What is the healthiest diet for a husky

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

What Do Huskies Eat?(Diet, Care & Feeding Tips)

As specially-bred and ancient sled dogs used to life in the Alaskan andSiberianwilds, huskies require a good deal more specialist care than other, smaller dogbreeds. They need to get the right amount of stimulation, benefit best in packs, and require a carefully-curated diet.

In this article, well walk you through an introduction to huskies as a pet dogbreed what huskies should be fed (and like to eat), as well as how much and how often they need to eat, what you should avoid feeding them, and finally some top tips on caring for your pet husky.

An Introduction to Huskies

History of the Husky

The term husky is a rather general and unspecific term for any working dog found (and originally bred) in the worlds polar regions. In fact, many of the dogs today known as huskies were not originally huskies at all, but other dogbreedsmistaken for the classic Alaskan husky by people who simply didnt know better.

The word itself is a bastardisation of references made to the pre-Columbian indigenous populations of the Canadian and Alaskan high-arctic, once known as the Eskimo peoples (the Inuit and Yupik). When the word husky first began to circulate in the mid-late 18th century, Eskimo was pronounced in varying ways: Uskee, Uskimay and Huskemaw.

The dogs which these indigenous groups used were, therefore,known as Uskee/Huskemaw dogs, which in turn, over time, became husky dogs.

Huskies have been working dogs for their entire existence, used by indigenous Arctic andSiberianpeoples to pull their sleds for transportation and on hunting expeditions. Today, they continue to be used for this purpose, but are now also used insled racing, tourism, and found as pets in homes all around the world even in climates far removed from their cold home!

Appearance of the Husky

Huskies are gorgeous dogs, very closely resembling wolves in appearance and sharing a closer genetic relationship to their wild ancestors than many other dogbreeds. Since the term husky can refer to a number of differentbreeds, there is no set of characteristics which may define all huskies.

Having said that,huskies generally have thick double coats of gray, black, brown, and/or caramel with white bellies. They have pointed triangular ears, long muzzles, tall legs and lean, muscular bodies. Their eyes are often a piercing blue, but they can also beheterochromic(with two different colored irises) or brown, green, or yellow.

HuskyBreeds

There are a number of different breeds known as huskies, even though many true huskies are mutts, bred from any dog and anybreedwhich exhibits traits useful to Inuit or Canadian/Alaskan breeders, racers, and tourist companies.

The most recognisablehuskybreedsinclude the following:

These huskies are actually descendants of the Siberian Chukchi peoplesChukotka sled dogs, which had been around since perhaps 2,000BCE (or 4,000 years ago!). These dogs were introduced to Alaska in the early 1900s and subsequently mistaken for huskies, which is why they continue to be known as such to this day!

Alaskan huskies are mongrels bred for their speed and endurance, specifically for use in dog sled racing. Over the past 100 years, theyve been interbred with a wide range of dogs from a variety of breeds including: English Pointers, German Shepherds, and Salukis. As such, individual Alaskan huskies dont resemble other husky breeds, nor often even each other.

On the cold, barren, northern isles situated north of Japan live the descendants of the indigenous Nivkh people. They, like most of the First Nations peoples living in and around the Arctic circle, also bred working dogs. Sakhalin huskies(also known as Karafuto Ken in Japanese), however, are unfortunately today on the cusp of extinction. As of 2011, only two purebred members of thebreedsurvived, and their breeder died in 2012.

Completely unrelated to Labradors, Labrador huskies probably came to North America with their Inuit breeders around 700 years ago, landing in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador. Today, there are perhaps only 50-60 Labrador huskies left alive in the whole world.

Husky Behavior and Traits

Huskies are work dogs, and as such have a high abundance of energy which they must exert on a regular basis either through work, play, or walks. They can become easily restless, and are prone to tearing up furniture, carpets, and back gardens if under-stimulated by their owners.

