Like so many of us who grew up around hunting dogs, Emmy Patterson Wood and Kathy Gross dreamed of someday becoming veterinarians. Wood had to rely on faith strong enough to overcome grief, trials and loss on her way to a fulfilling veterinary career. Kathy Gross followed a different path. While she married a veterinarian, she herself became an animal nutritionist with a PhD.
Both women sat down with host Mary O’Neill Phillips on recent episodes Country Outdoors Podcast. Wood told her inspirational story. Gross talked about her own career in animal nutrition, which she finds highly rewarding. As she explains, her work as a nutritionist lets her help improve the health of thousands of dogs through studying what they need to eat.
Her latest project has been working with the new Field & Stream Pack Provisions line of dog food, treats, and supplements. She offers several dog feeding tips on the Country Outdoors podcast and explains how the Pack Provisions stacked nutrition philosophy can help your dog perform at its best, and why it’s important to feed good quality dog food. Here are here tips:
Most problems including obesity and arthritis, stem from inflammation. Dogs need antioxidants in their food.
Beware of trend diets. Dogs aren’t humans. For instance, a lot of people go gluten-free, so they think their dogs need to be gluten-free, too. There are very few animals of any kind that are gluten-sensitive.
Organ meat is rich in nutrients, minerals and digestible proteins that dogs need. All Pack Provisions dry foods contain some “Backwoods Bites” made of organ meat to deliver its many benefits to your dog.
Different types of working dogs need different diets. Canine endurance athletes like sled dogs require high fat, protein, and carbs to keep sustained energy up. Hunting dogs might need rapid carbohydrates for quick energy, say, to make a retrieve, and enough fat to help them do it over and over. You need to find the right balance and the right food for your dog’s needs.
Supplements help keep your dog performing at its peak. Pack Provisions lets you create a “stacked” system by adding energy supplements to food for a boost. After-activity supplements aid in recovery. Mobility supplements are especially important for older dogs with aging joints.
While dogs can eat many different things, some foods are dangerous. Bones of any kind, especially chicken bones, can splinter and cause bowel obstruction. Corn cobs are dangerous for the same reason.
Many dogs are lactose intolerant, and should not have milk.
Chocolate contains toxins harmful to dogs, although it takes a great deal of chocolate to harm most hunting breeds. Toy breeds are at greater risk.
Grapes are bad for dogs, but apples and bananas are fine, and cooked potatoes are a great source of energy.
Watch your dog’s stools. Firm stools are a sign that your dog’s diet agrees with it. If stools turn soft, something isn’t agreeing with your dog’s digestion. If they have diarrhea and vomiting at the same time, see a vet right away.
Changing foods all the time can upset a dog’s digestion. If you do change food, do it gradually, and do it for a good reason and not because of some celebrity fad pet diet recommendation.
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