Husky is an amazing breed, characterized by activity, energy and endurance. In order for dogs to remain this way throughout their lives, they need to be provided with a special diet. This applies most of all to little Khasen children, who are just developing their immunity and health. First, they decide whether it is better to feed a husky puppy, dry food or natural food, and then they select food that matches the metabolic characteristics and functioning of the baby’s digestive system. The owner must know all the subtleties and rules of creating a diet, following a diet, and calorie content, since the stomach is the most vulnerable place for hasyats.
Is it possible to feed a Husky dry food?
There are three types of diet for husky puppies: natural products, industrial food or mixed food.
When choosing the first option, the owner will have to feed the husky in such a way as to maintain the proportions of nutrients, prepare dishes from high-quality products, and serve them warm. The basis of a natural diet should be meat. You need to regularly count calories and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Industrial food is very convenient to use, it is balanced and contains vitamins, so special supplements for puppies are not needed. The choice of “drying” is huge; it is divided into several classes depending on the composition and quality:
- economy;
- premium;
- super premium;
- holistic
The mixed type of feeding dogs involves the simultaneous use of “drying” and “natural”. Experienced veterinarians do not recommend this method, since in the intestines of a husky puppy, the combination of regular and dry food causes fermentation processes, which reduces the absorption of nutrients and worsens the general condition of the pet. The most acceptable option is to feed dry. It is selected taking into account the physiological characteristics of the animals, their needs, age, appetite and size. It is ideal for Huskies to be fed a high fat, low carbohydrate diet.
How much does it cost to own a dog per year?
When I took the dog, I didn’t know how much I would spend on it - it’s difficult to predict all the expenses, and I had no experience. I planned to pamper the dog, but I didn’t think it would be this much:
This is a card statement showing expenses in pet stores and veterinary clinics for the year. I don’t buy anything for my dog in regular supermarkets, I rarely pay in cash, so you can trust the results
To analyze expenses, I divided them into regular, variable and unexpected.
Category | Price | Total for the year | |
Regular | Dry food and canned food | 10,000 rubles per month | 120,000 rubles |
Vaccination | — | 1600 rubles | |
Anthelmintics - deworming tablets | 500 rubles every three months | 2000 rubles | |
Dog handler | 250 rubles per lesson | 〜 15,000 rubles | |
Treatment against ticks | 550 rubles once a month - from March to November | 4950 rubles | |
Shampoo | 300 rubles every three months | 1200 rubles | |
Dog walking bags | 150 rubles per month | 1800 rubles | |
Variables | Toys | 〜 8,000 rubles | |
Treats | 〜 10,000 rubles | ||
Unforeseen | Veterinarian services and treatment (tablets, injections) | 〜 60,000 rubles | |
Feed selection | 〜 10,000 rubles |
Costs for a dog depend on the breed: large animals eat more food, toys, ammunition and beds for them are more expensive. The dog’s propensity for diseases – allergies, weight gain, problems with joints or organs – also depends on the breed.
Huskies are medium-sized dogs. Because of their thick double coat, they don't handle the heat well, so I bought Connor a cooling mat and a special blanket that first summer. And recently I installed an air conditioner at home - but this is no longer just for the sake of the dog.
How to feed your Husky dry food?
Huskies have a characteristic physiological feature - unlike other breeds, their metabolism is not protein-carbohydrate, but protein-fat. If feeding other dogs fatty foods causes liver pathologies, in huskies it breaks down and turns into energy, which is necessary for both puppies and adults, since they are active and work hard. Both for dogs living at home and for those who are engaged in heavy physical work, they choose food from different lines, differing in the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. If the choice is made incorrectly, the animal may gain excess weight. For sledding huskies, the “sports nutrition” or “for active breeds” lines are better suited. When dogs' lives are not as energetic as those of working dogs, it is recommended to feed them premium, super-premium or holistic medium-breed pellets.
Many owners consider Husky puppies to be small dogs, believing that they constantly do not eat enough. Whether a dog is fed correctly can be determined by its condition and appearance. When choosing a specific brand of granules, pay attention to several points:
- the composition should contain 20-50% meat;
- the best food is with beef, fish, lamb;
- You should not buy granules with chicken, wheat, soy, or corn to avoid allergies;
- the composition should include vitamins and minerals;
- For huskies, it is preferable to include fish oil in the “drying” composition.
They start feeding dry granules to their babies at the age of two months. They are pre-soaked in water, milk or broth. To prevent rickets, vitamin D is added if it is not in the composition.
You should adhere to the feeding regime: at two months they are given food six times a day, from the age of seven months they switch to two meals a day. The transition to a new food is carried out gradually - first they mix the adult food into the puppy food, then increase the ratio towards the first and after ten days the transition is completed. They are fed before physical activity or a walk. The bowl with granules is set out for 15-20 minutes, after which it is removed. If your husky gets tired of the same food, it is worth switching the dog to canned food from the same manufacturer for a short period of time.
