Husky food: what food is best to feed puppies? Review of super premium dry food for dogs

Updated: 02/26/2021 13:54:59

Expert: Rudenko Irina Sergeevna

*Review of the best according to the editors of expertology.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Before getting a Husky, you should decide what the pet will eat - natural food or special food. Veterinarians categorically do not recommend mixing these two types of food. Failure to comply with this rule can lead to serious problems, because the stomach is the least protected and most vulnerable place for a husky.

Representatives of Siberian Huskies should definitely observe moderation in food, since, due to their special metabolism, both hunger and overeating are equally harmful for them. This breed has a protein-fat metabolism, which means that huskies require a special diet saturated with fats, which then become energy, especially necessary for the active maintenance of the vital functions of these cute dogs.

The best dry food

For daily nutrition, it is most profitable to take dry food. It is consumed more economically and can be stored for a long time even in an open package. But here you need to carefully read the composition. A high-quality mixture should contain about 50% protein sources (meat), but artificial flavoring and aromatic additives are undesirable.

Wolfsblut – perfectly balanced

Excellent German holistic food. According to the manufacturer, the animals for its preparation are raised on special farms without the use of hormones. The products stand out due to their extensive meat menu, sometimes quite exotic. In addition to traditional lamb, duck and rabbit, you can find mixtures with meat from pheasant, deer, camel, ostrich, wild boar - 15 items in total. And for summer and dietary nutrition, the manufacturer offers dry food with six types of fish.

Pros:

Meat content 25-50%!, if necessary, the protein norm is “obtained” from fish;
Average granule size;
Practically does not cause allergies;
Interesting and varied tastes that picky dogs will like;
Contains minimal or no grains;
Enriched with phytocomponents;
Three “formats” of packaging – 2, 7.5 and 15 kg.

Minuses:

The animal fat content in most products of the line reaches 18%!, which can cause constipation in some dogs and is certainly not suitable for sedentary and obese dogs;
High price with sharp jumps when exchange rates change;
Mixtures containing tomato can cause allergies.

Wolfsblut dry food does not have any outright bad reviews: the worst comments are neutral. Overall, this is an interesting line of healthy products for dogs of different breeds. After using them, owners note a general increase in the activity of their pets, an improvement in the condition of their coat and teeth.

Brit Care Adult Large Breed - the best food for large dogs

Czech super premium food. The line includes mixtures with chicken and salmon, but products for allergic animals are of greater interest. It is made from lamb with the addition of rice.

Pros:

Hypoallergenic;
Zip-lock on the packaging to preserve the smell after printing;
Contains chondroprotectors to protect joints;
The composition includes fruits and phytocomponents;
The large 12 kg package is equipped with a convenient side handle.

Minuses:

Relatively high cost;
Fatty.

An excellent option for dogs that have digestive problems or have developed reactions to other foods. Suitable for medium, large and extra large animals over 2 years old, as well as representatives of breeds prone to allergies (Labradors, bulldogs, Shar-Peis, etc.).

Probalance - the most inexpensive

Despite the foreign name, this is a Russian-made mixture - just a Danish brand. Probalance appeared on the domestic market relatively recently, so the dealer network is still disrupted. Premium class.

What to feed a puppy

The appearance and health of an adult dog depends on the puppy’s nutrition. Therefore, it is very important to choose a balanced feeding.

All lines of ready-made food produce food specifically for puppies - more nutritious. Which contains more fat and carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements necessary for the normal development of the dog.

The choice of type of food - natural or dry - depends only on the wishes of the dog owner. The main thing is to choose the balance of nutrients based on the needs of a particular puppy.

If everything is clear with ready-made industrial food or canned food, then with natural food it is not so simple - based on the energy needs and living conditions, the puppy’s diet is selected.

A puppy of such an active breed as the Siberian Husky needs a lot of energy. Husky is a dog with protein-fat metabolism , unlike other breeds with protein-carbohydrate metabolism. Huskies need less carbohydrates and plant fiber than other breeds. But thanks to a special metabolism, fatty foods are absorbed well without harming the liver or pancreas.

Proper nutrition – 70% of the diet (for both an adult dog and a puppy) is meat and offal . This can be any type of meat, if the dog is not allergic - chicken, beef, duck, lamb, rabbit. The exception is pork, although lean pork is allowed, but rarely; this type of meat should not form the basis of the meat diet.

