# Fasting....so hungry...



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Last week, I decided to fast my dogs for a day. I usually feed at 5 pm or so and I didn't feed them until I got home the next morning at 5:30 am (so, 12 hour fast) and then back to the original time to eat the following day. 

I feed once a day. 


Sargeant does not approve. He clearly wants to eat twice a day but then if I do that I have to feed the rest twice a day too because they would make me feel guilty AND I am lazy and really only want to feed once a day. When I fast them, they hound me. They follow me, stare at me, cry a little...you get the idea. 

I am fasting them again today and they seemed to know as I was getting ready to leave for work that I wasn't going to feed them. If looks could kill...

Anyways, to go along with my recent organ post, here is one about fasting. 

Do you fast your dogs? If so, for how long? And why?

Thanks.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i don't fast my dogs....i just switched to once a day feeding....that's working out...just fine.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

out of curiousity, what made you decide to fast them.

i can see only feeding them once a day.....and i sure as heck can see being lazy..that's my world...


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I would love to fast Rebel for a day, and then give him half a goat or something the next day and let him have a ball.

Unfortunately, since I don't fast Snorkels I just can't feed her and not feed him, so no fasting.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

re, just noticed your signature - LOLOLOL! 

Sorry, back to topic...


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

I fasted for 24 hours for the transition from kibble to raw. Tucker was fasted a few times when he was sick. Other than that, I fasted my dogs one time. And it was mostly because we were running around like chickens with out heads cut off and got home at 1am and I thought it was too late to feed. I felt terrible. So they eat every day, once a day, no matter the time. They have ate at 3am some times. Generally they eat noon-6ish. A few times a week they eat earlier, or late at night due to work scheduled. 

I don't think I could truly fast with out a good reason. Even if they had a gorge meal, I would probably still give them something small.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Well last time Dozer ate a pork rib whole so I saw that as an opportunity to fast them and give their digestive tracts a break and this time because I gave them lung and trachea and it gave them hershey squirts so I wanted to give their systems a break. 

But they don't seem to appreciate my carefully calculated plan so I might stop doing it.


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

I fast my dogs usually once a week. We usually feed them a gorge meal as in they eat however much they want for anywhere between 2-6 days beforehand and then we fast them for a day. So I let them eat all they want for two days, then fast or all they want for three days then fast and all the way up to eating all they want six days in a row. depending on how big the meat is. I read a really interesting article explaining how the dogs stomach is like a rubber band and meant to be expanded a great deal and then go down over a couple days as they fast and look for more prey. My dogs have gotten used to it and I actually find them begging less because they're satisfied from eating as much as they need. They manage their weight pretty much without ever gaining -- it's insane b/c when I feed them amounts they seem to gain lol It works great for my pack.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Sheltielover25 said:


> I fast my dogs usually once a week. We usually feed them a gorge meal as in they eat however much they want for anywhere between 2-6 days beforehand and then we fast them for a day. So I let them eat all they want for two days, then fast or all they want for three days then fast and all the way up to eating all they want six days in a row. depending on how big the meat is. I read a really interesting article explaining how the dogs stomach is like a rubber band and meant to be expanded a great deal and then go down over a couple days as they fast and look for more prey. My dogs have gotten used to it and I actually find them begging less because they're satisfied from eating as much as they need. They manage their weight pretty much without ever gaining -- it's insane b/c when I feed them amounts they seem to gain lol It works great for my pack.


i don't think bubba would stop eating. LOL

but maybe i will try it, since keeping bubba at a right weight seems difficult, even though his thyroid and other functions seem fine.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

magicre said:


> i don't think bubba would stop eating. LOL
> 
> but maybe i will try it, since keeping bubba at a right weight seems difficult, even though his thyroid and other functions seem fine.


I have the same problem with Rebel - his thyroid is ok because he takes meds for it, but he has such a hard time losing weight. I would love to gorge/fast him because I do think it's natural to a dog.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

xellil said:


> I have the same problem with Rebel - his thyroid is ok because he takes meds for it, but he has such a hard time losing weight. I would love to gorge/fast him because I do think it's natural to a dog.


i haven't yet decided whether or not it's natural for a dog. it's natural for a wolf, but i think it's only because they don't have food handed to them.

in a zoo, they eat daily, at least, i think they do.

so a dog is a wolf in captivity....in my head...

these days, though, my head is all screwed up, so i guess i should think about it.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

magicre said:


> i haven't yet decided whether or not it's natural for a dog. it's natural for a wolf, but i think it's only because they don't have food handed to them.
> 
> in a zoo, they eat daily, at least, i think they do.
> 
> ...


True. If I thought they really needed it, I would do it. The real advantage I see to it is I would be able to give Rebel and really big bone or carcass and give him a really good workout. 

Not true that your head is screwed up! I think your head is screwed on just right


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## twotonelover (Jan 10, 2011)

magicre said:


> i haven't yet decided whether or not it's natural for a dog. it's natural for a wolf, but i think it's only because they don't have food handed to them.
> 
> in a zoo, they eat daily, at least, i think they do.
> 
> ...


The zoo I interned at fasted most of their carnivores once a week. Not sure if this is a common thing in all zoos though.

