Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I didn't have much luck using search, though I'd wager a six pack of Fat Tire that this topic has been discussed. Anyway...

Generally, how long do you wait between exercise and chow time?

I'd suspect it would depend somewhat on the level of exercise involved... obviously a 20 minute walk is different than 40 minutes of fetch, swimming, and running.

I'm not putting food down the minute we walk in the door after an hour at the pond, swimming after tennis balls (side note: Casey has finally managed to swim in a fashion that does not involve beating the water into submission with her front legs!), but is there a general idea of how long I should wait?

The medical professional in me looks at human physiology and thinks "Gee, for the past 30-45 minutes, all the blood was diverted to the legs and arms, so it'd be smart to wait for things to settle down before loading my stomach with chicken parts..." but I don't know enough about canine anatomy/physiology to make that same connection for my dogs, despite it making good sense.

So... after giving your dogs a good 45 minute workout that involves running, swimming, etc., how long do you wait before feeding them?

(Diet is Innova kibble, or raw meats and bones when I have 'em, if that matters.)

Muchas gracias, as always.

When on kibble i would wait at least an hour.

LOL @ the beating down water. Luc tries to swim on top of the water!

Hikes, backpacking, and running I wait a minimum of 1 hr, preferrably 2 hrs, both sides of exercise. I fed raw, if that helps.

I always wait at least one hour, for precisely the reason you described. Plus, here in Hawaii, the hour gives the dogs a chance to cool down. Even after a 2 mile walk, they pant up a storm.

If your dog drinks a lot after exercise, there is another reason to wait. One of the presumed contributing factors to causing bloat is a stomach stretched over time. A stretched-out stomach leaves more room to flip (or so the thinking goes). If a dog drinks before eating, the volume of contents in the stomach is increased, thereby, over time, possibly stretching the stomach.

If you water your dog right after exercise, the 1 hour wait should be sufficient.

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

LOL @ the beating down water. Luc tries to swim on top of the water!

Hikes, backpacking, and running I wait a minimum of 1 hr, preferrably 2 hrs, both sides of exercise. I fed raw, if that helps.

YES!!! Thank you Jeff for the wonderful visual of your dog's past swimming techniques. I snorted a little.:laugh:

My routine is the same as Jennifer M's.....minus the marathons.....

I wait an hour or so after regular exercise, longer if excessive....& 2 hours or more after depending on type of exercise. At the end of the day when I feed dinner, that is it for any exercise until the morning. I tend to feed a bit heaver meal in the evening then I feed at the am meal. I feed raw. 2 GSDs