# Gorge and Fast



## Aready (May 8, 2010)

Does anyone here on this forum use the Gorge and Fast method? Do you see any benefit or think its a better way to feed?

http://www.k9joy.com/dogarticles/dogfood01stomach.pdf


----------



## Jem (Dec 17, 2009)

I was wondering the same thing too. I don't do it..I tried once and my dog would not leave me alone all day! I guess the reason people do it, is it mimics the wolves natural diet. They don't usually eat everyday and when they do eat, they don't eat perfectly portioned meals based on their weight etc. They gorge themselves because they don't know when their next meal will be and what it will be. Good idea in theory...is it worth a day of a whiny ridgeback? not really.


----------



## g00dgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

I have not, it is an interesting article though. The difference I see is that you don't feed a regular meal and then fast- you gorge and then fast. Might be worth trying sometime.


----------



## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

We sometimes do this with our dogs. They will each get 2-3 pounds of meat in one sitting and then wont eat another meal for a day or two. They don't seem to be bothered and have gotten used to it. We usually do this with such large cuts of meat that we don't want to butcher up, like lamb necks.


----------



## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

We attempted it, but for the time being, mine really seem to jsut do well on two meals per day. Any time I feed them even just one day's worth in a sitting, I end up with yuckky poops from all of them. I can't imagine what we'd see if we fed a couple day's worth in one sitting! Annie had a really hard time going from 3 meals to 2. 
I do portion their meals just a little bit heavy lately, so on nights that we're super busy or mornings that we're running late, I don't feel bad at all skipping a meal on them, because they get enough throughout the week.


----------



## chanaka (Apr 10, 2010)

Hmm, that article is very interesting. I'm not sure whether it is okay to put a puppy through it though. From what I've heard puppies should not be put on fast.

Does anybody know whether there is an appropriate age to practices this?


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Aready said:


> Does anyone here on this forum use the Gorge and Fast method? Do you see any benefit or think its a better way to feed?
> 
> http://www.k9joy.com/dogarticles/dogfood01stomach.pdf


i read the article with interest and then looked deeply into my own personality and needs, since i am the feeder of the food...

and, whilst i do want the best for my dogs....i simply would not feed them in this manner.

i am owned by a pug and would be driven insane because bubba knows how to tell time.

that is not to say these dogs have never been fasted or given extra...they have...but it's not a regular thing because i don't live in the wild. nor do they.

my personality believes in food as a source of health and comfort. i could not feed my dogs this way.


----------



## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

It's not appropriate to fast puppies for really more than 12 hours. I would say once a puppy reaches 9 months or older I would say fasting them would be just fine. This is of course not for the small or toy breeds either.


----------



## g00dgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

According to the article though, our dogs are not getting fully satiated because we feed small amounts throughout the day- making them constantly hungry.
If the article is correct then our dogs would be more satisfied being feed one large lump meal that expands the stomach and takes longer to digest. 
I will probably try it soon. 
They are already surprising me today. This morning I was out of food before I had to go to work so all they got was half a can of tuna each and two eggs. They aren't even begging yet but it's probably because it's so hot right now.


----------



## chanaka (Apr 10, 2010)

Will this method of feeding promote bloating? When the dogs have a huge meal won't that increase the chance of bloating?


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

what does it actually mean....gorge....?

throw a whole chicken down and let bubba have at it?

personally, i think he'd eat the entire four or five pound chicken....

doesn't that open him up to bloat? the boy barely mashes as it is.....

i read the article, but i don't understand how it actually works...

don't wolves travel in packs? when they get a kill, don't they share?


----------



## danesandhorses (Sep 14, 2008)

I am feeding Diesel about 6lbs a day.....he is growing. When I feed him much less he was losing weight. Diesel just eats until he is full, I don't know that I could gorge him and skip a day. Typically I give him a turkey neck and maybe a chicken thigh for breakfast and the rest of the chicken for dinner. He does well on this and doesnt beg. Occasionally I will skip breakfast and feed it all to him for dinner, I have ony done this a couple times. I to worry about bloat : (


----------



## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

magicre said:


> what does it actually mean....gorge....?
> 
> throw a whole chicken down and let bubba have at it?


Yes, in the case of my Great Danes, it would probably mean 2 or 3 chickens. What you keep up with when you feed gorge fast method is how much are you feeding them/week. If you are feeding a lb a day now, you are feeding a 7lb/week. Divide that into 3 or 4 meals over the week.



> personally, i think he'd eat the entire four or five pound chicken....


It's possible but doubtful. I don't remember how large your dog is.



> doesn't that open him up to bloat? the boy barely mashes as it is.....


Nope, it doesn't matter. How well he chews has nothing to do with the overall scheme of things. As long as it fits down this throat, its chewed enough.



> don't wolves travel in packs? when they get a kill, don't they share?


Yes, but a whole deer or moose or elk divided by 5 or 6 wolves is a lot of food per wolf. An 80lb deer would be about 16lb/wolf. It's not all that unusual for them to eat 16lbs at a sitting.


----------

