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Do you have questions regarding the health of your greyhound? Do you need tips what you should feed your dog? Or do you need advice in curing an injury?
Nathan Trigg Australia (Verified User) Posts 516 Dogs 20 / Races 28 13 Jan 2017 09:47
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With the high temperatures of late it has created a bit of debate in our house on how much water should be added to the daily feed.
If your adding too much water will this put a strain on the kidney's and also flush out essential vitamins , minerals.
I'm interested to know how much water are other trainers supplementing into their feeds....
Jeanette Spruyt Australia (Verified User) Posts 246 Dogs 2 / Races 0 13 Jan 2017 13:14
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You can only put so much water in their feed. That to me is not the centre of concentration. It is outside of their feed that you should make sure their intakes are adequate enough Vs. their environment and/or what they are doing physically.
Extreme Summer days definitely brings on a higher alert mode for us all.
Andrew Plasier Australia (Verified User) Posts 1279 Dogs 0 / Races 16 14 Jan 2017 05:58
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i just soak their kibble in hot water,a small cup, let it soak rite up,that way its not sloppy, then add the meat & whatever else u give,i used to hear a schooner of water in feed was good but found that a bit much,u can always add some lard a few times a wk..
Steven Martin Australia (Verified User) Posts 7681 Dogs 180 / Races 66 14 Jan 2017 06:05
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Around 250 to 300mls, depending on meal size I use.
Nathan Trigg Australia (Verified User) Posts 516 Dogs 20 / Races 28 15 Jan 2017 21:38
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Thanks for the replies. Having a look at the amount we were adding it was probably to much thinking we were doing the right thing ....
Damien Bates Australia (Verified User) Posts 127 Dogs 0 / Races 8 16 Jan 2017 01:39
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I put in what I think think the dog needs. If the dog is a poor drinker and not getting enough during the day they usually get a fraction more than others. How are your Nebiollo pups coming along mate ?
Nathan Trigg Australia (Verified User) Posts 516 Dogs 20 / Races 28 16 Jan 2017 03:05
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Hey Damien , The pups are coming along well mate , their going on around 11.5 months and doing everything you would want for their age. Fingers crossed they come out the other end of the breakers doing everything right.
Peter Bryce Australia (Verified User) Posts 704 Dogs 0 / Races 0 29 Jan 2017 00:05
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A healthy Greyhound should always be provided with as much water as they require. However the major issues are. The Kidneys must be functional The regular use of a Diuretic particularly Greyhounds fed Kibble /Meat Diets (Salt in Kibbles create a higher demand for water) Electrolyte must be supplemented in the water (Morning) as the Greyhound require it during the day - Electrolyte supplemented only at night will lead to issues. Greyhounds with healthy Kidneys and Liver will drink little water other than that put in the feed and the early morning drink (with Electrolyte)
Jeanette Spruyt Australia (Verified User) Posts 246 Dogs 2 / Races 0 30 Jan 2017 11:40
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Over use of an electrolyte can cause problems. I had a stayer where she never had much call for electrolytes from memory, mainly I suppose because she was super fit and calm. I never contemplate a dog being a poor drinker, but I suppose when I think about one other girl in the past, after trials not really a breath, and not interested in the water afterwards. I have a dog now that I make an effort to give him an electrolyte within a hour maximum of a trial. This can keep him in good stead but naturally I watch him and take into account other conditions to see if another dose is needed. As I hear Tom saying for all things "know your dog". Any dogs I have become better drinkers or are good drinkers from the start. Personally I stay clear of powder form electrolytes and definitely never ever with a meal. Milk-water is a wonderful thing for encouragement. I know the topic is water in feed, but one thing does lead to another and another............................................. I am sure that you have probably heard alot yourself, there are always people in the game willing to share their best ways. I am grateful for the many people that I have met that are helpful. But at the end of the day I have to make the judgement call. And I cant help but comment when it comes to electrolytes because my call is to tread lightly.