A mandatory product for the development of a puppy is the bone component and cartilage. The older the dog, the larger the bone - when changing teeth, and after changing teeth to clean them. The bones should have meaty residue, with cartilage and joints, the size of the bone is larger than the dog can swallow - this is a treat that helps massage the gums and clean the teeth of plaque, preventing caries. The bones must be raw - heat-treated bone will break off and the sharp fragments will damage the mouth, gums or internal organs if the dog swallows the fragment. Under no circumstances should tubular bones be given.

Cartilage and articular parts are an essential part of the diet, because gives collagen and helps in the development of one’s own cartilage - it is useful to give collagen at an age when the ears “stand up” and joints are forming.

From a young age, you need to accustom your dog to vegetables and fruits - these products contain fiber, which improves digestion and absorption of nutrients. Thanks to plant fibers, intestinal motility improves and correct and timely stool is formed.

During the period of skeletal growth, the puppy needs calcium - it is found in dairy products, but not all dairy products are absorbed by the dog. At a young age, milk is easily digested by a puppy due to the sufficient amount of lactase enzyme in the body. The composition of cow's milk is not suitable for dogs; it is better to give goat's milk. But everyone, without exception, both adults and puppies, needs fermented milk products. A puppy’s diet must include cottage cheese (fat content up to 9%, for an adult dog – up to 5%), yoghurts without sugar or filler, and kefir.

Hard cheese is suitable as a treat and for training.

Phosphorus, which is found in sea fish, is also needed for bone formation. This is also a must-have item for dogs of all ages, especially puppies. For a small puppy, it is better to give fillet without bones, for older ones - with crushed bones, so that the dog does not choke on the bone. For an adult dog, you can cut the fish into pieces or give it whole.

An important product that should be included in the diet are eggs - chicken, but preferably quail. Teenagers and adult dogs are given quail eggs, washed with the shell, raw.

Diet in the first month

The first complementary foods are given from three weeks of age - this is the food that will be the main diet in the future. If it is dry food, then it should be soaked to a mushy state in milk, similar in composition to bitch milk. Powdered bitch milk is now produced and can be purchased at pet stores or pharmacies, identical in composition to natural dog milk.

Dry foods have different compositions depending on the age of the dog - many are produced for the first feeding, for example Royal Canin starter (contains more protein).

If the puppy eats natural food, then the first complementary food should also consist of meat products. While the puppy’s teeth are just beginning to form, the meat is given in a minced state—thin fibers are scraped off a piece of meat with a knife. Start complementary feeding with hypoallergenic meat - lean beef, lamb or turkey.

Regardless of the type of food, the first complementary feeding should be about 5-10% of the main diet, gradually increasing the percentage of main feeding and replacing mother's milk. The transition to a new diet should be smooth and takes about a month. By 2 months, the puppy completely switches from mother's milk to a new diet.

From a month to six months

During this period, the puppy's skeleton is forming and its teeth are changing. This is the most important period of a dog’s growing up, when good, balanced and proper nutrition is required, on which the health and appearance of an adult dog depends.

At the age of 2 months, the dog has already been switched to the main diet - dry food or natural food. If the line of dry food includes food for the puppy after the first feeding, from 2 months the puppy is gradually transferred to the next type of food, which will be the main one until the dog grows up. Milk is removed from feeding, dry food is not soaked, the portion of food increases as the puppy’s weight increases, and the number of feedings during the day decreases.

In natural nutrition, the same principle applies - the portion gradually increases and the number of feedings decreases. But, unlike dry food, variety is introduced into the diet. During the main period of growth, before the closing of “growth points”, i.e. Before the formation of cartilage and ligaments, it is imperative to maintain a balance of calcium and phosphorus and add collagen.

New foods are gradually added to the puppy’s diet - new types of meat, fish, eggs (for small puppies - only quail, without shells), vegetables and fruits. Each type of product must be introduced gradually, the body’s reaction to the new product must be observed, and if there is no allergy, then a new product must be introduced. From 2 months, they are given one type of meat - preferably chopped lean beef - and cottage cheese with a quail egg without a shell. If these products are digested well and do not cause allergic reactions, add another type of meat, a small amount of offal, add kefir, yogurt and vegetables. For the first acquaintance with vegetables, zucchini, carrots or cucumbers are suitable. One type of vegetable is crushed into a pulp and mixed with the usual meat. It is imperative to observe the body’s reaction to the product - if no negative reaction occurs to mono-nutrition within a week, you can add the next one.

