What kind of food do sled dogs eat?
Besides having a special diet, they have a huge appetite due to their physical effort. While a normal dog might get by on 1,500 calories a day, sled dogs can easily consume up to 10,000 calories per day on the trail! Therefore, their diet is simply made up of a mixture of meat and dry food.
In the winter, it is important to monitor their water to avoid them eating snow since that can dehydrate them as they spend too much energy warming up again. Their special formula is a warm soup with a meaty base.
In the summer, the portion sizes are far smaller as they are burning less calories (500-1000 calories per day). The water also needs to be changed at least once per day to avoid stagnant water.
They are used to eat at least two hours before they run and get an additional soup afterwards. In hot days, it is common to give blood ice cubes to help reduce the core body temperature.