I fast Rosey maybe once a month, shes being fasted today actually. Not because I think she NEEDS it, but because Rosey has a problem with raiding the trash and my parents cannot grasp the concept that the trash either needs to be put outside or locked up in the cabinet when they leave the house. Whenever she gets into the trash, I always fast her the next day just in case. Whatever was in the trash yesterday gave her the runs, so today her system gets a break and she will go back to normal schedule tomorrow. Probably will get something bony to firm things up.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

twotonelover said:


> The zoo I interned at fasted most of their carnivores once a week. Not sure if this is a common thing in all zoos though.
> 
> I fast Rosey maybe once a month, shes being fasted today actually. Not because I think she NEEDS it, but because Rosey has a problem with raiding the trash and my parents cannot grasp the concept that the trash either needs to be put outside or locked up in the cabinet when they leave the house. Whenever she gets into the trash, I always fast her the next day just in case. Whatever was in the trash yesterday gave her the runs, so today her system gets a break and she will go back to normal schedule tomorrow. Probably will get something bony to firm things up.


why do you suppose the wolves are fasted once a week?


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## twotonelover (Jan 10, 2011)

magicre said:


> why do you suppose the wolves are fasted once a week?


I think they fasted them mostly to keep the animals from gaining excess weight, but also to save money. The wolves were, unfortunately, fed mostly kibble with some whole prey (chicks, rabbits, rats) a few times a week.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

It would be nice to feed once a day, because the meal would be so much larger. But I cant see Ruby being happy with me if I did that to her lol. So twice a day it must stay. Gorge meals look like fun, but I know Ruby would eat till she died if given the chance lol


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

Kat said:


> It would be nice to feed once a day, because the meal would be so much larger. But I cant see Ruby being happy with me if I did that to her lol. So twice a day it must stay. Gorge meals look like fun, but I know Ruby would eat till she died if given the chance lol


One of mine usually does eat quite a bit.... or it takes him a long time -- not sure which one. But usually a total of 2-3 hours a day is what he spends eating. He's 15lbs and his weight is always the same and I weigh him weekly. I'm not sure how he does it honestly. The others eat for about 1-1 1/2 hours a day. But with the whole chickens and 7lb bunnies they're working for a long time to get a piece off so it's not straight eating for that long. I love how it keeps them busy and I love watching them figuring out how to get the meat off -- they'll turn different ways, go at it from different angles, use their feet -- they get creative!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Sheltielover25 said:


> One of mine usually does eat quite a bit.... or it takes him a long time -- not sure which one. But usually a total of 2-3 hours a day is what he spends eating. He's 15lbs and his weight is always the same and I weigh him weekly. I'm not sure how he does it honestly. The others eat for about 1-1 1/2 hours a day. But with the whole chickens and 7lb bunnies they're working for a long time to get a piece off so it's not straight eating for that long. I love how it keeps them busy and I love watching them figuring out how to get the meat off -- they'll turn different ways, go at it from different angles, use their feet -- they get creative!


My theory is that they get such a physical workout from eating they expend the energy they ingest. I know Snorkels loses weight when I give her something like a lambshead and leave her with it for 45 minutes to an hour. When I let her eat longer, she has actually gotten so exhausted she couldn't stand up so I have to limit her time now.

On the days she eats something like that, she normally gets 2-3 times her regular daily ration of food.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I don't fast, mine would drive me absolutely insane (and might come after me in my sleep, LOL), plus they would probably all three be puking up bile all over the place.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

Bridget has to eat twice a day. Carlos would be fine eating once. Feeding Bridget all her food at once and you will see her poop it all out before dinner. Then she throws up all over the house. Some days I have to feed her once so instead of two meals she gets 1 meal of egg and organ meat. It keeps her stomach happy. No organ meat at all and no large fatty pieces will leave her throwing up if she isn't fed 3 times a day. So I try to keep her meals balanced. Vet says all levels are great and Bridget just has a super fast metabolism on raw.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

bridget246 said:


> Bridget has to eat twice a day. Carlos would be fine eating once. Feeding Bridget all her food at once and you will see her poop it all out before dinner. Then she throws up all over the house. Some days I have to feed her once so instead of two meals she gets 1 meal of egg and organ meat. It keeps her stomach happy. No organ meat at all and no large fatty pieces will leave her throwing up if she isn't fed 3 times a day. So I try to keep her meals balanced. Vet says all levels are great and Bridget just has a super fast metabolism on raw.


It's why I have to feed snorkes three times a day. If i feed her half her food at one sitting, she normally throws it up for some reason.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

I feed twice a day as I'm at home so it's not a problem. I can see for people on unusual time schedules would maybe do it differently. Unfortunately Stanley as I've discovered recently loses weight really easily and he is quite skinny as it is and now being almost winter here I worry that he will lose more if I am not careful.
I also don't want to feed one large meal because I worry about bloat, being deep a chested breed, because sometimes after he has eaten (outside) he suddenly runs to the gate if he sees someone/cat and I worry about stomach twisting etc. Although I'm sure running a few metres to the gate wouldn't cause it? And it is probably more of a problem with kibble fed dogs, I don't know, I'm just careful.
I also always feed him at least one hour before we go to river for our walk. He normally has a smallish breakfast like one bone in chicken piece.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

my pug gets five ounces a day. divvied into two meals and it's nothing....so we did go to once a day.....but we did it gradually.

gorge and fast? bubba would never get past the gorge.....i'd be afraid that he'd get gassy or bloaty, not bloat, but so full, he'd burst...or throw up....

malia would do well with whole foods....she would eat what she needed and walk away, although when we free fed kibble, she did gain weight. so maybe not.

at any rate, once a day...no fasting.


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