Upset Tummies in Huskies and Sled Dogs
Huskies and sled dogs often have very sensitive digestive systems.
They often react badly to many of the common ingredients in cheaper brands of dog food, and may suffer from upset tummies.
Huskies tend to do better on 'Kibble' type foods that wet, tinned foods. Tinned dog food tends to be made of cheap ingredients such as wheat that don't agree with husky tummies. The only tinned food we would recommend is 'Chappie', which is made of very simple ingredients (chicken and rice). Although not commonly fed as a main food source, tinned Chappie can be useful for poorly dogs or those with extremely sensitive tummies - It can be used for puppies having bad food reactions untill a long term food plan is sorted out
Avoiding Upset Tummies
Upset tummies are common in huskies and sled dogs, particularly in husky puppies. The first course of action if your dog or puppy is showing any signs of illness should be to consult a vet. Upset tummies may be the first sign of serious illnesses, and should not be left to chance. However, if there is no obvious reason for your puppy or dog to have an ongoing tummy upset, or they experience problems on a regular basis, the cause may well be their diet.
The main diet-related reasons Huskies and other Sled Dogs get upset tummies are:
- CHANGING FOODS
- Changing food too quickly is a common cause of tummy upsets.
If you want to change the type of food you give your husky, malamute or sled dog, you must make sure you change foods SLOWLY.
Changes should be made over the course of a week or more. Start by substituting a very small amount of their old food for the new kind. If you feed your husky on kibble, swap just a few biscuits at first, gradually adding more and more until you have switched completely. - FOOD ALLERGIES
- Huskies and sled dogs may be sensitive to ingredients found in some dog foods. The main ingredients that cause problems are:
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soya
If you suspect your husky has a food allergy, the standard course of action is to simplify the dog's diet until its system has stabilized, and then gradually reintroduce foods one by one. Plain boiled rice with boiled chicken breast or scrambled eggs (made without milk), are a good simple starting point for a dog with tummy troubles. After a few days on such a diet, if the dog's tummy has settled, you can start GRADUALLY introducing kibble or other food.
*If your dog still as an upset tummy after a few days on rice and chicken, and your vet can find no obvious explanation, your Husky may have have an allergy to one of these foods. In this case, you could try porridge oats soaked overnight in water, with some tinned salmon. Boiled potatoes are another alternative instead of rice, and can also be mashed up with tinned salmon.*
Stick to one type of food, and aim to gradually switch from rice and chicken/eggs over two weeks (so after 3 days each meal would be about 25% kibble, after 1 week 50% kibble, and 100% kibble at the end of 2 weeks). If your husky gets an upset tummy as you introduce the kibble, go back to the rice diet, give it a couple of days to settle, and start again with a different type of kibble, ie one with different ingredients. If a rice-based Kibble doesn't agree with your dog, try one of the varieties based on oats or potatoes, such a Burn's Salmon & Potato or Oat kibbles. - TREATS
- Treats are often the cause behind sudden cases of poorly tummies.
Many owners feed their huskies and sled dogs with suitable kibble or other diets, but forget that treats are often just as bad huskies than the regular foods that cause them problems.
The problem is common for new owners, who will usually be trying to train their new husky puppy or dog, and feeding them lots of treats.
It is important to make sure that you find some treats that your dog or puppy is not sensitive to,
It is also worth bearing in mind that if you go to a puppy training class, the other dog owners present may try and reward your husky with their own treats. As an owner you have to be really strict with other people - don't let them feed your dog with their treats! Like many other new owners, we were woken in the middle of the night after our first puppy-class by our Husky. She had been fed a whole range of treats by the other dog owners at the class, and was not feeling well at all!
The lesson is; don't let other people feed your dog - this goes for old ladies in the park with pockets full of dog biscuits too! As sweet as their intentions are, it does not do your husky any favors if it means they get sick afterwards, and for young pups it may only take a couple of cheap dog biscuits to cause tummy upsets.