Siberian Husky. What Is Good to Feed Him

overkillxx on 29/09/2018 - 09:16
Last edited 02/10/2018 - 13:31

As the Title says.. Just looking for suggestions for what to feed for an adopted 6 year old Siberian husky. He seems extremely picky with food overall. From what I've read of this Breed this can be normal, but, nonetheless I figured others might know what a good dry/wet combo would be to feed. In particular brands of dry food and even suggestions on what wet food to give him as well would be fantastic.

UPDATE:

Just wanted to say thanks to all the feedback provided.. Including some of the witty comments as well.. from doing my own research & getting ideas on this thread, I am now doing the following:

Purchasing of the StayLoyal Dog food @ 117 for a 15kgs bag that lasts about 6 weeks. This will represent his primary food source.

For others on a budget an alternative could be the Kirklands Signature Dry dog food at only 55 bucks for 15.8kgs which seems like extremely good value.. My big concern with this one is that there is a lawsuit currently out on Diamond Pets who are the makers of this dog food as well as many others such as Taste of the Wild dry dog food. Until more information about this arises and whether or not the Costco Kirkland brand is effected or not I am wary to use it.

I do not plan to just give him dry food everyday for his meal(s). Rather, I will top it off with dinner leftovers that are suitable and/or tin food that is half decent. The tin food I plan to use is the following:

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/natures-doma…

This is available for 19 bucks for 24 cans (375grams each I think).

Alternatives to above can food will be something in the following list. Or these could just be treats.

As someone posted

Two raw eggs per week
Sardines tins (water based) 2-3 times a week
Youghurt 2-3 table spoons twice a week
Tea spoon of coconut oil sprinkle of food, twice a week.
Raw meaty bones 2-3 times a week
Raw salmon head/tails once a fortnight
offal 2 times a week.

Hope this information is helpful to others.

Pets Dog Food Pet Food

Comments

  • Nugs on 29/09/2018 - 09:27
    +54

    smaller dogs

  • oscargamer on 29/09/2018 - 09:29
    +12

    No wet food.
    Good quality dry (not supercoat or similar). Pay about $4 a kilo. I like Black Hawk. Add raw meat and fruit and veg.

  • josetann on 29/09/2018 - 10:05
    +47

    What did your dog say when you asked him?

  • Switchblade88 on 29/09/2018 - 10:20
    +2

    Siberians?

  • Diji1 on 29/09/2018 - 11:05

    Meat. Offal is cheap and the most nutritious meat eg liver.

    Unless you're happy feeding him an unhealthy grain based diet like humans eat.

    • ShortyX on 30/09/2018 - 09:49
      +3

      I don’t think you can feed 100% offal though, can you?

      • Scab on 30/09/2018 - 09:55
        +3

        No, way too rich.

        • ShortyX on 30/09/2018 - 10:02

          Thought so - thanks

    • dd22qq on 02/10/2018 - 07:52
      +1

      Need to be careful with worms and other parasites if feeding offal.

      • WhyAmICommenting on 02/10/2018 - 22:08

        Yep, I would skip it from what I've read.

  • Randxyz123 on 29/09/2018 - 11:21
    +2

    Your vet might have some advise on brands.

    I’d Try a couple of brands and see what he likes.

    • oscargamer on 29/09/2018 - 11:34
      +7

      Sure, but don't change brands instantly. Change it over a number of days. 20% change per day.

    • cookietime on 29/09/2018 - 14:29
      +2

      Most vets that I've been taking my dogs to recommend Hills Science brand, which isn't a particularly good one, so ask for their advice but do your own research too.

      • jhmtaylor on 30/09/2018 - 08:34

        My brother's Border Collie was a very picky eater. He also suffered the occasional rash. On vet's advice he switched the food to Royal Canin sensitive stomach and now woofs his food down. He was on Hills before and it was making him sick. PS I My Cairn Terrier is a good guts and has Proplan because it was recommended by the breeder. Once per week she gets oncooked brisket bones (they are shorter than normal bones and don't splinter) to remove tartar from.

      • chrisd262 on 30/09/2018 - 22:37
        +1

        so strange that vets recommend products they sell???

      • macrocephalic on 01/10/2018 - 21:28

        I found this website to be very useful when we got our first dog: http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au. After some research we determined that Blackhawk dry foods are the best in our price range.

        We give our dogs a mixture of wet and dry, the dry is mostly for the nutrition, and the wet is to make them eat it (fussy eaters as well), because of that we don't stress too much about what the wet food is, sometimes it's expensive, sometimes cheap, sometimes just a tin of tuna or some natural yoghurt.

  • psyren89 on 29/09/2018 - 12:42
    +4

    extremely picky

    Skip a meal, then he'll be happy to eat whatever you give him.

