Energy Density

Energy; every working gun dog requires it. It takes energy to tree a coon, nail down a covey, chase out a wing shot pheasant, and the thousand other requirements we hold our trusty four legged hunting companion accountable for. Energy comes from food. But not all dog foods are created equal...

ENERGY & FOOD 
What is energy? It is the fuel that supports the function and activity of every cell in the body. This fuel is supplied by digesting food and converting the end products of digestion into a use able form. Energy Density is measured either in units of kilocalories(kcal) or kilojoules(kJ). The major factor that drives a dog to eat is its need for energy. No other mechanism exists for any other dietary component and therefore the intake of all nutrients depends on the calorie content of the food.  We measure the total energy content of any food by burning it, or we can measure the usable energy in a food by feeding it to animals in carefully controlled conditions. There are three common terms used to describe the energy content of food:

• GROSS ENERGY (GE) When food is burnt completely in scientifically controlled conditions, the energy released can be measured as heat. This heat energy represents the total energy content and is called the gross energy of a food. Have you ever heard someone refer to a performance food as "hot". -this is what they meant by that
• DIGESTIBLE ENERGY (DE) Not all of the gross energy of a food is available to the animal. Some components in food are not fully digested and so energy is lost in the feces. Digestible energy represents the energy which the animal is able to extract from the food.
• METABOLIZABLE ENERGY (ME) Metabolizable energy is simply the usable energy of any foodstuff. It differs from digestible energy in that is takes account of energy lost in the urine from materials which are absorbed but not fully used in the body. It is metabolizable energy which is referred to in basic nutritional calculations.

From the importance of overall Energy Density let's take a closer look at what is Metabolizable Energy. According to our friends at Doctor's Foster's & Smith's; "understanding metabolizable energy (ME) is essential in determining the nutritional quality of your dog's food and comparing foods. ME is defined as the amount of energy available from food once the energy lost in the feces, urine, and combustible gases has been subtracted. Essentially, ME is the energy left for your dogs body to use once all digestion is complete."

To hunt hard, long, and strong a gun dog needs a certain number of calories per day. This will vary with the breed, age, sex, activity level, body condition, and other characteristics of your dog. ME, as shown on food packages, shows the amount of calories the food will provide your working gun dog. Look on the package for a statement of calorie content, expressed as "ME (kcal/kg) = ##," where ## will be a number, such as 3500. You should also see a number of calories per cup or per can, depending on whether the food is dry or canned. If you do not see the kcal per cup on the bag, call the manufacturer for the amount(it is not legally necessary for food companies to list kcal's on their bags of food!

ME essentially equals the usable calories and their concentration, or density. A higher ME indicates a higher concentration of calories, and a more energy-packed food. This can be compared to the difference between a sports energy bar and a rice cake. The energy bar has a much higher ME, because it contains concentrated calories for energy. Similar to an energy bar, dog foods with higher ME numbers provide your hunting partners body with more concentrated calories for more energy. With a higher ME, your the dogs body will receive more energy from a smaller amount of food. This also means he will eliminate less as waste, giving you less waste to clean up. Dog foods with a higher ME can also save you money in the long run since you can feed less while still providing the needed calories to fulfill your hard charging gun dogs nutritional needs.

At the end of the day there are thousands of dog food manufacturers...but not all dog foods are created for the needs of a working gun dog.

Best of Luck Out There,

Mark Northup