Plott Hound nutrition: hunting workloads, bloat and heat

A Plott Hound's calorie needs depend more on what the dog does than on its breed. A hunting Plott on a long day in the field can burn several times its resting energy, while a companion Plott on two walks a day needs far less, and the same dog can move between the two with the seasons. The American Kennel Club breed profile gives males as 50 to 60 pounds (about 23 to 27 kg) and females as 40 to 55 pounds (18 to 25 kg), with a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years, and describes the breed as generally healthy.

A German hound in the Appalachians

According to the AKC, the Plott is unique among the six AKC coonhound breeds in descending not from English Foxhounds but from German Hanover hounds. Johannes Plott brought five of them to North Carolina in 1750, and the family bred them to local dogs to hunt bear in the mountains. The Plott is now North Carolina's state dog. The AKC's breed standard stresses stamina, endurance and agility, and its care notes call for daily vigorous exercise and leash walking because of a strong prey drive.

That background explains the build: a streamlined, well-muscled dog meant to run and track for hours. It does not mean a pet Plott needs a working dog's diet. The AKC also notes that some Plotts are prone to becoming overweight.

Calories for companion and hunting dogs

The Merck Veterinary Manual gives the standard starting point for pet dogs: resting energy requirement (RER) is 70 times body weight in kilograms raised to the power 0.75. An intact adult needs about 1.8 times RER, a neutered adult 1.6 times, and a dog that gains weight easily 1.4 times. Merck lists activity level as one of the factors that changes the answer, without giving figures for working dogs.

For those, the best comparison is a study that measured energy use directly in eight hunting dogs of 14 to 27 kg, running about 3 hours a day in snow. Their daily energy expenditure averaged 11.0 MJ (about 2,600 kcal), which works out at roughly four times RER, with a range of about 3.2 to 4.6 times. The values were close to earlier measurements in hunting dogs running in hot climates, so the figure reflects the running more than the weather.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 kcal. The pet columns are starting points to adjust by body condition. The hunting column is an estimate from one small study and applies only to days of sustained work; a dog that hunts on weekends does not need it through the week. For a dog that loses weight during the season, increase food in steps on working days and bring portions back down when the season ends. A Plott at a good weight shows ribs that are easy to feel under a thin layer, a visible waist from above and a tucked belly from the side.

Choosing a food for the dog's workload

A review of working-dog nutrition makes the point that these basic needs do not change with work, but the amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate need adjusting as muscle work and endurance increase.

• Companion Plotts: a standard adult maintenance food is enough. High-fat performance or sport formulas pack more calories into each cup and make weight gain easier in a dog that is not working.
• Hunting and field-trial dogs: a performance formula, which is higher in fat and calories, lets a hard-working dog meet its needs without eating a very large volume. Switch gradually over about a week at the start and end of the season.
• Game meat: hunting dogs are often given raw meat or offal from game. A review of health risks in hunting dogs notes that feeding raw meat from farm or game animals increases the risk of disease transmission. Cook it, or leave it out.

Bloat and meal timing

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a stomach that fills with gas and twists. It needs emergency surgery. There are no published GDV figures for Plott Hounds, which are uncommon, and most of the evidence comes from bigger breeds, but the feeding habits it supports are easy to adopt. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists restricting exercise before and after meals among the preventive measures, and the main risk-factor study in large and giant breeds found higher risk with age, a close relative that had bloated, fast eating and a raised food bowl.

• Feed at least two meals a day, from a bowl on the floor.
• Use a slow-feed bowl for a dog that gulps.
• On hunting days, give a small meal well before the hunt rather than a full one, and keep the main meal until the dog has finished work, cooled down and stopped panting.
• Offer small snacks during long breaks rather than a large meal in the field.

Retching without bringing anything up, drooling, restlessness and a swollen, tight belly after work or a meal are an emergency. Go straight to a vet.

Water and heat during work

A working hound loses a lot of water. In the same study of hunting dogs, body water turnover averaged 217 ml per kilogram of metabolic body weight a day, which comes to about 2.4 liters for a 25 kg dog, in cold weather. Needs rise further in heat.

• Carry water and offer it at every stop.
• Plan hard work for the cooler parts of the day in warm weather.
• Heavy panting that does not ease with rest, stumbling, confusion, vomiting or collapse are signs of heatstroke. Cool the dog with water and shade and get it to a vet immediately.

Hips, ears and everyday care

The AKC notes that a responsible breeder will have screened the parents for hip dysplasia. Keeping the dog lean is the most useful thing diet can do for its joints over a working life. For a dog that develops arthritis, a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found clear pain relief from omega-3-enriched diets and omega-3 supplements, and a marked lack of effect from glucosamine and chondroitin. Fish oil is the supplement to discuss with the vet; glucosamine products should not be relied on, and none are needed for a young dog with sound joints.

The AKC also points out that pendant ears like the Plott's are prone to infection, so check and clean them regularly, especially after work in wet or brushy ground. A dog that shakes its head, scratches its ears or has a smell or discharge from them needs a vet check.

• Weigh food: a kitchen scale is more accurate than a scoop.
• Check condition weekly in the season: weight can drop quickly in a hard-working dog, and climb just as quickly when work stops.
• Count training treats: hounds work well for food rewards, so take treats out of the daily ration.

Sources

1. Plott Hound breed information. American Kennel Club.
2. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
3. Energy expenditure and water turnover in hunting dogs in winter conditions. British Journal of Nutrition, 2011.
4. Nutrition of Working Dogs: Feeding for Optimal Performance and Health. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 2021.
5. Hunting Dogs. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 2021.
6. Gastric Dilation and Volvulus in Small Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
7. Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2000.
8. A 2022 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Enriched Therapeutic Diets and Nutraceuticals in Canine and Feline Osteoarthritis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022.