Is it better to feed your dog food or natural products?
Of course, natural feeding is better for your pet, but there are a lot of caveats.
Porridge cooked with several bones certainly cannot be considered “natural”. Correct diet: 60-70% meat, the remaining 30-40% - cereals, fruits, vegetables, and you also need to give vitamin supplements and mineral supplements. To make your dog feel good, you need to give food 3-4 times a day. It is very difficult to achieve all of the above and it will cost a pretty penny. In this regard, food is simpler, cheaper and more convenient, as it includes a balanced diet, does not require lengthy preparation, and is interchangeable. The only caveat is that in order for your pet to receive all the necessary nutrients, it is better to buy food of at least premium class.
Advantages and disadvantages of dry food
Since dry diets for animals were developed, the process of feeding dogs has become convenient for their owners. Nutritional formulas of granules are constantly being improved, and new lines for husky puppies and adult animals are appearing.
A diet based on industrial granules has a number of advantages:
- huge choice - you can feed taking into account age, size, tendency to allergies and chronic diseases;
- it does not take much time to feed the animal;
- the formation of tartar is prevented;
- the food already contains all the necessary microelements, there is no need to buy them additionally;
- the line for huskies has a high protein content;
- when feeding, rapid satiation;
- the shape of the granules can be selected taking into account the structure of the Khasenysh’s jaw;
- animals like the taste, aroma and consistency;
- convenient to take with you on the road and feed the puppy while traveling;
- long storage and availability for purchase.
The disadvantages of dry food include:
- even the formulation of high-quality granules may contain unhealthy substances;
- high cost of super-premium and holistic class;
- there is a high risk of choosing the wrong granules for puppies and dogs, which can lead to the development of constipation, allergies and diarrhea;
- difficulty in switching to a new feeding;
- high salt content in economy class “drying”;
- granules can only be combined with canned food from the same developer.
How to choose the right dog food?
The most important thing when choosing food is to analyze the composition, but it is also useful to know about its tolerance to other pets (as reviews will tell you).
Points of attention included:
- Meat . It is highly desirable that it be in first place. Chicken is the cheapest product, but it is not recommended for pets with allergies. Turkey, duck, lamb, beef, and various fish would be better. Ideally, most of it should be fresh meat. Dehydrated meat and flour are lower quality ingredients. By-products are generally healthy, but low-quality ingredients are usually used.
- Cereals . Rice is good for digestion, but wheat, on the contrary, is undesirable because it is poorly absorbed by the body. Soy, beets and corn are also not the most desirable products in the composition; they are practically useless, but can also cause intolerance. Grain-free formulations are many times better; they are closer to the natural diet of pets.
- Fruits, vegetables and herbs . Usually their addition has a positive effect on your pet.
- Mineral and vitamin supplements . Ideally, you should look not at the list of vitamins, but at their quantity in the composition. Some foods contain a lot of vitamins, but they are all in negligible proportions. It is worth comparing the proportion of vitamins with your dog's daily requirement.
The best dog foods are holistic and super premium, but they are also the most expensive. If you want to save money, it is optimal to go for the premium class. Economy class food has a very meager amount of nutrients, but they also deserve a place on store shelves. Let everyone choose food based on their personal budget, and the most successful compositions in all categories are described above.
Rating of the best dry food for husky puppies
When compiling a list of the best food for huskies, composition, quality and popularity are taken into account. The rating is not a constant value; it changes annually. Several brands for husky puppies stand out from others:
- Premium - Royal Canin, Probalance, Hill's.
- Super-premium - Brit Care, Eukanuba, 1st Choice, Arden grande, Gina Elite.
- Holistics – Acana, Now Fresh, Grandorf, Orijen.
Premium class
The most popular foods that successfully combine price and quality belong to the premium class. Despite the fact that the granules contain by-products, their taste and properties are much better than those of the economy version. Most often, premium “drying” has a protein content of at least 30%.
Premium food includes products from the following companies:
- Royal Canin – Medium Puppy, it is fed to husky puppies under 1 year of age and weighing from 11 to 25 kg, meets energy needs, promotes the harmonious development of the musculoskeletal system, contains antioxidants that have a positive effect on the immune system.
- Pro Plan - contains colostrum, rich in natural antibodies that strengthen the immunity received from the mother after breastfeeding. If you feed puppies from an early age, you can achieve normalization of the balance between bacteria in the digestive tract, which allows you to avoid major problems in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Probalance is the main source of the protein component - dehydrated meat; in addition, it contains many vitamins and minerals. Grains are not included in the list of ingredients; you can feed them without fear of an allergic reaction. The price is low.
