If you have an active or working dog, you’ll be more than aware of the number of products now available offering support for your dog in the form of ‘energy’ or ‘recovery’ bars, treats, and snacks. These products are typically carefully formulated and prepared to include ingredients that provide additional dietary energy, in a form that is readily available and easily digestible for our dogs.
But the question is often asked – do our dogs really need these? Why might energy bars be useful and when should they be used as an integral part of your dog’s care and management?
Following the recent, successful launch of the Run Energy Bars, we thought it was time to review the what, why and how of energy bars and address some of the questions and queries often asked.
Here is your guide to the Run Faster Canine Energy Bars!
My dog already has a good diet – why would energy bars be needed?
It is essential that the nutrition of active dogs is carefully considered and tailored to meet their energy and other nutrient needs. Energy is not a nutrient in itself, but dietary lipids (fats and oils), protein and carbohydrate are all nutrients that provide energy. Notably, canine metabolism preferentially uses dietary lipids as an energy source, and lipids provide more than twice the kilocalories per gram than either protein or carbohydrate. This means that for highly active dogs undertaking long duration work and especially in adverse weather conditions (such as the Great British winter) a diet rich in lipids is essential.
Protein is also a potential source of dietary energy but is better used to support tissue repair and regeneration than as a key source of energy. This is important for working and sporting dogs who will have increased muscle repair and regeneration requirements as a result of their activity.
Carbohydrates always spawn debate in the canine nutrition world, and it is true that unlike other nutrients, dogs have no minimum dietary requirement for carbohydrate. Indeed, a clever metabolic process called gluconeogenesis means that dogs are capable of synthesising their own carbohydrate, providing they have adequate levels of dietary protein that acts a key precursor in this process. However, carbohydrates are a diverse class of compounds, ranging from small, soluble molecules such as glucose (which is essential for the normal functioning of the brain and other body tissues and organs) to large, insoluble fibrous molecules that are useful to support digestive health. Additionally, providing soluble carbohydrate in the diet can effectively ‘spare’ some protein from being used in the gluconeogenesis process and also provides a readily digestible and accessible source of energy.
For many dogs, a tailored and well formulated daily diet will support their overall health, wellbeing, and activity needs. However, in much the same way as marathon and other endurance runners will need to ‘refuel’ on the go, occasionally our dogs are asked (or volunteer!) to put extra effort and energy into their activity. This is when they run a very real risk of ‘emptying the tank’ and suffering the consequences, which can be severe and distressing, including fatigue, becoming unresponsive to cues or in extreme cases, collapsing. This is why clever use of energy bars on busy, active days where your dog is doing a little bit more than usual, might be a good idea – think of them as a ‘fuel tank top up’ that provide readily available fuel to your dog.
What is in the energy bars?
The bars contain ingredients carefully selected for their nutritional value and to ensure the production of an easy-to-feed snack that is highly digestible and provides real benefits. The analytical profile of the bars is 8.7% fat (lipids) for energy, 6.9% protein to support repair and recovery and 5.2% fibre to aid digestion. The ash component reflects the mineral content of the bars – minerals are critical for normal metabolic functioning of the body.
Oat flour and sweet potato provide carbohydrate for energy and also to help create the shape of the soft-baked bars. Egg, sunflower hearts, and whey are great sources of protein. Apple pomace and chicory helps to support digestive health, and the inclusion of blueberries and ginger provide sources of antioxidants. Honey is useful as a source of soluble carbohydrate and also aids palatability too. Indeed, runny honey is a great thing to always carry in your doggy first aid kit, should you ever have the misfortune of a seriously fatigued dog – honey can be rubbed on their gums or provide some for them to lick as an immediate measure to replenish their energy levels, before seeking veterinary advice.
Overall, the Run Energy Bars have been carefully developed to include functional ingredients that are nutritionally valuable and also make the bars attractive for our dogs and easy for us to carry and feed.
How many energy bars should my dog have?
The recommending feeding level is one bar per 5 kg of your dog’s bodyweight per day. For example, a 15 kg cocker spaniel would have three bars and if these were spaced out throughout a busy day, then you are not only rewarding your dog for a job well done, you’ll also be keeping their ‘fuel tank’ topped up and providing their body with an easy-to-access source of energy.
How much energy do the bars provide?
Each 90g pack of energy bars contains six bars, each providing approximately 45 kilocalories. When fed at the recommended feeding amount, the bars will supplement your dog’s normal daily dietary energy intake. Thanks to careful formulation, ingredient use and preparation, the bars will not significantly unbalance the rest of your dog’s diet and are easy to digest, as well as being highly palatable which is important for our active dogs.
When should I feed the energy bars to my dog?
The Run Energy Bars are designed to be easy to feed as whole bars, or broken into smaller pieces, based on the size and needs of your dog. The bars should be fed at suitable breaks on a busy day – this might be elevenses for working gundogs, between runs at an agility event or during a refreshment break of a canicross run for example. One useful time to feed them is also at the end of activity, ideally within 30 mins of activity ending. This means that your dog can effectively use the carbohydrate in the bar to replenish muscle glycogen (a storage carbohydrate, essential to support activity) that might have been depleted during the day. This can help aid recovery and is also important for dogs undertaking consecutive days of intense activity. The protein within the bar can also be utilised to support repair and recovery, making the bars ideal and functional rewards both during and after activity.
Rùn Energy Bars Top Tips
· Let your dog try a piece of an energy bar before you use them for real – this means they become familiar with them and can help dogs with sensitive digestive systems get used to them.
· Carry energy bars in your vehicle, first aid kit, game bag, or pocket. Having them close to hand makes it easier to reward and support your dog when they most need it and at ideal breaks.
· Avoid using the energy bars as replacements for an otherwise balanced diet – they are to support your dog’s diet on busy days. However, during busy weeks (holidays, training camps or extra working days) the bars can become a key addition to your dog’s daily nutrition.
· Always provide ready access to fresh, clean drinking water – this is as important as your dog’s energy intake.
· Once opened, keep your energy bars in a cool, airtight container to keep them as fresh and tasty as possible – although it is quite likely your dog will love them that much, storage is not an option!