They also require a specialist diet and can be more prone touveitisthan other dogbreeds. As such, its important that you think long and hard about your ability to provide the right kind of care before investing inhusky puppies.

Having said that, huskies also make for really fantastic life-companions. They are generally friendly and approachable, even with strangers (and polar bears!), and will often communicate their every emotion to their owners in howls, bays, and barks.

Huskies were bred to be pack animals, which means they will do much better (and lead much happier lives) if kept as part of a multi-dog home. They also have keen innate hunting instincts, which may put them at odds with other smaller (or large prey) animals in your area, such as cats, sheep, rabbits and so on.

Its fundamentally important that you consider these factors before buying ahusky puppy.

What Do Huskies Eat?

The ancient breeders of husky dogs bred them to work long, hard hours on minimal rations. Today, huskies still tend to stick to these particulareating habits. Unlike Labradors, for example, huskies know instinctively when to stop eating, and so will not overeat or make themselves ill.

In the winter, theyll eat more in order to keep their body temperatures up, whereas in the summer theyll eat less, so as to stay cool (this also applies year round to huskies kept as pets in temperate or warmer climates).

At the same time, however, they have very high metabolisms, necessary for the work they were bred to do, and so burn through thenutrientsin food quite quickly. Thus, its important to give your husky pup a high-quality diet using only the bestingredientsorcommercial dog foodbrands, and sticking to aschedulewhich helps ensure they eat well enough to avoid upsets caused by anystomachsensitivities.

Generally speaking,just like other working dogbreeds, a husky should be fed a diet high inproteinand low in carbohydrates.

By and large, there arethree types of dietmodern husky pet owners swear by:

Commercial dog fooddiet
Naturalraw food diet
Combination natural andcommercial dog fooddiet

Commercial Dog Food

Commercial dog foodrefers to any pre-packaged, pre-prepared dog foods youd find in your local supermarket or pet store.Dry kibbleor wet food is prepared as a general foodstuff for dogs of all kinds, and as such is an easy, affordable, and quick dietary option for your husky.

Unfortunately, its also probably the worst of the threefood dietsyou could choose for huskies, as commercial dog foods can be high in unhealthy fats, poor-qualityproteins, and low inminerals,vitaminsand essentialnutrients.

If you wish to feed your husky acommercial food diet, then we recommend you only bydry kibbleor wet food containing the following:

Plantprotein(high content)
Meatprotein(even higher content)
Fats (low content, though acceptable fats include those fromchickenfat, flaxseed and canola oil)
Omega-3 fatty acids (especiallyDHA)

Natural Raw Food

Many husky owners believe that the healthiest diet you can feed your husky is one which replicates the kind of food that huskies would have traditionally eaten, or which feral huskies would gravitate toward.

This means feeding your husky raw red meat, rawwhite meat, and rawvegetablesand fruits. This diet most definitely costs the most and takes the longest to prepare, but it does mean you can exert strict control over thecaloriesandnutrientsgoing into your pup.

A healthy naturalraw food dietfor your husky can include any combination of the following (though should always retain raw meat as its primaryingredient):

Chicken
Beef
Lamb
Turkey
Bone(raw only! as found inchickenlegs, for example)
Asparagus
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Apples (without seeds)
Apricots
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Brown rice(healthier thanwhite rice)
Eggs

Switching your husky to a naturalraw food dietfrocommercial dog foodmay causestomachissues at first, so be sure toswitch them to it gradually.

Equally important is to remember to clean the meats andeggsyou give your dog thoroughly before feeding.

Combination Raw andCommercial Food Diet

A happy medium between cheap-but-sometimes-nasty commercial food and expensive-but-healthy raw food would be to give your dog a consistent mixture of both. This diet ensures your dog gets the correctnutritionin its diet, whilst also saving you a little time and money.

The most important thing to remember, however, is that you shouldneverfeed your husky a mixture of raw and commercial food in the same meal. These two types of diet take different times to digest, and taken together good upset your pupsstomach.

How Often Should Huskies Eat?

