If Chester and Gretel were riding in the Tour de France it probably wouldn’t be. It’s like a performance enhancing drug….or some other kind. Ha, ha.
K9 GoDog Total Sports Drink for Dogs is a sports drink was made for highly active dogs that participate in things like agility, Flyball, coursing, hunting or hunt tests. I discovered it while browsing online and bought some to try. I have always said that hiking is our flavor of agility and the energy expenditure is very similar to those other “performance sports” categories.
This supplement is more than just a human sports drink reconfigured for dogs. Its designed specifically for the canine metabolism and features a proprietary blend of electrolytes, short-burst and long-range energy fuels, plus vital buffering agents that help neutralize performance-robbing, potentially-lethal lactic acid buildup. The drink claims to help keep your dog hydrated, increase endurance, increase oxygen delivery and increase safety and fun.
I can honestly (I was not compensated for this and the company doesn’t even know we exist) say that this stuff is absolutely amazing!
In previous articles I have suggested you add beef or chicken broth in your dog’s water on a hike to get them to drink more. This stuff has some kind of “meaty” flavor that Chester and Gretel love. The smell is subtle so I can’t tell you what flavor it is but they lap the stuff up as soon as I pour in their bowl or right out of the water bottle.
I notice they have energy longer when they drink it. It is not just “power of suggestion” either. I always come from a place of skepticism when something makes such strong claims. I can’t say if all the “behind the scenes science stuff” is true but I have seen the pep in their step increase (or last longer), them stay more chipper and wide-eyed and them recover quicker (OK, THAT part might be “imagined” but I really feel they do).
This stuff is really easy to use. I bought the little packets and you just dump it into a standard sports bottle (about 20 oz.) and mix. I actually put more water in it than that to make it go farther. I have put in about 30 oz of water and it seems to have the same effect.
The only thing is that you can’t share a water bottle with your dogs and will have to bring a separate one for them. That can make your pack a little heavier but it is WAY worth it.
It does have a tiny bit of an ick factor, at least to me. I am used to human sports that usually dissolve completely in water. This stuff doesn’t dissolve completely so you can see a bit of a “scum” on the top of the water when you put it in the bowl. That is not a “deal breaker” in my book though.
I would recommend this dog sports drink to anyone that hikes or does highly active sports with their dogs. I even use it if we are in a place that is super hot so they stay hydrated.
As soon as we run out I will definitely order more. I comes in a big canister too but I will continue to buy the packets because it is more convenient for us to hike and travel with.
Huh. I had no idea there even was such a thing! I am going to share this with my agility group and see if anyone else has heard of it before. It may be something we should look into trying as well. Thanks!
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Let me know if they have heard of it and what they think. Inquiring minds want to know…….
Oh wow! This would be great for us for hiking, too, but more importantly, for Kuster when he’s out working. I worry about him staying hydrated when he’s out because he is very intense about his work and being solid black, he just sucks up the heat like a furnace. I’d never heard of this stuff, so thanks for sharing!
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I know what you mean. When Chester is in the sun, his black fur gets so hot. Fortunately, most of the places we hike are under tree cover. Some are not though. I can only imagine how Kuster feels being out in the sun all day.
I used some of it after a friend bought some and let me try. I had numerical proof that it helped, since I was at a flyball tournament. Sunday afternoon is when the slowest times are normally posted for most dogs, after two full days of running. The times were much better with the GoDog than without it. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting to buy it again!
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That is great to know! You would think with those kind of results you wouldn’t forget. Ha, ha.
Hmmm, that looks interesting. Roxy is getting older and could really use something like that.
I bet she would drink it right up. I am sure she gets real hot hiking in the desert…..with all that hair especially.
Sent the post to two persons – my dog store owner and a woman who runs/walks dogs for a living. They may find it very interesting.
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Awesome. Thanks. I am surprised how many people have not heard of this. I thought I was the only one behind the curve
What a cool product! I might have to get that for Nola when we start modified agility in a few mOnths
Nola’s mom
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Interestign and thank you! We often go for 3-4 hour hikes in the woods or long walks in medieval towns accross Europe and have to say – energy is often an issue. We might just have to look into this. I already have my own water bottle so the ick factor will nto be a deal breaker either. I had no idea this stuff existed! and I DO agility training!
WOW – who knew? I wonder if it would affect my pancreatitis?
Great info…I will pass it along!
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I don’t know. I am not familiar with pancreatitis in dogs and what is on the no-no list for them.
Great idea to make it flavored to appeal to them. I always worry about keeping the dogs hydrated, especially in our heat. Did you find this at BlogPaws?
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No. I found this about 6 months ago while I was surfing the internet. I forget what I was actually looking for at the time.
I may have to try some of this since it gets quite hot down here in FL and Sasha gets so hot being a black and tan. It might be a good addition for us on our beach adventures!
Full of sugar, first ingredient is Glucose polymers, also D-ribose….look up the ingredients. Dogs do not need sugar. This is why we have an epidemic of diabetic dogs. This is junk, pure junk marketed to you, not for your dog.
Thanks for the heads-up Anne. Usually I look at the ingredients closely and didn’t here. I would have assumed it contained some sugar though. Almost all sports drinks (dog – because there are some other kinds too – and human) do. Chester and Gretel only get it a maximum of once a week and it helps them in so many ways (like recovery and comfort) that I don’t feel this will be an issue for them. If you know of one that works as good as this and doesn’t contain sugar, please share.
I looked up all of the ingredients (they can be found here http://showandsport.com/godog_sports_drink.htm). The sugars are not sucrose, fructose, corn syrup or the like. It doesn’t say where the “long chain complex carbohydrates” come from though. I agree that dog’s don’t need sugar to fuel muscles like humans too but the longer chain carbohydrates are less harmful. The rest of the ingredients look awesome. If your dog is otherwise healthy, I don’t see how occasional use of this is going to hurt them. Like I said, it helps mine so much that any benefits outweigh the risks. If I am wrong, please educate me.
Hi Jessica,
I’ve never heard of anything like this before……
Maybe when I’m a little older my Mum will need something for my energy levels, but right now she has to run with me every day to burn off my energy
I hope you’re having a fun day,
Your pal Snoopy
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I don’t notice that it gives them extra energy. It just gives them more stamina – what they have lasts longer or if I can tell they are getting tired it peps them back up again.
Rooo – this sounds like really good stuff. My human says she’d be a little worried to give me an energy drink through as I’m such a high energy dog anyway but it sounds like a real good product for hot days! *waggy tail*
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Interesting. I have never heard of this product before.
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It’s funny. I have talked to NO ONE who has heard of it. I am surprised that even owners of athletic dogs haven’t.
I agree – I do agility and not a single one of us, or even the trainers and teachers knew about this! They have some marketing work to do!
Apparently so. I am a little “new” when it comes to doggie sports nutrition. It makes me wonder if they haven’t heard of it because they marketing is bad or because it isn’t as good for dogs as I thought. If it was the latter I am sure you guys still would have heard of it….just had a bad opinion of it.