maltodextrin for years and years after a hard day to rebuild muscle glycogen. It doubles or triples the recovery rate. My older son is a nationally ranked 200 meter and 400 meter high school runner and will take gel packs about 15 minutes before competing and always takes maltodextrin powder when he gets home because many times he has another meet soon after. During Christmas week he had three meets in one week at the Armory in NYC running 6 or 7 events.
> 
> The stuff works.....protein and fat do not replenish muscle glycogen like maltodextrin does.
> 
> You treat exercise induced hypoglycemia with pure sugar, Karo syrup is what most people have in their kits.


Since the words "kinda like" didn't clue you in, I'm using my example as the difference between that of something related to a short term energy need or replenishment versus the nutrients needed daily in a balanced diet. Dog does a hard workout, needs a little boost near the end or at the end, that bar/mix of ingredients would suit. 

Maltodextrin can be used both after OR during a workout. Either for recovery or for long marathon workouts, for energy. Actually even better then my gummy bears for during a long run but I happen to like the gummies and it is better to have something one likes to eat then something slightly better nutritionally that one doesn't like to eat. 

Personally, I like Guinness as a post-exercise supplement  Those are some tasty carbs.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

ShoreDobermans said:


> Sorry...you are incorrect. You need to go through his website where he even admits to not being qualified. You should also read the section where he discloses he accepts money from certain on-line retailers for orders referred by the information on his site.
> 
> There are no experts and there is no scientific back-up to his conclusions. It is just him a dentist that had a little dog that died and he figured out a way to make money on it.
> 
> ...


I never said he was an expert, I don't take his writings as scripture. But I still find his site useful because I can go on any dog for companies site and read THE SAME ingredients as what is listed in the website.

I am not saying the guy is god but his site does have it's uses


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