- Hill's - Science Plan Puppy Small & Miniature - dry food for a husky puppy from 2 months, the composition is completely natural, has a pleasant aroma. The ingredient list includes docosahexaenoic acid, which promotes brain development. Minerals support bones and teeth.
- Brit Premium - Brit Premium by Nature, contains meat, a natural preservative and a vitamin and mineral supplement. The range of feeds for hasyats is wide, the price of the product is low.
Super premium class
Owners of puppies who truly care about their health feed their pets only high-quality dry food. Super premium food meets the highest criteria. Their composition is balanced; they include meat, fish and offal as a source of protein. Vegetable protein can be a small part (rice, potatoes, oats, barley are acceptable, except wheat or corn gluten). Preservatives must be natural (vitamin C, rosemary). You can feed these granules to both puppies and adult dogs without fear for their health.
Super-premium brands include:
- Brit Care - food contains 42% natural lamb meat, rich in protein, followed by rice, which is a source of carbohydrates. The composition includes chicken and fish oil, which must be fed to a northern dog puppy. A mixture of tocopherols is used as a preservative for fatty acids, dried apples for fiber, and brewer's yeast for vitamin B. Glucosamine and chondroitin puppies are obtained from crustacean shells and cartilage extract.
- Eukanuba - Puppy&Junior Lamb&Rice food consists of dehydrated protein of poultry, lamb, turkey, rice, animal fats, corn, vitamins and minerals. The manufacturer included dried eggs, sorghum and flaxseed in the list of ingredients. If you feed these granules, you can support the puppy's immunity, improve the condition of the coat and ensure trouble-free digestion.
- 1st Choice - the food formula contains proteins, minerals and vitamins that promote the rapid growth and development of hasets. They are fed immediately after switching from breast milk to solid food. The granules are adapted to the teeth and chewing skills of puppies. The composition includes poultry flour, oatmeal, rice, chicken fat, pearl barley, beet and tomato pulp (dried).
- Arden grande – the first ingredient list is chicken (flour and fresh meat), followed by hydrolyzed chicken protein, egg, rice, corn, refined chicken oil, beet pulp, yeast, krill and flaxseed. The manufacturer's product line is wide, feeding puppies at different ages.
- Gina Elite - food recommended for puppies from four weeks. Thanks to the balanced composition, which includes meat, fish, potatoes, apples, poultry fat, the growth and development of puppies occurs correctly. The phytocomplex improves health and stimulates the immune system.
In addition to these foods, there are other brands (Josera, Optima Nova, DailyDog, Pronature Original, Bosch), with high quality and excellent composition. Each owner decides for himself what food to feed his little one at different stages of his growth.
Holistic
Holistic class food is the most expensive and high quality. They are produced only from natural products suitable for human consumption. They are suitable for feeding Khasenyshes like no other. Holistics contain not only meat and fish, but also fruits and berries. All components are balanced. The food undergoes special testing, which guarantees the absence of chemical ingredients. Holistic diets are created taking into account what needs to be fed to a puppy of a certain age, weight, height, and the presence of diseases. The components included in the composition are completely absorbed. The diet of hasyat can be varied due to its taste characteristics. Even if you feed “natural”, this will not be achieved.
To ensure that the puppies’ nutrition is complete and healthy, they should be given holistic foods of well-known brands and proven quality:
- Acana Puppy & Junior – designed for feeding young animals weighing 9-12 kg. The ingredients used for cooking are Pacific flounder, free-range chickens, chicken eggs, vegetables and fruits, potatoes, and grain. The formula of the food takes into account the needs of the growing body of puppies; it does not contain foods with a high glycemic index, which guarantees that the husky does not gain excess weight.
- Now Fresh - contains a lot of meat and fish, nutrients, vitamins. It is prepared with minimal heat treatment. If you give dry food to a husky puppy from 2 months, the transition from breastfeeding to regular feeding will be problem-free.
- Grandorf - suitable for Hasen babies aged 4 months and older and is ideal for their digestive system. The protein content is high, containing more than 70% meat, proteins only of animal origin. All ingredients are hypoallergenic, feeding them is safe for the health of babies. The cooking method is so delicate that all the properties of the products included in the composition are fully preserved.
- Orijen - 85% composed of poultry, fish and eggs. There are no grains, potatoes, GMOs, or tapioca in the composition, the amount of carbohydrates is half as much as usual. Heat treatment of fish and meat is carried out at a temperature not exceeding 90 ⁰С, due to which the taste and nutrients are preserved.
Rating of the best food for huskies
Nomination | place | Name of product | Rating |
Rating of the best food for huskies | 1 | Orijen | 5.0 |
2 | Nutra Gold | 4.9 | |
3 | Advance | 4.8 | |
4 | 1st Choice | 4.7 | |
5 | Brit Premium | 4.6 | |
6 | Acana | 4.5 | |
7 | Eucanuba | 4.4 | |
8 | Monge | 4.3 | |
9 | Happy Dog | 4.2 |
Which puppies should not be given food?