    • WreckTangle on 29/09/2018 - 14:10
      +1

      Hand that feeds him?

    • skywards on 30/09/2018 - 17:22

      Hand feed him?

  • cassidy02 on 29/09/2018 - 15:59
    +2

    Steer clear of Mars products:

    https://www.9news.com.au/2018/09/21/18/08/pet-food-investiga…

  • Godric on 29/09/2018 - 18:00

    Food

  • ms_caz on 29/09/2018 - 18:08
    +6

    https://www.arcticrescue.org.au/
    https://www.siberianhuskyvic.org.au/rescue/
    https://homesforhuskies.org.au/

    The above organisations provide rescue services for Siberian huskies and other arctic dogs (in Victoria). I would think that if you were to contact them, somebody would be able to give you some information and support regarding raising of this breed.

    For more general discussion the Dogs Online forum https://www.dolforums.com.au/ might be able to answer questions more specifically. I note that there is a husky breed forum, but it doesn't appear to have been active lately. The general discussion board does have recent comments, so you could ask there.

    (I feed my dogs Blackhawk, and also Meals for Mutts - but they aren't huskies. I think some specific breed knowledge might be useful in order to meet their needs.)

    • mirz on 01/10/2018 - 21:58

      Is meal for mutts any better than Blackhawk?

  • [Deactivated] on 30/09/2018 - 06:22

    twins

  • Gesiet on 30/09/2018 - 08:53
    +1

    A raw food (BARF) diet. It’s based on what they’d eat in the wild and is far superior to any dry food. It’s not too hard to make your own or look up Big Dog or Leading Raw (the latter is available at Costco for $14.60 a box). Dog will probably require around 2 bricks a day so approx $2.40 / day. Do your research on BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) and you won’t want to feed him anything else! Vets don’t often mention it (as they usually don’t sell it / make commission on it) but all the best dog trainers are massive fans. Leading Raw was developed for the Queensland Guide Dogs.

    • ShortyX on 30/09/2018 - 09:52

      Agree with feeding raw. Leading Raw seems expensive at about $8/kg - it would be cheaper to DIY but less convenient I guess.

      • RandomFox on 02/10/2018 - 06:06

        You got to shop around, it's usually far cheaper.

    • RandomFox on 02/10/2018 - 01:24

      Glad to see someone had the guts to tell the truth in a world full of people who don't know or trust vets that are not educated on the topic

  • [Deactivated] on 30/09/2018 - 09:13
    +3

    Feed him love and respect

    • Kangal on 30/09/2018 - 13:38

      What about the allergies?

  • Stevek1960 on 30/09/2018 - 09:26
    +6

    I have two Huskies, A Siberian and an Alaskan.
    Fussy eaters ? yes sir they are.
    I have found that they will never turn their nose up at fresh frozen chicken.
    I buy 30kgs of fresh Drumsticks, Thighs or Wings when on special @ $1.99 a kilo.
    Package it in zip lock bags in meal sizes then freeze. Each day just pull a bag out and give it to them
    frozen with 1 cup of dry food (they can be very fussy about dry food as well - I buy Supacoat from Woolies)
    Every know and then I buy them some meaty beef bones for a change.

    DONT Over feed them!!!

    Sometimes they will go a few days without eating but dont be concerned about it thats just the way they are.

    • Scab on 30/09/2018 - 09:59
      +6

      Supacoat

      Everything else you feed them is good, except for that.

      Really poor quality food.

      • ShortyX on 30/09/2018 - 10:08
        +1

        Agreed.

        • Stevek1960 on 30/09/2018 - 10:39
          +3

          Tried Purina and the vet rippoff products, they wont eat them so they get what they like to eat

      • Stevek1960 on 30/09/2018 - 10:22
        +1

        9 and 7 years old and been on the same diet all that time with no health issues what so ever

        • Scab on 30/09/2018 - 10:42
          +4

          Regardless, it's crap quality, all supermarket food is.

          Along with Pedigree and Chum it's about the worst.

          But don't take my word for it:

          http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/purina-superco…

          • Stevek1960 on 30/09/2018 - 10:44
            +10

            @Scab: dont really care, everything else has ended up in the bin and cost me an arm and a leg to try all the so called good stuff.
            They like it, they eat it, they get it simple as that

      • sunnyc on 21/11/2018 - 20:10

        Anything to make them eat something. I bought almost every single type of dry food ranging from $2/kg all the way to $40/kg and he won't eat it.

    • dust on 30/09/2018 - 10:04

      They eat frozen chicken?

