Page 349 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

356 Small Animal Clinical Nutrition

CASE 18-3
VetBooks.ir Poor Performance in a Hunting Dog

Philip W. Toll, DVM, MS
Hill’s Science and Technology Center
Topeka, Kansas, USA

Patient Assessment
A five-year-old neutered female golden retriever was examined for collapsing during a game bird hunting trip.The dog was a seden-
tary house pet for most of the year, but was used as a retriever for game bird hunting each fall. The dog’s general health had always
been good but its retrieving ability was considered only fair. The dog had received routine heartworm preventive medication since
it was a puppy.
On the opening day of hunting season, the dog was fed at 5:30 a.m., loaded in the truck about 6:00 a.m. and began hunting at
7:00 a.m. The dog worked hard through the morning and covered about 10 miles. The weather was unseasonably warm (23.8°C;
75°F) for the fall season in the upper Great Plains region of the United States.The hunters and dog took a lunch break from 11:00
a.m. to noon. The dog was given 1 cup of food and water at 11:00 a.m. and snacked on a small bag of potato chips around 11:30
a.m. The dog rested peacefully until noon when hunting resumed. Half an hour after hunting resumed, the dog began to falter,
became ataxic and then collapsed. The dog never appeared to lose consciousness or develop seizures.
The dog was carried back to the truck and taken immediately to a veterinary hospital. During the trip to the hospital the dog
seemed to improve. The physical examination was normal. The dog weighed 30 kg and had a body condition score of 3/5. Heart
rate and heart sounds were normal with no pulse deficits. Hydration status was normal. Packed cell volume and serum glucose con-
centration were normal. A heartworm test was negative.
Assess the Food and Feeding Method
The dog was fed a commercial private label brand dry food formulated for adult dogs.The owners fed the dog one meal daily (1,500
kcal [6.3 MJ]; 4.5 cups) at 7:00 a.m. before they went to work. The dog received several biscuit treats in the evening and occasion-
ally leftover food from family meals.

Questions
1. What are possible causes of the dog’s collapse during the hunting trip?
2. What education should be provided to the owner about management of the dog?
3. What food should be recommended for this dog during the hunting season?
4. What feeding methods should be used during the hunting season?

Answers and Discussion
1. Causes of sudden collapse of a healthy appearing dog while hunting include hyperthermia, dehydration, hypoglycemia, heart-
worm disease, cardiac dysrhythmia and/or muscle cramping. Heartworm disease is unlikely based on the history of a good pre-
ventive medication program and negative heartworm test. A cardiac dysrhythmia may have occurred in the field and sponta-
neously resolved during travel to the veterinarian. Dehydration is unlikely because the dog received water during the lunch break
and no clinical evidence of dehydration was found. Hyperthermia may have occurred due to excessive work in a warm environ-
ment, but the dog’s rectal temperature was not elevated at the hospital. Transient hypoglycemia may have occurred. Muscle
cramping may accompany electrolyte abnormalities, dehydration and poor training and conditioning.
2. The dog was poorly trained and went from being a sedentary house pet to working dog very abruptly. Physical training should
begin about six weeks before hunting season for part-time athletes such as this dog. One hour of brisk walking each day is a good
starting point. The dog should work for several hours at an intensity level similar to what is expected in the field during the last
two weeks of training. Besides improving exercise tolerance, such a training program would likely improve olfactory ability.
Preseason exercise is also recommended to prepare the dog’s footpads for the work in the field.
3. A performance-type food (Table 18-12) should be recommended if the dog is to be used frequently for long periods of time dur-
ing the hunting season. Performance foods are usually higher in fat, the preferred muscle fuel for longer lasting exercise and
improved olfaction. Olfaction is further enhanced if the fat contains a significant amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Also, high-
er fat levels increase a food’s energy density, which is needed for additional work in the field. A 30-kg dog traveling 10 miles
requires 480 kcal (2.0 MJ). The food should be changed well before hunting season (preferably six weeks before) to allow for
metabolic adaptation. Adaptation allows a dog to take full advantage of the higher dietary fat content.
4. Timing of feeding is also important. Working dogs should be fed four or more hours before exercise to allow some time for food
assimilation and for blood glucose and insulin concentrations to return to normal. Snacks during exercise are helpful. However,