There is an opinion among some breeders that industrial food is detrimental to the health of puppies, so puppies should be fed only natural food. Fortunately, there is no basis for such a conclusion. Currently, there are many high-quality formulas containing natural ingredients; manufacturers value their reputation and approach food formulation with great responsibility. Among the huge assortment you can find granules that are useful for feeding pets with health problems. Therapeutic “drying” formulas help alleviate the condition of allergies, pancreatitis and urolithiasis. According to reviews from owners of husky puppies, their pets have become healthier after switching to commercial feeding.
There are also restrictions, the most important of which is age. Solid granules are not given until the baby is 2 months old. Before this, meat, dairy products, cereals and eggs are introduced into the diet. If you start dry feeding ahead of schedule, you may develop stomach diseases, disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract and damage to the integrity of tooth enamel. Damaged baby teeth are affected by caries, which leads to tissue inflammation. Permanent molars may grow defective and diseased.
They carefully select food for puppies. It must correspond to the age, condition and physiology of the Khasenys, and be balanced in composition.
Dry and wet food for adult Khasenys
For adult dogs, as well as for puppies, it is recommended to choose premium, super-premium and holistic dry and wet food:
- Acana Adult Dog – contains chicken, turkey, eggs, herring and Pacific flounder. Cartilage and internal organs are used to make granules. Greens, vegetables and fruits were used as a source of vitamins.
- Almo Nature Alternative - premium chicken and rice granules. Suitable for dietary nutrition, it is fed to Khasenyshes with problematic digestion.
- Go! Natural Holistic Sensivity + Shine Venison Recipe DF – the granules contain venison, are intended for dogs with digestive disorders, and include prebiotics that speed up the digestion process. Omega acids have a beneficial effect on the condition of the coat. Vegetables and fruits strengthen the immune system.
When choosing canned food for adults, Hasyats are guided by the following brands:
- Gardin - grain-free canned meat, the additives are flaxseed oil and meat broth.
- Go! – a mixture of natural meat, minerals and vegetables, it is recommended to feed pets with sensitive digestion and a tendency to allergic reactions.
- Barking Heads is a wet food with a rich composition (meat, fish, vegetables, brown rice, seaweed, basil). There are no synthetic flavors or dyes.
The quality of feeding is the main condition
Hasyat owners should take into account that northern dogs have a unique metabolism. For their growth and development, they need feed rich in fat and high-quality proteins. Khasenys can get the entire range of required substances if they are fed premium, super-premium or holistic products. If there are health problems, they give preference to hypoallergenic foods that do not contain ingredients that provoke a painful reaction. If questions arise about how and what to feed your pets, contact veterinarians or experienced breeders.
Changed four veterinary clinics in a year
The number in the title of the article may be scary, but in reality, with a healthy dog the costs will be lower. Still, health problems cannot be predicted, so you need to be prepared for the fact that if your dog is sick, it can be very expensive to treat. Connor has suspected pancreatitis, so over the course of a year I spent a lot of money on treatment and finding a doctor.
Where it all started. When Connor was six months old, I left him with his parents for a month, and I went to another city for a session. The parents fed the dog sausages, cheese, and treats from the pet store. As a result, Connor began to refuse food, and then he developed health problems: diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss.
What happened? The puppy was spoiled and he became capricious. The dog trainer advised this: if the dog has not eaten within 10 minutes, remove the bowl until the next meal. The parents thought this was cruel, and they began to sprinkle the food with fish, then meat, then they added fermented baked milk and a quail egg. Connor quickly learned the ritual: if he didn’t eat once, his parents would give him something new.
Where is the mistake. For dogs, the more monotonous the food, the better. As the veterinarian explained, the dog had a malfunction due to frequent changes in food: as soon as the body adapted to one food, it was changed to another.
Consequences. I chose the veterinary clinic on the recommendation of dog lovers I knew. Connor was treated for a long time: they gave injections, prescribed pills, changed food. But there was no result - the weight did not return, stomach upsets in the form of diarrhea and vomiting periodically occurred. I chose the next clinic based on reviews in Dublgis. They said that the treatment in the previous hospital was incorrect, but they also could not help. In just a year, I changed four clinics.
What should have been done from the very beginning. It was necessary to immediately use the practice of a second opinion - go for a consultation with several veterinarians from different clinics, and then compare diagnoses and treatment methods. This would help protect against doctors' mistakes and save money. An initial appointment with a doctor costs more than subsequent ones. In addition, each clinic makes a diagnosis only based on the tests that were taken in it, so you will have to take them again each time.