Robert Thomson United Kingdom (Verified User) Posts 335 Dogs 21 / Races 17 30 Jan 2017 16:59
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Nathan Trigg wrote:
With the high temperatures of late it has created a bit of debate in our house on how much water should be added to the daily feed.
If your adding too much water will this put a strain on the kidney's and also flush out essential vitamins , minerals.
I'm interested to know how much water are other trainers supplementing into their feeds....
I have a young dog who drinks a lot of water and I on average my dogs get 1.5 litres of water per day in their breakfast/main meal, no all the rest very rarely touch their water from day to day but this lad could empty the dish even after his dinner, took him to the vet to see what was up and after a few tests it was found that he had pretty poor kidneys, to be honest the vet was surprised of how well he was concidering the level of his kidney function, so he gave him a couple of injections a course of antibiotics and said just make sure he has as much water as he like to help his kidneys, so I doubt giving a dog a pint or two of water a day will harm their kidneys, the vet also suggested green herb tea for his kidneys.
Jack Ogilvie Australia (Verified User) Posts 15481 Dogs 0 / Races 1 30 Jan 2017 20:55
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Morning or night most electrolytes are BS and will stuff your dogs adrenals and kidneys .Nathen don't worry if you give a little more water in their feed .Make sure they empty out at night. After a race mix up a teaspoon of dolomite with a good pinch of potassium chloride mix in with 200 ml of water in a table spoon of skim milk far better than any electrolyte .
Peter Bryce Australia (Verified User) Posts 704 Dogs 0 / Races 0 01 Feb 2017 03:18
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2.5gram Potassium Chloride in Electrolye is the requirement however Sodium Chloride in the correct ratio is as important Electrolyte in the morning is best in water When put into the feed chain it is diluted as to its effectiveness in finding its way into Muscle tissue and cell Winning Formula K9 Essential Salts is similar in formula to PowerAde Gatorade With added Maltodextrin (Corn Starch)as the Energy replenisher. Be wary of giving Glucose to Athletes as it spikes the Blood sugar level and leaves Athletes depleted of energy. Ask any Diabetic what effect Glucose has on them.
Peter Bryce Australia (Verified User) Posts 704 Dogs 0 / Races 0 01 Feb 2017 03:27
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Water in feed is a great way to aid digestion The more you can do to soften and break down food on the outside of the Greyhound the easier it is on the Vili to absorb Nutrition and place into tissue and cell. When placing dry feeds into the digestive system the moisture from the intestine is absorbed to aid digestion and leave the Greyhound dehydrated. I cant agree with those who say you don't need Electrolyte. You wont see elite sportspeople participate without a bottle of PowerAde/ Gatorade in hand It is the panting in Greyhounds and Sweating in Humans and Horse that deplete electrolyte levels at fast rates. Not supplementing Electrolyte can only lead to fatigued Muscles and Tendons then Cramp then Muscle Tendon Injuries in that order
Peter Bryce Australia (Verified User) Posts 704 Dogs 0 / Races 0 01 Feb 2017 03:34
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Damien one of the greatest issues I get asked about daily is around Kidney function Kibble Meat diets with 1% Salt content in Kibble and more than 500g meat for a Dog 400g for a bitch can put Kidney and Liver under stress A Diuretic Flush used every second day will keep Kidney Liver Urinary function in good condition It also flushes residual build up of Arsenic - Cobalt - and other swabble substances from the system Another benefit is the flushing of fluid build up from tissue and cell from poor Kidney function which can cause issues at weigh in. I have a Greyhound Racing Diet available by emailing me [email protected]
Mark Schlegel Australia (Verified User) Posts 3168 Dogs 9 / Races 5 01 Feb 2017 03:59
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Peter Bryce wrote:
I cant agree with those who say you don't need Electrolyte. You wont see elite sportspeople participate without a bottle of PowerAde/ Gatorade in hand It is the panting in Greyhounds and Sweating in Humans and Horse that deplete electrolyte levels at fast rates. Not supplementing Electrolyte can only lead to fatigued Muscles and Tendons then Cramp then Muscle Tendon Injuries in that order
Panting is NOTHING like sweating.
