What to feed the dog out bush?

Hi Alan

Vets advise that the best food for dogs and a complete balanced diet is dry dog food. You dog may miss the meat when camping, but wet or tinned food is not as healthy and not as good for dental health as all dry. If your dog really objects, add a little bit of gravy, fat from you sausages or what ever from your meal to make the dog's meal more enticing.

Motherhen

Fresh roadkill.

Hi Alan,

I know I'm in the USA and also feed our dogs (Australian Cattle Dogs) a basically raw or BARF diet.

While travelling we use a product called EMBARK which is a dehydrated raw dog food which is grain free. Just add water.

There may be a similar product in Australia you may be able to use.

Regards

Bruce

When travelling with our dog we rely mainly on good quality dry food made a bit more interesting with a small amount of scraps or sometimes those small sardine type cans of dog food that are often "on special" at supermarkets so there are no leftovers to refrigerate. Also we buy human consumption chicken drumsticks and lamb bones for her. These travel happily in fridge or freezer with our human food, take up little room and make sure she gets some variety and chewing exercise. Even travelling for months she remains healthy and, at 12 years old, has excellent teeth. She generally gets more exercise and activity when we travel so weight gain has not been an issue - we worry more at home where she likes to lie around all day apart from her regulation walks!
You need to be strict about feeding her only in her dish and making sure she does not pick up scraps if you are anywhere near country where dog baits can be spread. Some people even muzzle their dogs! We keep her close and don't let her run off leash in such places. Don't forget the tick and flea treatment either. Have a great trip! Lynne

g/day equinox.
all i ever use at home or away is dry food, this was advised to me by the vet as i asked her the same question you have, cheers mate bill.

As well as a base of good quality dog biscuits our Belgian Sheppard has raw carrots.

Its better for them and fits in with our low re-fridgeration camping style Alan.

Alan,

When you take your dry food make sure you pack it in a sealed container. When I first went away with my dog I found the camper inundated with ants that were all through the dry dog food as I had only kept it in the bag as I did at home. Also, you could always get the roo meat cryovaced into one day portions. It would last 2 weeks and not interfere with what else is in the fridge. In any case people consume roo meat as well, so I cannot see it as a problem being in with the snags! Unless you have a vegan with you.

Cheers Tony

My Lab always gets dry food, not the supermarket stuff but he's on a $140 a bag stuff. When we go away we simply take the sealed container with us (those white bucket types) works a treat. I sometimes spray the bottom part of the container with a little bit of insect spray to stop the ants from getting in.

Hi Alan,

Its good to see there are many dog people out there concerned about the welfare of your dog. I'm another one of them.

Have you thought of going onto dry biscuits yourself and giving your dog your share of the meat in the fridge?

cheers

Dry food, supplemented by tinned sardines, mixed up gravy and scraps does our dog. And good quality dry food too. There is nothing like sharing the van on a cold night with a flatulent pooch....we ran out of the good food, had to make do with a lesser variety. Dog baiting is a very serious concern in many areas. Our pooch is a selective feeder and not lightning scoffer but I still often muzzle him even when he's on his long "wander" rope.

Alan,

That is soooo nice of you to buy a fridge just for the dog..lol

I have to agree with the rest..good quality biscuits in a sealed plastic container.

I would also go along with cryovac roo meat in single portions too, if that is what he is used to. I wouldn't expect you would get enough for everyday but maybe enough for every second day. (or get a bigger fridge)

Whatever you choose I'm pretty sure the dawg will not go hungry.

FWIW Kane, my German Shepherd is basically on one feed per day now (almost 2yo) and 90% of that is a balanced dry food and he weighs in at about 49kg now -and not an ounce of fat.

Happy travels and a pity I can't make it or I could be chef for the pooch.....and then you'd know he would eat well;)))

cheers
MJ

Hi Alan

I thought you always travelled without a fridge. Have you weakened?

What are your 2011 expedition plans?

G'day Alan.

I'm a bit concerned about all the people who just give their hound dry food. A bit boring for the doggie?

We give our dog at home a mix of dry, milk, an occas egg, and protopack sausage. And he gets a small raw chuck beef bone in the morning for jaw/teeth exercise.

Our vets always reckon the teeth are the last working part on our mutts before they go to the kennel in the sky.

Cheers.

We have 2 medium sized dogs (husky x & arab x mastif), and an 8kg bag of dry food lasted them close to 3 weeks over christmas. One dog gets 1 cup (full to the top), the other gets 2 & 1/2 cups. (fed only once per day)

I found that PAL dry food now comes in resealable 8kg bags, so i bought one, once they ate that i refilled it with the normal 20kg bag of Bonnie or Max i buy from the feed barn for their everyday food.

Our dogs only every get dry food, with the occasional meaty bone for treats. They never get human food - especially on the road.

I find the resealable bag great cause i can squeeze it almost anywhere in the camper and it reseals keeping moisture and bugs out, and doesn't go everywhere!