Flo, a four-year old Springer and I have been running together since she was developed enough to run at 15 months. As an ultramarathon and keen trail runner, I run a lot of miles and am regularly covering between 5 and 25 miles at a time. It’s a wonderful way for Flo and I to spend time together. I’m not sure who enjoys it more. Obviously, the longer runs are too much for Flo to cope with so she tends to come with me when running 5-8 miles. The important thing for me is knowing what she can cope with and nailing her nutrition. That’s why I am so keen on raw feeding for canicross dogs.
Raw Feeding for Canicross Dogs
Flo is a raw fed dog through and through, and will be for the rest of her life. She was weaned onto ProDog at 4 weeks old. I knew the breeder and he understood my desire for Flo to be fed the best from the get go. I had researched a lot when it came to raw feeding for canicross dogs and, with the help of the team at ProDog, we put together a feeding plan to see her through her puppy months into adulthood.
A Long Line of Working Dogs
Flo comes from a working line of Kennel Club English Springers. You can imagine how lively she is. She does need her exercise so I have to be sure that she gets enough to eat. They told me she would need 2-3% of her body weight daily with most dogs needing 2%. She actually has 3% plus, sometimes more and she’s still lean! Before I started running with her, I made sure that she was going to get the right nutrition to be able to cope with the demands on her system.
Additions & Canine Performance Supplements
Alongside her raw dog food, I add things to her meals – an egg here and there, raw chicken wings and the occasional banana. There isn’t much Flo won’t do for a banana. She will sit there like a statue and watch you eat it. In addition to this I give her ProDog Maximus daily. When she goes on long runs with me she gets ProDog Revive too. We get back, she calms down in her crate then, when she has cooled down, we add a scoop of Maximus and Revive to her food. The all natural ingredients means that, just like runners, she is getting what she needs to replenish the energy she has spent with organic protein that helps with her muscle recovery. Raw feeding for canicross dogs at its finest!
A Happy and Content Dog
Her coat is glorious, she’s never poorly, she doesn’t have any allergies and she’s as strong as an ox. You can brush her ears, pull ticks out (not that she’s had one for a long time), remove thorns and she takes it all in her stride. She will run and run if you let her but once she’s done she will just lie down and look at me. We’ve covered a lot of miles together and, thanks to ProDog, we are confident that we have many more years together exploring the Mendip trails.
I would highly recommend getting in touch with the team to discuss your requirements when it comes to raw feeding for canicross dogs.
About the Author
Sheryl is the founder of trail running website Running for the Hills and a bit of a running nut. The website was founded to help others develop their trail running, offering the latest news, coaching advice and reviews.
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