Aspuppies, its recommended that you feed your huskies 3 times a day. As adults, this should ideally be moved down to 2 times a day. However, if your husky is a picky eater (which they can often be), then its better to split their meals into 3 again.

Huskies should be kept to fairly strict eating and exerciseschedules, to reflect their packs natural working life. Feed huskies 2 hours before exercise, or wait 30 minutes after exercise to feed them.

How Much Should Huskies Eat?

The amount you should feed your husky really depends on its weight, size, and activity levels. As always, older, less active husky dogs should be eating much less than young, spritely, always-activepuppiesand adults.

Generally, it is recommended tofeed an active, adult, 50lb husky about 1,358caloriesper day, split over 2 or 3 meals (see above). You can use this as a starting point to calculate your own huskys ideal daily intake.

Some owners who feed their huskies acommercial dog fooddiet suggestfeeding them only 60% of what the label suggestsfor your huskys size and weight.

What Can Huskies Not Eat?

There are some foods which huskies eithercannotorshould noteat. These foods will cause illness, upsetstomachs, or may even be fatal to your husky, and to dogs in general. As a rule, avoid giving your husky any human food, as tempting as it may be.

Here isa comprehensive list of foods huskies should not be fedunder any circumstances:

Grapes
Raisins
Prunes
Dairy (in large amounts thelactosewill causestomachupsets)
Cherries
Citrus fruit (can lead to upsetstomachs)
Raw eggs
Chocolate
Coffee
Avocado
Potatoes
Cookedbone
Onions
Garlic
Macadamia nuts
Sweets

Top 6 Tips for Caring for Your Pet Husky

Keep your husky entertained

Huskies can get bored very easily and very quickly. All that built up working dog energy will manifest itself in bad behavior if not spent elsewhere. Play with your husky and keep them company to keep them well entertained.

Exercise your husky regularly

Huskies are used to running across theSiberianand Alaskan wilds for hours and hours at a time. Thus, huskies as pets require long, regular walks and/or runs in order to stay fit, healthy, and happy.

Remind your husky whos boss

Huskies are pack animals, and so for obedience purposes its a good idea to establish yourself as leader of your pack. Do so by walking ahead of your husky on walks and remaining the sole provider of food. If your husky tries to take control, firmly remind him (withouteverresorting to violence or anger) whos boss.

Keep a strict exercise and feedingschedule

A great way to maintain that leadership dynamic with your husky pup is to keep a strict exercise andfeeding schedule. This also helps to mimic the conditions huskies are used to in the wild of the Arctic, and helps you out, too, since you can better plan your day around your pup.

Make your backyard escape-proof

Huskies are escape artists extraordinaire! They can and will try to escape from your backyard to go running, or especially if they see prey, or something fun to chase. Thus, its a good idea to make your garden as escape-proof as possible.

Find your husky a playmate

Being pack animals, huskies arent meant to live alone, but rather as part of a large group of dogs. The best thing you can do is to bring a husky into a multi-dog home. However, if you cant do that, then instead you should find your husky a playmate or three at your local park, or with neighbors.

Conclusion

Huskies are some of the coolest, most wild-looking dogs on the planet, and they live some of the toughest, roughest lives imaginable. Caring for a husky as a pet, therefore, requires that you know exactly what youre getting in for before you ever take the plunge. Theyre a lot of work, husky dogs, but so worth it in the end!

FAQs

Why does my husky eat grass?

All dogs eat grass, and its perfectly healthy for them to do so!Back in the days before domestication (i.e. as wolves), grass contained the fiber required by dogs to pass their food smoothly and in a healthy manner. Some people think huskies eat grass to help with an upsetstomach, but evidence isnt strong enough to back this up.

Can huskies drink milk?

Lactoseis generally just not a good idea for dogs. It might not ultimately be fatal, but dogs tend to belactose-intolerant, meaning that feeding your husky milk will lead to upsetstomachs(and a messy house!).