      • Stevek1960 on 30/09/2018 - 10:36
        +1

        yep they love it, listening to them eat it makes you think if they wanted to they could crush your bones very quickly

    • Stevek1960 on 30/09/2018 - 10:35
      +1

      excuse spelling lol

  • ShortyX on 30/09/2018 - 10:01
    +5

    We’ve ended up feeding our dogs a raw diet - 5 parts meat (beef/roo mince), 1 part offal, 1 part veggies, dash of olive oil then a brisket bone. We also throw in an egg sometimes. Meal weight of 2-3% of body weight depending on activity level and monitor weight (should be able to just feel ribs… feed more or less as required)

    Mince - $5/kg at a pet food store

    Offal - $2/kg for liver at pet food store

    Veggies - we just use thawed Coles frozen veggies for $1.60/kg (peas, cauliflower, carrot, broccoli) - https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-vic-regional-bendigo/product/c…

    Brisket bones - $6/kg at Coles

  • Entropy Sky on 30/09/2018 - 10:11
    +2

    Ahhh Husky, from what I have learned from youtube pros, they like to eat sofa, mattress and stuffed toys.

  • ernest as on 30/09/2018 - 10:34
    +2

    I have owned Alaskan Malamutes for many years and feed reputable dry food,currently using Purina, Beyond salmon & tuna along with Vip chunkers and a dollop of natural yogurt twice a day.All this is available at supermarkets without breaking the bank. Also frozen chicken necks and a brisket bone as treats.Be sure to search out a Husky forum on FB they are a good reference point.Just be aware feeding offal (liver) could be too rich for your dog. A big shout out to OP for rescuing an arctic breed, well done.

    • Stevek1960 on 30/09/2018 - 10:38

      both mine where rescue dogs, one from the RSPCA and the other from an abusive kiwi, my male still after 7 years drops his head when you go to pat him, they dont forget unfortunately :-(

      • h4zey on 02/10/2018 - 09:41

        :(

  • Aids on 30/09/2018 - 11:59

    http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/

    I went with Canidae grain free. Not cheap, but it's regularly on sale, and worth it for the reduced size and smell of poop. Appears to be the best quality/value ratio. Not to mention knowing you are giving your pet the best chance at a long healthy life.

  • Homr on 30/09/2018 - 12:22
    -2

    Dog food

  • Marcsie on 30/09/2018 - 12:42
    -6

    1st world problem :)

  • Maxlife on 30/09/2018 - 13:18

    If you want the best forget the rest and give your husky STAY LOYAL grain free dry food with a can of home brand sardines in oil food daily. Bones weekly and you will be amazed at how healthy your husky will be and how long he will live for. All human grade ONLY!
    Don't buy a thing from a supermarket its pure junk full of crap and nasty stuff!
    PS My Husky and many a friend and breeders huskies have recommended this and i cannot thank them enough! They will love you forever!

    • ShortyX on 01/10/2018 - 01:02

      About $8/kg?

    • overkillxx on 01/10/2018 - 11:30
      +1

      Hey Maxlife,

      Thanks for this recommendation.. STAY LOYAL does indeed seem like one of the higher quality dried dog foods & actually seems best bang for buck out of all the Premium (Grain free) dried dog foods out there..

      Right now I am deciding between:

      http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/kirkland-signa…

      This is by far the cheapest premium dog (Grain Free) dog food I have seen at only around 70 bucks for a 15.8kg bag

      And of course STAY LOYAL.. I think I will try STAY LOYAL this week. For anyone who is ona budget, I would certainly be looking at the Costco dog food above though.

      Thanks again for recommending STAY LOYAL.

      • mirz on 01/10/2018 - 21:56

        I’m waiting for our local Costco to open to try this one. Currently my gsd is on Blackhawk fish and potato with other raw stuff. This bag costs me around $90 for 20 kg on sales.

        • overkillxx on 02/10/2018 - 06:31
          +1

          Well i have some good and bad news ive further discovered about the kirklands signature dog food. Good news is its actually alot cheaper than i thought at only 55 dollars for a 15.8kg bag… But the company that makes it is facing a class action lawsuit:

          http://truthaboutpetfood.com/taste-of-the-wild-pet-food-clas…

          This lawsuit applies to there "Taste of the Wild" brand. But same company that makes both..

          • mirz on 02/10/2018 - 08:29

            @overkillxx: yeah, thats what i read about Kirkland made by Taste of Wild which is almost double the price. That class action news is bit scary. thanks for sharing.

  • Maxlife on 30/09/2018 - 13:21

    Ps you will need to order STAY LOYAL online. They deliver it free and i trust them unlike alot of brands!
    I am also not associated with this brand just to put that out there as well.
    Best of luck woth your husky

  • Maxlife on 30/09/2018 - 13:29

    Excuse the spelling and typos Lol

  • pingualien on 30/09/2018 - 16:39
    +1

    domino pizzas, mcdonald 2 for 6 dollar burgers, kfc on tuesdays

    • ShortyX on 01/10/2018 - 00:23

      Username checks out.

