Super Mushy

An old greyhound trainer (by the way, is there such thing as a young greyhound trainer?) once told me that he gave his dogs a marshmallow and half of a banana when they came back to the kennel after a race. While the dogs associate this special treat as a post-race celebration, there is actual science behind this practice. Greyhounds' blood sugar drops dramatically during an all out sprint. Feeding some sort of simple sugar within 30 minutes after exertion will help stabilize their blood chemistry. The banana is to replace the potassium they lose during a run. Some also feed a small amount of protein, like raw hamburger, to help with recovery.

I like to believe that Roxy received treats like this in her successful racing days, but I highly doubt it since the first time I gave her a marshmallow she didn't know what to do with it. She eventually figured it out, with a little help from Seka, and giving the girls a mushy at bedtime has become a nightly ritual.

While replenishing our mushy supply today I found GIANT marshmallows intended for campfire use. I'm not sure why these crazy-sized balls of sugar are especially good for outdoor use, as I think it would take way too much time to properly scorch them in a fire, but I did think it would be fun to buy a bag and see what greyhounds would do with a marshmallow six times the size of their mouths.

The verdict, Seka can eat a super-sized mushy as fast as she does a jumbo and Roxy might choke without adult supervision and/or cutting it into bite sized pieces.