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We all want the best for our dogs, and we know it can be difficult to select a formula for sporting dogs that will help them achieve peak performance and take care of their nutritional needs.To help find the best match, our Senior Vice President of Nutrition and Supply Chain, Michael Keith, is answering common nutrition questions we get from sporting dog owners in Gun Dog Magazines article, Top 5 Questions Gun Dog Owners Should be Asking for Choosing the Proper Dog Food, you can read the article below.

Gun Dog: What Should We Feed our Sporting Dogs for Optimal Performance?

Michael Keith (Senior Vice President of Nutrition and Supply Chain, VICTOR Super Premium Pet Food):

While it would be nice, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the best formula to feed a hunting dog. Much like humans, each dog has a unique metabolism and energy need; however, we do know that active hunting and sporting dogs perform best when eating a high-fat, high-protein diet.

When selecting a kibble for your gun dog, remember that protein and fat percentages are important, but dont get caught up in the numbers. A good place to start is looking at brands that use high-quality ingredients and then search for a formula that will deliver, at a minimum, 28 percent protein and 20 percent fat, to meet the caloric requirements of your active sporting dog.

The key to feeding for performance is making sure your dog is getting the calories they need. Again, theres no universal answer, but a solid reference is (based on a 50-lb. dog): 1,450 calories for a non-active dog, 1,800 calories for a dog with moderate exercise, and 2,200+ calories to support a hard day of hunting.

Created specifically for the nutritional needs of hunting and working dogs, VICTORs Realtree MAX-5 PRO formula delivers on the desirable 30/20 protein to fat breakdown, but if your hunting dog needs more calories then look into our EDGE ENERGY formula, which is our most calorie-dense formula, at 28/22 protein to fat.

Use the eye test to make sure youre feeding your dog the right number of calories. Do they look physically healthy? If theyre starting to slim down or get too plump, that will signal that you need to change their caloric intake.

GD: How Often Should We Feed Our Dogs During Hunting Season?

MK:Research tells us that the answer for canine athletes is very similar to human athletes. It typically takes 10 to 12 hours for food to be completely digested, so if youre looking to go on a morning hunt, youll want to feed the night before to allow the nutrients to be absorbed appropriately.

Think about what it takes for you to perform at a high level. If you eat a very light dinner, then a large feast for breakfast right before jumping into a workout, you probably wont perform your best. The same goes for our dogs. To get their best performance we want to allow time for their bodies to accept the nutrients theyre getting from their food so it can be properly utilized.

GD: What Should We Look for in a Dog Food Brand Regarding Safety and Standards?

MK:The basics are important, you want to make sure the brand uses high-quality ingredients, is meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulations, and offers quality food that will help your dog perform.

But, its important to dig a bit deeper into brands and find out more, like where the kibble is made, where the ingredients are sourced from and what kind of safety measures go into manufacturing the product. Ask how often their ingredients are tested and what kind of safety history the brands products have.

We share much of this information right on our website, and our customer service team is available by phone to answer your questions. Within a few clicks on our website, youll see that VICTOR proudly produces every bag of kibble in our own Texas-based facility using a majority of ingredients that come from ranches, farms, and other trusted suppliers who are within a days drive of our plant. We also proudly share that we regularly test our ingredients and finished products to ensure our food is continually meeting our own high standards.

The answers to these questions will help you understand if the values and strengths of the brand youre looking into align with what youre looking for in the nutrition thats fueling your sporting dog.

GD: Does Age Matter When Choosing a Dog Food?

MK:Yes. Puppies have specific nutritional needs, and similarly, older dogs have unique needs of their own.

When selecting a formula for a puppy, youll need to look for a puppy specific formula (sometimes referenced as a growth diet) or choose an all-life stage blend. Then, as your puppy grows, their needs will change, so at about six to 12 months if they were on a puppy food, youll need to transition them to an all-life stage formula.

Adult and senior dogs also have specific needs, like joint support. For adult hunting dogs that are highly active, youll want to look for a food with added glucosamine and chondroitin to help support their joints. Early inclusion of these supplements in their diet can help keep their joints healthy and prevent long term damage from hard days in the field, season after season.

Remember, when you transition your dog to a new food, even when its from the same brand, its important to do it over a period of time. We suggest taking one week to 10 days to make the switch. Youll want to gradually increase the amount of the new formula each day. Not taking the proper time to transition can cause digestive issues, and these issues can sometimes be interpreted as a problem with the new formula, when really your dog is simply reacting to the change in diet being made too abruptly.

GD: What Are Signs That I Might Not Be Feeding the Right Dog Food?

MK:What we see on the outside of our dogs is a good indicator for whats happening on the inside. If youre noticing things like a dull and flaky coat, digestive issues, lethargy, and weight problems (underweight or overweight), thats a strong signal theyre missing something in their nutrition.

Weight issues can often be controlled by changing the number of calories your dog is consuming. Keep in mind that its not necessary to change formulas during hunting season. You can feed the same formula all year, youll just need to adjust the amount youre feeding so it meets your dogs increased caloric needs during the hunting season.

There are a lot of options on the market, and it can be overwhelming to find the perfect food for your dog. If youre looking to find a new food for your gun dog, our customer service team is available to offer personalized recommendations based on your specific dog, their activity level, and other individual needs.

A version of this article first appeared in Gun Dog Magazine, you can see it here.

Victor Classic Dog Food Review (Dry)

The Victor Classic product line includes the 5 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef meal. Beef meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh beef.

The second ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.

Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.

The third ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesnt sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The fourth ingredient is pork meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate that can also be high in ash about 25-30%.

However, the ash content of the final product is typically adjusted in the recipe to allow its mineral profile to meet AAFCO guidelines.

The next two ingredients listed are chicken meal and menhaden fish meal, yet more high protein meat concentrates.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.¹

The seventh ingredient is blood meal. Blood meal is a by-product of slaughter and used to make high-protein (very low ash) animal feeds.

Yet even though some consider it a controversial ingredient, blood meal can still be considered a quality source of animal protein.

The eighth ingredient is millet, a gluten-free grain harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is hypoallergenic and naturally rich in B-vitamins and fiber as well as other essential minerals.

The ninth ingredient is alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Victor product.

With 7 notable exceptions

First, tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, theres probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

Next, dried seaweed meal is a product made from a family of brown algae known as Fucaceae (Rockweed). Although it does contain a number of healthy nutrients, seaweed meal is primarily used as a source of inexpensive carbohydrates (about 60% dry matter).

This item is only rarely used to make pet food and is more typically found in feeds for cattle, horses, hogs, hens and sheep.

In addition, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

Next, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Additionally, brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although its a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

In addition, a vocal minority insists yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is a claim weve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.

Whats more noteworthy here is that brewers yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

We also find some vegetable oil, a generic oil of unknown origin. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in any oil is nutritionally critical and can vary significantly (depending on the source).

Without knowing more, its impossible to judge the quality of an item so vaguely described. However, compared to a named animal fat, a generic vegetable oil cannot be considered a quality ingredient.

And lastly, this product includes selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Victor Classic Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 37%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 18%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 64%.

Which means this Victor product line contains

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the alfalfa meal and brewers yeast, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.