fasting dogs? - Page 1

just wondering how many of you practice fasting your dogs? (for those that will ask, by fasting i mean they go without a meal or sometimes a day without eating)

how oftem does your dog fast?  once a week?   at what age do you start to fast a dog?    have you noticed any difference in dogs that do fast vs. those that do not?

john

how oftem does your dog fast?  --- Once a week, one day without food.

once a week?    -- yes, once a week.

at what age do you start to fast a dog?    - over a year of age, 15 months in most cases.

have you noticed any difference in dogs that do fast vs. those that do not?  -- don't pay attention to other dogs (in regards to fasting). It's good for your dog.

Also, important note: your dog can fast a day once a week without food, but DO NOT deprive him of water. Give water as usual and do all your regular stuff as usual, just omit food.

I always do it before worming.  I get better results.

EK

My dogs never miss a meal, even if I'm out of dog food, at which time I will cook something up.

I don't understand the logic of fasting.

My dogs are active and perfect wieght, I would not want more OR less.

I have not fasted my dogs.  Even training or trialing days they get their breakfast before and dinner after.  Of course their breakfast is at 3:30 AM every morning......     The girls food drive is so high even after a meal they would do anything for more.  Abe would rather have a ball no matter what.   

I can see with holding food for a specific reason, training , travel, etc.   

Why fast a dog unless there is a medical condition requiring it? Simply stating "it is good for them" is bogus. While it might not hurt them, the digestive tract does better in most creatures when food and its transit though the gut is regular. This is not to mention the effect of fasting on blood sugar. Yes, I will not feed prior to tracking, and sometimes even hold food the night before if I have a dog who is not otherwise motivated to track. But I see no reason to fast dogs and certainly would not routinely do it. To each his own.

thank you all for the input.   i have fasted my dogs, they always have water.  just wondering what others thought on the subject and any positive/negitive results they have seen.

john

Have heard of it often, and  in working dogs etc.. over here.. people I know say a clear out" dunno about that... personally only ever done it when my dog had a dodgey tum off food or the runs, which very often there ill but has happend. Better not to feed a foreign body..( bug) then help it so I let them go a day... till tum settles..)... I can't personally see it harming a dog at all starving them a day, as in the wild they do.... although we materialised them.. but one day or so... is no diff to us off food a day...