Glucose Or Energy Drinks/powder

[sheena]

I have just been reading a Clean Run article, where they recommend giving Glucose or a Glucose supplement to your performance dog to boost his self-dicipline & control during a long trialling day. Has anybody here done that & if so how much glucose would you give ??? They say it improves their concentration & performance. ??

Edited April 16, 2012 by sheena

[Nekhbet]

you would be better off giving the dog something like &affp=&"]Recharge for Greyhounds then pure glucose. It's pure sugar in the form cells use, but your dog needs electrolyte balance instead of short term burst energy which will increase the chance of cramping and muscle damage since the dog is not replenishing itself properly. Remember to due to panting, sweating and urination valuable salts are being lost which you are not putting back, pure glucose wont do that.

If you want something for long days try http://www.sprintergold.com/#!ace and if you find your dog cramps or has muscle fatigue a sprinkle of bicarb on the breakfast can prevent acid build up. I also use Neutradex for my older girl as it makes her drink more and is a urinary buffer. I'm also using the muscle powder on my old girl and its helping build her stamina and muscle condition again without cramping.

If you're going to do long trial days your dog needs to be prepared before hand properly with proper nutrition and conditioning. Any dog that needs glucose to keep going is being pushed too far, it's like you going to a sports day and sucking down coke and a chocolate bar. It's short term energy without the rest of the good stuff to prevent you pulling up sore when the sugar rush disappears.

[sheena]

Thanks Nekhbet for your most informative reply as it is something I have never considered before. I wasn't referring directly to my own dog, but it got me thinking why at trials, my own dog included, will have good days followed by bad days, or a couple of good runs then lose interest. We are constantly being told to bring our dogs along to training "hungry" so they are more responsive to treats etc, but I wonder if it is counter productive to take the dog to an actual agility trial & not give it a good nutritional breakfast before hand. Maybe a dog runs & performs better at a trial if it has eaten, whereas most people feed their dogs after the trial because they think it will be more responsive. Good hint about sprinkling the bi-carb on their breakfast.

[sas]

Thanks Nekhbet for your most informative reply as it is something I have never considered before. I wasn't referring directly to my own dog, but it got me thinking why at trials, my own dog included, will have good days followed by bad days, or a couple of good runs then lose interest. We are constantly being told to bring our dogs along to training "hungry" so they are more responsive to treats etc, but I wonder if it is counter productive to take the dog to an actual agility trial & not give it a good nutritional breakfast before hand. Maybe a dog runs & performs better at a trial if it has eaten, whereas most people feed their dogs after the trial because they think it will be more responsive. Good hint about sprinkling the bi-carb on their breakfast.

Such an old myth about taking dogs to trials/shows on an empty stomach - it actually makes no sense what-so-ever as the dog needs the energy from the food to perform at its best. Sure cut the meal down but not out completely.

[wuffles]

My OH used those little glucose sachets in soccer games, but the main reason was that his conditioning was probably not quite up to the level it should have been so they did give him a bit of pep.

I try not to ask more of my dog than is fair on them and I would think having to give these supplements would mean I was pushing too far, I agree with Nekhbet in that regard. My dog definitely performs a little worse as the day goes on but in my mind this is not a big issue as it is in line with her personality, drive and conditioning. I get tired as the day goes on too :laugh:

[trifecta]

I use Vytrate for a nervy dog that ties up, particularly on hot or humid days - I have been told it is kinder on the kidneys than Recharge.

[Nekhbet]

I like recharge, never tried Vytrate I dont know why Recharge would be bad on the kidneys unless you used it at the wrong ratios as its quite concentrated.

If we're going to have a full day I do feed the dogs in the morning, quality fresh food not dry food which saps water out of the dog. I also slop it down (eg raw meat gets watered down a little) to ensure they're fully hydrated before they start, and I give them a couple of hours before they do anything strenuous. Always make sure the dog is drinking and urinating enough, if it's straining to defecate it means dehydration is setting in. I have also found with using Recharge the dogs dont vomit up water when hot and dont pull up stiff, even my 8 year old.

A dog that is hungry and tires easily will actually start losing interest in training - there is a thin line between hungry enough to work for a treat and hungry enough to exhaust quickly. You're pushing a wheelbarrow uphill, it becomes a chore and not something enjoyable. If the dog is that lacking in interest it has to be starved it's not ready to trial and long term, you're putting the dog under immense physiological stress making them work with no way of replenishing vital nutrients while under exercise stress.

I learned a lot of this with my own dogs and got a lot of great information from a greyhound person or two. We seem to forget some other dogs work just as hard as a racing grey and need a bit more TLC for their long term happiness

[Inevitablue]

I think back to my horsey days and I'd never expect a showjumper, or race horse to perform at peak effort with zero glycogen stored. I wonder if dogs also suffer reduced mental clarity when running on empty, I know I do. Put yourself into ketosis then try a crossword or other mental challenge. I feel like my IQ has been halved, I also become an intolerant cow! Lol.

I don't manipulate my dogs hunger, but I do exploit their palates. Even if they are stuffed full with food BBQ still gets the same results. The overall condition of the dog I think influences food drive more than missing a few meals. Fat often equals lazy.

[WreckitWhippet]

I use either Vytrate or Recharge for my race dogs and they are put to the ultimate test each time they race.

If you wanted to supplement a dogs food , I'd go with Aminovite GB, it would be sufficient to prevent sports dogs from tying up and would aid in recovery

Depending on how far you want to take it , I have one of mine ( not a Grey ) on a premium dry,plus raw and he's supplemented with MusclePo and EnergyE. There's no point in chucking every supplement or electrolyte at a dog, you need to work out what they are lacking or what they really need and every dog is different. Even from Grey to Grey, I find myself supplementing them all in different ways, in order to maximise performance.

ETA, there is no point in witholding food in order to influence performance, dogs don't run well on an empty stomach. In saying that you wouldn;t be feeding them just before any strenuous activity but they certainly require food and in some cases an additional loading the day before.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Pav Lova