When a puppy is teething, it is imperative to give him bones and cartilage. The puppy will cope with cartilage tissue on his own and will not only enjoy the massage of the gums, but also benefit from the formation of his own cartilage. The bone is given for a while - as a treat or game. When the puppy, having played enough with the bone, leaves it, the bone must be removed; the puppy must not be left with the bone unattended to avoid injury if a sharp fragment breaks off from the bone.

From six months to a year

At this age, the “growth points” usually close, the skeleton is fully formed, a complete set of teeth is formed, and the position of the ears is fixed. Eating becomes less frequent, but the portion size should be appropriate to the dog's weight.

A dog becomes an adult at about a year and a half, and until this age the puppy should receive vitamins and supplements with food.

In the lines of dry food, the age of six months is usually not distinguished - feeding does not change from 2 months to a year, and with natural feeding from six months to a year, the dog receives and gets used to the main set of products - all types of meat, plant fiber, fish and dairy products, which will form her main diet in adulthood.

According to indications, the veterinarian prescribes additional vitamins for the puppy or adjusts the diet so that the balance of all the necessary elements for the development of the dog is maintained.

Features of the Husky diet

The diet of husky dogs can be of three acceptable options. This is natural food prepared by the owners themselves, ready-made dry and wet food, and a combined nutrition option is also possible, when the animal is fed ready-made dry food with the addition of natural products.

Each diet has its own pros and cons. But it is worth understanding that ready-made dry food is almost always the leader, since you don’t need to waste time preparing it, they contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals in the right quantity, and they are also very convenient to serve to animals in the required quantity.

Many dog breeds tolerate a mixed diet without any problems, but this option is usually not suitable for the Husky breed, since when mixing different foods, that is, ready-made, store-bought and natural, the animals may experience digestive problems.

Young puppies and older individuals are especially at risk.

Veterinarians are inclined to believe that it is best to choose either a completely natural diet for an animal or feeding it with dry food. Dry options today are of very high quality (if you don’t take into account economical products). They contain natural meat in the quantity required for the animal’s body, as well as vegetables, vitamins, minerals and other important elements.

The advantage is that ready-made balanced foods contain a large amount of healthy fats, but they contain very few carbohydrates.

Ready-made feeds are fully adapted to the physiological characteristics of animals at very different ages. There are also therapeutic lines that will appeal to huskies with chronic diseases of the digestive system, kidneys, heart and other organs.

What not to give

In addition to what can be included in your pet’s diet, there is a list of prohibited foods.

You can't feed a husky:

pork;
boiled protein;
skin and cartilage;
potato;
grape;
smoked, salted and marinated products;
fast food;
citrus.

It is important that your husky receives the same type of food at all times: prepared or natural. A combination diet is not recommended, and the transition from one type to another is carried out gradually, over two weeks.

It might be interesting to read about husky mixes.

What dog food to buy

1. For your dog’s daily nutrition, it is better to choose good, but inexpensive products: Brit canned food, Purina ONE spiders, Probalance dry food.

2. Animals with digestive problems and a tendency to allergies buy Brit Care and Acana dry formulas.

3. For active dogs (hunting, working and fighting breeds), fatty and high-calorie mixtures from Wolfsblut, Belcando or more affordable options from Probalance are suitable.

4. It is better to keep puppies up to a year or two on expensive but balanced holistic products: Now Fresh or Acana Puppy. If you can’t find them on sale, you can use a simpler mixture, such as Almo Nature. These same brands also produce good food for decorative dogs.

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How often to feed

The diet for huskies by age from one month to one year is presented in the table:

Puppy age	Diet
1 – 3 months	Fractional feeding in small portions every 3 hours 6 – 7 times a day
3 – 5 months	5 times a day
5 – 7 months	4 times a day
7 – 11 months	3 times per day
11 or more months	It is acceptable to switch to the adult dog’s regimen – 2 feedings per day

Depending on the method of feeding, the calorie content of food and the energy of the dog, deviations from the proposed diet are permissible. The serving size is selected individually, based on the above criteria and the general condition of the dog.

