Hopefully, people aren’t viewing this post as they want to know how long they can leave their Husky alone for without food and are looking for the answer just out of interest. In the same way that it’s interesting to know how long a camel can go without water (several months is the answer) it is also interesting to know how long a Husky can survive without food.
The Husky’s ancestors were given free roam to fend for themselves when they lived in Siberia with the Chukchi people. Do they have some kind of special ability that allows them to store food and last longer than other dogs? Or do they need the same kind of food intake as other canines?
How long can a Siberian Husky go without food? The Husky, like other dogs, will be able to go 3 to 5 days without food. However, there are many variables associated with this statement. Whether the animal is mature (not a puppy) and not suffering from any illnesses will positively impact this duration.
Of course, just because it can survive this long without food, doesn’t mean it should and there can be both physical and psychological problems caused by a lack of food intake in a dog after just a short amount of time.
The Siberian Husky should be fed at least twice a day, more if they are a puppy.
What Happens to your Dog without Food?
If a Husky goes too long without food then it will initially start to show signs of anxiety. The dog is most likely contained in an environment where it can not source its own food. There will be little it can do about its predicament and you may see
The more time that goes on the worse the problems will get. The anxiety will continue and the associated depression can cause other problems. If you have other animals in the same house, which, if they are quite small
The Husky, remember, is also an escape artist. If it can escape the confines of your house it will so it can try and seek food somewhere else. Don’t think that your five-foot fence in the back yard will keep them contained also. The Husky has been known to climb over fences that are as high as 9-feet in height and in some occasions, higher.
The problem is, there aren’t many of us who want 9-foot fences in our garden! It kind of makes it look like a prison so it isn’t the easiest of problems to deal with. You can make them more difficult to climb by putting an overhang on the top but many people don’t.
How Long Can the Husky Last Without Water?
A Siberian Husky can (and most likely will) experience problems after one day however no dog will last more than three days without water. This happens to be the same amount of time as us.
Is the Siberian Husky Different to Other Dogs?
I think anyone who has owned a Siberian Husky will know the answer to that one! The Husky is certainly a unique breed of dog and has many personality traits that make it stand out from others. But, putting the personality of the Husky to one side, is it any different to any other dog of a similar, medium size?
In essence, no. In the same way that many think that the Siberian Husky is in some way related to the wolf when actually, the Husky has as much in common with it as a poodle. So, physically speaking, the Husky will have the same tolerances to a lack of food as any other dog of this size.
Where this dog may differ is in its psychology. There isn’t much doubt that the Husky has some pretty unique skills when related to endurance. The Husky can run for the best of the day at speeds my treadmill doesn’t even get up to! This is what it was originally bred for all those years ago when it lived with the Chukchi people in Siberia. Running large distances with
Undoubtedly, some of these traits remain and indeed even now, if the Husky doesn’t get enough exercise every day it will start to show signs of anxiety and depression. It is also not a greedy dog and will not just consume food because it is there.
So, yes – the Husky is different from other breeds but not in its physical make-up, purely in its mindset and links to how it used to survive in the cold Siberian winters all those years ago.
Can You Leave the Husky Alone?
The Siberian Husky is not a dog that you should leave alone. If you have a job that means you’re going to be out of the house for the best part of the day and there isn’t anyone around who will be able to look after them during this time, you have the wrong dog.
I know there are exceptions but the Husky is not a dog that likes to be left alone and signs of separation anxiety can be spotted after only around half an hour. This can quickly lead to a destructive personality along with other anxiety-related problems.
However, it’s difficult to label every single Husky on the planet with exhibiting this behavior because, as we know, they are all different with their own individual personalities. There are indeed some Huskies that deal with being alone better than others.
What can you do if you need to leave them for longer?
If you are fortunate enough to have a Husky that doesn’t exhibit these anxiety-related traits when they are left alone then you may be considering how you can keep them with fresh food whilst you’re out. A problem some people have it that they leave food down when they go out but the dog, being a dog, will scoff it all down immediately and leave none for later (after probably being sick!).
The Husky is again a bit of an outlier here though as they don’t really eat that much, as we mentioned earlier. However, if you want to be able to manage the distribution of food to them then perhaps consider an automatic pet feeder (click the link to read all the great reviews on Amazon). This particular example is on Amazon and is actually the only one I would recommend currently.
What Did the Husky Do in the Wild?
When the Siberian Husky was living in its natural habitat with the Chukchi people it wasn’t treated in the same way that the majority of us treat dogs nowadays. There’s certainly no evidence to suggest the Husky was mistreated of course, just that they were used to help these people survive and without them, life would have been very difficult for this population.
During the cold Siberian months, where temperatures reached numbers you and I have mostly never experienced, the Husky came into its own and helped the Chukchi with transportation as well as hunting.
In the summer months though, the Huskies were left to fend for themselves and they would do just that. During this time the dog would hunt in their pack and build shelters to protect themselves from the elements. The Husky
Most Husky’s (but certainly not all of them) won’t stuff themselves and eat until they fall over, which is actually what most breeds would do. It will eat as much as it needs and this will tend to vary depending on how much exercise it has done during the day. More exercise, more food required.
During these summer months, the Husky could go long periods of time without food if its prey was hard to come by so we can see why this dog may be better than others when talking about going longer periods without food.
In case you’re interested, when prey became sparse as the winter months approached, it will go back to its people where it was welcomed warmly.
What to Do If You Suspect Someone Is Mistreating a Dog
If you suspect that a dog (not just a Husky) is being mistreated, then you can report it anonymously. If this is the case (and you’re in the US) then it is perfectly acceptable to call the police. Take a look at the ASPCA’s website for further information.
If you’re lucky enough to live in the UK, then take a look at the wonderful RSCPA’s website for further information.
Conclusion
Hopefully, that has made it clear that the Siberian Husky is not different to other dogs when it comes to the amount of time it can survive without food. There are two main points that come out of this article:
- The Siberian Husky should be fed twice a day but in the event that it was trapped somewhere, it is perhaps useful to know that even without food for around 3 days or over, it is possible it can survive.
- The Husky should never be left alone for more than a few minutes. It is an incredibly sociable breed of dog and will suffer from separation anxiety if this happens.
If you’d like to know more about this amazing breed then do check out my Complete Guide on the Siberian Husky, where you can find out pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about this fascinating breed!