Nutrition Tips for Siberian Huskies

Siberian huskies, whether kept as a companion animal or a working dog, have specialized dietary needs. This northern breed needs nutrition that takes into account its energy use, metabolism and specific joint and coat needs. The food you use and your feeding schedule will depend upon your preferences and the success you see with your dog.

  1. Developing a Diet

    • Your Siberian husky puppy should be kept on the diet used by your breeder, at least until your puppy is fully settled in your home. Ask your breeder her advice on what kind of food to switch the puppy to as it grows into adulthood. Switch the puppy's diet gradually, if desired, by swapping out one-eighth of the current food with the new food. After three to four days without any perceived digestive problems, such as puking or diarrhea, you may increase the amount of new food by one-eighth of a cup. Continue monitoring the change for a few days before increasing by another one-eighth of a cup, until you have fully switched your husky to its new diet.

    Breed Needs

    • Huskies have been bred to perform on small amounts of food and therefore need less food per pound than other, similarly sized dog breeds. Many huskies will self-monitor their intake, passing up a meal here and there. Develop a consistent feeding schedule of two feedings per day for an adult dog. Put the food out for a set amount of time, such as 30 minutes, and then remove whatever isn't eaten. Your husky will become used to the schedule, expecting his meal at the designated times of the day. If he isn't interested in eating one meal, remove the food and set out for the next meal at the next feeding time. Going for more than two days without eating may be a sign of illness, so check with your veterinarian to be on the safe side.

    Maintenance Vs. Performance

    • Huskies can be kept as companion or family dogs only, or they can also be kept as sled dogs. If you are not working your husky, but do exercise your dog with walks and hikes, use a diet intended to maintain your dog's weight and strength. Aim to use a premium dog food with holistic ingredients and a high ratio of meat or meat meal to grains. Working dogs need more calories to sustain your dog's activities. Premium or performance dog foods pack more calories into the food, so you can give your dog the energy he needs without overfeeding him.

    Raw and Bones

    • A dog's natural diet, historically, contained raw meats, bones and scavenged foods. You can emulate some of that instinctive diet by feeding your husky a controlled raw diet, or by supplementing purchased dog kibble with meaty, raw bones. The bones and raw food, or BARF, diet can help you formulate an all-raw diet for your husky. If you don't want to do an all-raw diet, add raw bones like chicken wings and necks, or beef bones, to your husky's diet to help clean teeth and provide nutrition. While raw bones are safe, never feed a dog a cooked chicken bone, because it can splinter and cause internal damage.