Performance dogs require energy to excel in their work. Energy for dogs should be provided through protein, fat, and a small amount of carbohydrates from vegetable matter.
The function of proteins in the performance dog:
- It’s critical for building and repairing muscle and organ tissue.
- It’s essential for supplying amino acids for chemical and hormone body functions.
- It forms the major structural backbone of muscle, hair, skin, nails, ligaments, cartilage, and all organs.
- It’s important for normal blood functions.
The most important fuel source for performance dogs is fat, they use free fatty acids which come from fat as their main source of energy. A pound of stored fat provides 3,500 kilocalories of energy to a dog. Excess fatty acids that are not burned for fuel are converted back to free fatty acids and stored in the body as fat (typically over the ribs, hips,…). Consider the work the dog is doing and adjust accordingly because we want our working dogs to always stay lean!
Lactic acid is a by-product of the chemical conversion of lactic anaerobiosis. A diet high in carbohydrates and low in fats produces excessive lactic acid.
Excess lactic acid can cause problems for the performance dog such as:
- Hyperglycemia (excess blood glucose). This can have a negative impact on the endurance and performance of working dogs.
- Inhibits the production of lipolysis (energy obtained from the breakdown of fats). This can reduce performance and promote poor endurance
- Osmotic edema (water swelling of the muscles). This can cause a stiff gait and poor limb motility.
To prevent excess lactic acid production, do the following:
- Feed a diet with moderate to high levels of fat prior to the training and performance season. This will promote fatty acid oxidation as the primary source of energy production.
- Feed a diet with moderate to high levels of fat during the competition season.
- Keep the dog as calm as possible before an event begins to reduce lactic acid production.