  • orangetrain on 30/09/2018 - 16:39

    Due to lack of regulations in dog food or any pet food, buy natural ingredients. No processed or packaged food. Not sure what Huskies eat tho.

  • bradsmrbetty on 30/09/2018 - 16:56

    https://www.budgetpetproducts.com.au/ My local pet rescue buys from this website, i have used them many times to buy the same dry food for my two staffies.
    Same food as the vets in town sell but the overall unit price is lower.
    I use advanced but most owners of staffies that i know use black hawk.

  • ChrisLee14u on 30/09/2018 - 17:34
    -8

    Mainland Chinese tourists (whom lack common sense and general manners)

    • HangryCakeStore on 30/09/2018 - 19:07

      You really had to bring race into this? might as well name every group that lacks this as that comment can apply to anyone and highly doubt a mainland would be reading these comments. And if it's a joke - seems overused and just encourages hate towards any chinese looking person

  • greatlamp on 30/09/2018 - 19:10

    There's a great documentary on Netflix following the life of hunters in Siberia. They feed their Huskies freshwater pike.

  • chrisd262 on 30/09/2018 - 22:41
    -1

    After reading many of the posts I have realised ITS SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!!!!

  • abuch47 on 30/09/2018 - 22:43
    -2

    Every man and his dog has an opinion. My breeder says so and so. Research it dont ask on a forum. This is not fact based just all completely unfounded opinions. Her coats shiny, he grew bigger than his brother, they only like this one.

    Find something that is easy, in your pricepoint and wont hurt them in the short to medium term. Dogs dont last forever, dont be a pretend vet who knows what's best

    • mysterytal on 01/10/2018 - 01:12
      -2

      Apparently according to some posters I'm a completely irresponsible dog owner as I feed her supermarket dog food.

      Yes high quality food costs about the same as supermarket food per serving but try feeding a dog half a cup of the good stuff..it's hardly anything. She wants more, barking and whining till someone gives in and she gets it. I feed her 1.5 cups of the cheap stuff. She's satisfied.

  • docpol on 01/10/2018 - 00:45
    +1

    Youfoodz

  • ShortyX on 01/10/2018 - 01:05

    Let us know how you go OP.

  • skillet on 01/10/2018 - 14:46

    All these comments make me hungry, I wanna be a dog.

  • greypotatobake on 01/10/2018 - 19:29
    +1

    If you look at most wet foods, they are at least 80-90% moisture/ water which means that you're paying mostly for water. I still get my pets wet food as an occasional treat and keeping them on a mostly wet diet will be expensive.

    My biggest concern and most common disease I see in overweight huskies would be hip dysplasia. This is a degenerative disease which leads to debilitating pain and loss of function of the hindlimbs. Therefore, keeping a close eye on the body condition score (even as low as a 4/9) would be ideal. Most geriatric huskies will require indefinite anti-inflammatories/ pain relief at some stage, I am hard pressed to think of any of my huskies over 10 which don't have some sort of osteoarthritis.

    Body condition scoring: https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/PDF_old/Body-condition-sco…

  • Plug on 01/10/2018 - 21:38
    -1

    Siberians?

  • mirz on 01/10/2018 - 21:51
    +1

    on top of other suggestions, don’t forget to feed:

    1. Two raw eggs per week
    2. Sardines tins (water based) 2-3 times a week
    3. Youghurt 2-3 table spoons twice a week
    4. Tea spoon of coconut oil sprinkle of food, twice a week.
    5. Raw meaty bones 2-3 times a week
    6. Raw salmon head/tails once a fortnight

    Never feed cooked bones.

    • ShortyX on 01/10/2018 - 23:45

      Thanks. Is Greek natural yoghurt ok? And why salmon heads/tails? Where could I get them?

      • mirz on 02/10/2018 - 08:39

        i havent found any difference whichever is on sale will do the trick. you can buy salmon head/tails from local fish shops in shopping centres or independent ones. my local sell them for $5 per kilo. you will get 2 heads in one kilo. people also buy them to make soup. raw fish is very good for dog's health and you will see how quickly your dog would love to eat that :)

        Cheese is also good and most of them love it, but try to keep it in small pieces and little quantity. Husky are very active and would burn food in no time, but pls try not to over feed.

        i always take a peek at local butcher and whatever he has it on sale (except fat) comes home as extra treat.

    • overkillxx on 02/10/2018 - 12:50

      Thanks for these suggestions.. I will take these onboard..

      I've also added Offal 2 times a week to the list.. As that provides a lot of minerals & vitamins per serving. I think these suggestions together with the StayLoyal dry food should be a good diet for my dog..

  • megaalc on 01/10/2018 - 23:22

    https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u… - just leave it here. Google translate for top 1 food for huski in Russian. Might be helpful

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