Fasting your dog...Who does!!

[JeffandAnnie]

I wouldn't fast my two as personally I feel they have been trained by me (by feeding consistently) to expect food twice a day at regular times and would be upset and bewildered (as well as give me hell  ) if they didn't get their keenly anticipated meals. If there was scientifically proven, incontravertible evidence that fasting a day a week will prolong the life/quality of life of my dogs I would do it, but while it's just speculation by a minority then they'll get fed daily.

[lindseyp]

At the end of the day if you was to go back to mother nature..And your wild dog...It would go days with out food..But we have chosen to domesticated are dogs to live with us and they have come accustomed to eat every day with us its are doing not theres...Does that make sense or non sense

Makes sense to me Chris & I was going to comment much along the same lines  - over the years we've conditioned dogs to our way of life because it suits us & we are led to believe that this is what is best for them 
I'm not too sure that dogs in the wild would eat well proportioned, nutritionally balanced meals at the same time every day because they choose to & periods of 'fasting' are common place  .....but I could be wrong & they have a fab take away service that they phone up when a bit peckish & order  leg of venison with a portion of tripe & perhaps a few lamb ribs as a side order   
I jest but we each feed our dogs, as we believe is good for them. An alternative way of feeding to your own, doesn't necessarily mean wrong or cruel & perhaps learning more about it would give people a more informed opinion based on knowledge rather than opinion......as the saying goes 'you can't knock it til you try it' 
 .......must go - Purdeys on the phone to 'ribs R us' again!! 

[JennyBee]

A very interesting thread - Brodie sometimes doesn't eat her meals for a day or two and I thought it ws just because she was being incredibly fussy, so interesting to think she may be self-fasting .

[bluegirl]

Bluegirl - a 6 day fast for yourself is incredible.  I couldn't do that and would be worried if other family members were but it's your perogative to do what you feel best.  I understand totally why you have chosen to fast your dogs and I couldn't agree more that it is greatly unkinder to overfeed your pet to obesity.  If we think of animals in the wild, they can go without food for days if they have not made a kill and look how long they live.  Choosing to fast your dog in the belief that it will benefit it healthwise is certainly not cruel.  If these were the only "abuse" stories we were hearing about animals, the world would be a much better place.  I will do more research into it but just out of curiosity, is it only adult dogs that can be fasted?  (My last cocker used to have the odd day where he wouldn't eat anything and after reading this thread, I understand that he may have been self fasting for his own good).

Can't highlight, sorry, but no pups can be fasted too. Its half a day per week from 4mths of age and then one full day a month until 8 mths old.

[Sheryl]

I think this is a different article  http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/therapeutic-fasting-and-calorie-restriction/

I can understand people being apprehensive about fasting but I agree with Lindsey about basing opinions on knowledge and not just emotions.  

[Helen]

A lot of working dogs are on 1 meal a day, and the night before a shoot a lot are not not fed (and definitely aren't fed the morning of a shoot).

I don't know who will think that is cruel on here but in my opinion it's certainly not - what would be cruel is letting them work at the pace and rate they do on a full stomach which can lead to bloat and gut torsion....

[JeffandAnnie]

Not cruel, just unnecessary (imo for my dogs) 

[spanielcrazy]

I used to fast mine, for all the good reasons mentioned: resting the body organs etc. Not sure why I stopped doing it, more from habit I suppose (don't think it would fly with this lot!  ) but not because I don't believe in it.

Everyone has to do what they feel is appropriate, and it is certainly not recommended for certain medical conditions such as diabetes. But for a normal dog in reasonable health it can be a very good thing for them physically, and can be helpful for conditioning them when, such as in a crisis situation (or just plain forgetting  ) they are not fed.

http://www.mydoggonenatural.com/?page_id=74

[PennyB]

Its not something I would think of doing with my dogs but I do respect others who may choose to and there's no way I'd consider it cruel either.

[Catie74]

I don't think I could fast Archie.  When he had 'the chop' I'm not sure what devastated him more, the fact that he lost his balls, or the fact that he didn't get any breakfast.

My CKS fasts herself most of the time.  Talk about chalk and cheese.  Cocker eats everything in sight in seconds, and CKS has to be force fed and barely eats

[Nicola]

I don't think I could fast Archie.  When he had 'the chop' I'm not sure what devastated him more, the fact that he lost his balls, or the fact that he didn't get any breakfast.

 

Each to their own and I don't think it's cruel at all, but mine have never self fasted, they eat like the world's running out of food every time. I wouldn't be able to do it with Tilly for health reasons, she needs to eat regularly, plus she'd probably put a hex on me if she didn't get fed

[minimoo]

i could be wrong but it seems to be that the dogs on here who self fast are the only dogs in the household , mine eat as if they are all competing with each other and never turn down anything 

[supergirl]

i could be wrong but it seems to be that the dogs on here who self fast are the only dogs in the household , mine eat as if they are all competing with each other and never turn down anything 

I think so too, once there is competition for a resource then no meal is refused.  Misha never used to eat a full meal until Roly arrived. 

[Helen]

depends on the dog - Jarv is far likely to eat less (and ignores meals) if we have other dogs staying but he was like that even as a pup - he would never fight for his food.

I think it's pretty clear from this that because we have instilled this habit of feeding dogs like clockwork once or twice a day that we feel that we couldn't this and would feel guilty because of it.  The odd times we've forgotten to feed Jarvis I can assure you he really hasn't been bothered at all 

[seaangler]

Lindyseyp....

I could be wrong & they have a fab take away service that they phone up when a bit peckish & order  leg of venison with a portion of tripe & perhaps a few lamb ribs as a side order...

Bit of subject...

You take your mutts to MC Donald's don't you


Joking apart...Are wild dogs we had in this country once upon a time was mostly Wolf packs....That was domesticated...I can imagining back in them days there was far more animals roaming around then wild bore deer just to mention...reading back in them days the people was fearful of the wolf packs back then...And no dowt hunted to extinction...But no dowt there must be days when the wolfs went with food so it was a nateral part for them to fast...

(There is a very sad story about one particular wolf hound that was tamed by a king in welsh wales by the name of  Llywelyn ap Iorwerth that live in Beddgelert(if that's how you spell it or not) he live near Port Madock...We went to a field ware there is a statue of the dog in the middle of the field(please dont ask me why )..But all the same it a lovly but very (fact)sad story(you will have to look it up and read about it...

There are some very nice walks and a shallow river next door to the field to walk your dogs...

I had my beutyfull golden retriver Jenny at the time and do you think she would come out that river She to was self fasting not eatin daly)..

Found a link to a great walk if any one holidays around by there... http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/Walks/Beddgelert_Walk.htm (you can see the staue of the dog in this link in the middle of the field) If you zooooom down...

Found the link to the story of the kings dog... Gelert.. http://www.valleystream.co.uk/gelert.htm (Get your hankey redy if you read this link )