Eating problems

Huskies treat the issue of nutrition with caution. If the dog has eaten enough, it will no longer eat too much. But if you notice that your pet has stopped responding to some kind of treat, then perhaps the dog felt bad from it, was tired of the product, or the temperature or size was not suitable .

Husky has a bad appetite

Non-physiological reasons:

stress;
active physical activity;
spoiled.

A simple test will help determine your dog's health problems. It is necessary to offer your pet a favorite treat and observe the reaction (refusal, vomiting, diarrhea). If any of the above appears, you should show the dog to a doctor and have it examined.

IMPORTANT! If your pet refuses to eat for 24 hours, you should contact a veterinarian, especially if this is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and general lethargy.

Obesity Husky

Husky obesity occurs for two reasons:

Binge eating. The constant desire to feed your extremely thin pet threatens to later turn into an unpleasant problem in the form of a “ball with legs.”
Sedentary lifestyle. For the Husky, a sled dog capable of running vast distances of kilometers, physical activity is very important. In a city apartment, long runs are quite difficult to achieve.

Obesity is very dangerous for huskies. The liver, joints, and pancreas suffer. A colossal load is placed on the heart, which significantly reduces the dog’s life expectancy.

Diet

To correct this situation, you need to provide your pet with dietary nutrition. But you shouldn’t look for a special diet, you just need to make fractional meals. Feed more often and with smaller amounts of food. Eliminate all fatty foods, add more vegetables and fruits.

IMPORTANT! In the fight against obesity, huskies cannot be given meat. It is better to choose low-fat varieties such as beef, chicken, and rabbit.

Recipes for pets

Meat porridge (for two servings). Half a kilogram of beef is mixed with 300 grams of porridge and filled with water. After boiling, add carrots, chopped cabbage or zucchini and salt. It is also allowed to use bay leaf.

Chicken porridge (for 4 servings). A kilogram of chicken legs is filled with water and cooked for 30 minutes, 100 grams of rice, carrots, and bay leaves are added. Cook until the rice is ready.

Oatmeal. The flakes are not boiled, but poured with hot water or meat broth, covered with a lid and left to infuse for up to half an hour. Then butter and salt are added to the porridge.

Cottage cheese. Curd starter is sold at any pharmacy. To prepare, you need to take a yogurt maker or a multicooker. A packet of starter is added to a liter of pasteurized milk. Next you need to follow the instructions. If you can’t buy a yogurt maker yet, you can add the starter to the pan and put it in a warm place for the specified time.

Cottage cheese, kefir or fermented baked milk is served to your pet at room temperature. This is an excellent breakfast that will help strengthen bones and prevent the development of rickets.

There are no special requirements for the bowl from which the dog will eat. The main thing is cleanliness, it must be washed after every meal and make sure that the Husky always has fresh, clean, filtered water. True, to prevent it from breaking the dishes, it is better to avoid porcelain and glass items. Plastic or metal bowls are optimal.

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What to feed an adult dog?

Because Husky is a dog with a special metabolism, active in nature, then the diet should be high-energy, taking into account the need for movement. The composition of dry food for adult dogs should include a large amount of fat and protein, plant fiber, probiotics for digestion and vitamins.

Fatty meats, such as lamb, are introduced into natural feeding. As an exception, you can introduce pork, but infrequently and preferably lean. It is undesirable to give pork due to the high probability of contracting the Aujeszky's virus, which is fatal to dogs, but if you give this meat infrequently and only from trusted sellers, fatty meat will not harm your Siberian Husky.

The number of feedings for an adult dog is reduced to 2 times a day, the portions should be approximately equal. Usually in the morning they give a lighter portion of food, and in the evening, when the dog is calm and the food is better digested, the portion may be a little larger.

With natural nutrition, the same principle applies - in the morning food is lighter, and in the evening, on the contrary, it is more difficult to digest or larger in volume. Once a week, the morning portion is replaced with fermented milk products, for example, cottage cheese or kefir, and once a week - with fish instead of meat. In the evening, it is better to give soft bones (for example, the necks of any type of bird - chicken (if there is no allergy), turkey, duck) with meat. Fiber – vegetables or fruits along with meat are best given in the morning.