I follow a natural rearing diet which advocates fasting any adult dog once a week. The idea of a meat free and fast day is to rest the kidneys which tend to be over worked in animals who have a high protein diet. Now before anyone jumps down my throat I know research is being done on this subject which may suggest otherwise but that aside research already done does show there seems to be a link between calorie restriction and longevity, whether than is because it delays the onset of killer diseases (kidney disease being just one) or just increases long life is unclear as yet. But as with most things its about believing in what you do and preferences. I would never have considered fasting prior to taking up this diet but I was in a desperate place when I started to look for alternative diets and after all the reading this one struck a chord with me the most.
Also if I am to follow a more natural diet I am to assume that for wild animals it would never be 2 meals a day for life there would be periods were food was scarce, again these opportunities would allow the kidneys to rest. Having lost a dog to kidney disease I know only too well how heart breaking it is to have your beloved pet in organ failure and I would never wish to visit that time again so my main reason has always been for the health of my dogs. I want them to get to old age without the added insult of failing organs which may have been exacerbated through diet choice / not fasting. This diet has been tried and tested and parsley and fasting has been shown to maintain kidney function (I know that parsley works having proof of a major change in my dogs blood work before and after starting parsley infusions following a diagnosis of end stage kidney failure so I must believe the same to be true of fasting.
I would never undertake anything without giving it a go and I have done several 4 day and 1 x 6 day fasts myself and all I can say is I felt well, mind clear and once past the first day no hunger issues and tbh I only think I was hungry on the first day because we are conditioned to having 3 meals a day. My dogs are fasted once a week and have grown accustomed to our routine. They know instantly that if they come back from a walk on sunday and no breakfast is offered then it is a fast day and they just settle down, even Bronte who could eat a flocked bed every other day of the week just accepts it!
My actions are not intended to be cruel and are only done with the very best intentions at heart. Again I have no proof as yet with my own dogs as to whether fasting will make a difference to their elderly health and life span and I accept that my choice is a minority choice but this is my belief and I hope my efforts will be rewarded.