There is no salt or minerals loss via panting, just water vapour (dehydration).
Don't attribute human electrolyte requirements to dogs. Kidney flushes and electrolytes do more harm than good in dogs. If you need to hydrate a dog then adding plain water to their feed is more than sufficient.......or good old milk will aid recovery far better than electrolytes, without placing undue stress on the kidneys.
Jack Ogilvie Australia (Verified User) Posts 15481 Dogs 0 / Races 1 01 Feb 2017 07:15
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Spot on Mark. Most trainers understand if you put a dog under pressure then give certain electrolytes the dog will p*ss out minerals like potassium calcium, magnesium.,next your dog will start cramping and worse still acidosis.As I said earlier a pinch of potassium, a spoon of dolomite which contains calcium and magnesium all will be good .I played football and cricket at many different levels had just plain water a beer never had a problem.
Jack Ogilvie Australia (Verified User) Posts 15481 Dogs 0 / Races 1 01 Feb 2017 07:17
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Jack Ogilvie wrote:
Spot on Mark. Most trainers understand if you put a dog under pressure then give certain electrolytes the dog will p*ss out minerals like potassium calcium, magnesium.,next your dog will start cramping and worse still acidosis.As I said earlier a pinch of potassium, a spoon of dolomite which contains calcium and magnesium all will be good .I played football and cricket at many different levels had just plain water and beer never had a problem.
Kevin Wright Australia (Verified User) Posts 5708 Dogs 1 / Races 1 01 Feb 2017 07:51
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Jack Ogilvie wrote:
Spot on Mark. Most trainers understand if you put a dog under pressure then give certain electrolytes the dog will p*ss out minerals like potassium calcium, magnesium.,next your dog will start cramping and worse still acidosis.As I said earlier a pinch of potassium, a spoon of dolomite which contains calcium and magnesium all will be good .I played football and cricket at many different levels had just plain water a beer never had a problem.
Funny about that Jack as i fondly remember many Saturdays watching my Oldman play Cricket and they had to always finish the barrel after the game Jack
Mark. Jack and Peter are spot on
Simply adding some more fat and water will help you more than hinder you especially over the hotter months IMO... I like Turmeric and Parsley in a drink or there dinner each night and that also will help many dogs and TRY it and see and the KISS system is by far the best simplest and cheapest way to keep your dog's Kidneys in top condition but to each there own and there is more than one way to Skin a Cat i guess boys and Girls . Maybe try out Stout a Beer after a hard run and that also has assisted many dogs over the years who suffer Kidney problems as i said there are so many natural ways you can still achieve far better results in some cases ...Natural has always been the best way and after many years of trying this and that it all comes down to how the dog pisses after a run and how well he pulls up the next day ...
James Saunders Australia (Verified User) Posts 4644 Dogs 3 / Races 3 02 Feb 2017 09:31
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feed in the morning after exercise with plenty of water and dog gets all it needs for the day,have always been surprised with the feeding main meal at night theory.Never had a water diabetes nor acidosis.
Peter Bryce Australia (Verified User) Posts 704 Dogs 0 / Races 0 02 Feb 2017 09:54
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Hmmm Panting not like sweating??? Why do you think dogs eat dirt and grass also their own waste It is because they are Mineral deficient. They know it is in the soil and plant. When greyhounds have poor digestive function they are loose in waste and nutrients are not absorbed into tissue and cell, they then eat their own waste because they know where the nutrient is Ask any trainer who uses KFS Kidney Function Solution or AKM Alkanalising kidney Mixture or other Diuretic - They will tell you the benefits. Without it Crystals will form - pain in passing urine will result. Remember you are training athletes NOT Cattle / Sheep Dogs. Name a sport where you don't see athletes with PowerAde Gatorade in hand How many VFL Footballers were laying on the ground in Grand Finals with cramp while the opposition banged on goal after goal to win Sorry guys the bottle of beer and water doesn't sound very professional as a therapy for sports people in this era
Do you have questions regarding the health of your greyhound? Do you need tips what you should feed your dog?
