Starving your dog......

[Julie]

I was feeding twice a day usually, but always at least once a day. Well with summer coming around again, and our busy schedules of camping and stuff (dogs included) they have been only eating once a day. No problems and no begging hunger pains. Lol And one day last week they even missed their once a day feeding......they were too busy with our camp party and swimming.

A dog in good shape and included in activities will not rely on food so much as a dog bored and waiting for something to do......such as eat. I don't consider missing an occasional meal as starving a dog. Now a dog that is neglected and not fed on a regular basis is a different story. But starving is a harsh word for a dog fed on a regular basis that misses a meal.

[Mordy]

It's not "starving" a dog, it's fasting, and it does have its health benefits - especially for dogs with certain health issues, such as for example digestive upsets.

It has little effect on weight loss, since the body tends to switch to "starvation mode" and hold on to fat reserves when food is withheld completely. Smaller, more frequent meals are the better choice in this case.

Fasting lets the digestive tract rest and gives the body a chance to focus on other tasks like for example detoxification without having to divert resources to breaking down food.

There are situations where feeding (and especially force feeding) a dog instead of fasting can even be detrimental, such as for example when running a fever.

Overall it's mostly the people who are feeding home prepared (especially raw) diets who understand this principle due to the reading they have done on the topic, but not the folks who feed commercial food.

[ihartgonzo]

I fast Gonzo usually one day a week, or two, or not at all. It just depends. If he gets a big raw meal, like half of a chicken or rabbit, one day, I will fast him the next day. I might give him eggs & milk or a small fruit or veggie meal. I do feel it's good to give the digestive system a rest for 24 hours (for any animal - including people!), and of course he loves eating but he shows no distress at all.

That said - older/sick dogs, or puppies should not be fasted.

[rowdy ridgeback]

I would NEVER do that.

[girlbuffalo1]

Wrigley gets fed half a cup of eagle pack twice daily around 7am and 7pm..he always acts like he is STARVING! He will try to eat spots on the floor fuzz off the carpet. Yesterday I didn't feed him very much for breakfast as I had given him a bit too much to eat the night before..my husband let him out when he got home around noon and was doing some paperwork--couldn't find wrigley--where was he? Trying to eat some bugs and dead leaves (from a non toxic house plant) in the corner.....

We have the lay and stay down pretty well. He has to wait till I finish completing my breakfast before he can move and eat his food in his bowl. He acts like he is dying--he shakes from the anticipation of eating..

He also loves to stare at you while you eat like he is a poor tortured soul. LOL

He would probably jump up and eat me if I didn't feed him for a whole day!!

[dogsouth]

Today Jed was not fed only because I fed him yesterday and my husband accidently fed him again that same morning. Right now he is being fed a raw/kibble diet until I get an opinion of a local holisitic vet. He is not upset or anything like that. He is giving me 'the look' but I am ignoring it.

[dr2little]

Originally Posted by Mordy

It's not "starving" a dog, it's fasting, and it does have its health benefits - especially for dogs with certain health issues, such as for example digestive upsets.

I think that the only reason that some of us used the word "starving" is because that's what the OP wording was. I too completely agree with "fasting" for medical reasons, just not as a matter of course. I have had to withold food from my dogs (usually 24 hours) when they have an upset stomach and have no problem doing that....they're usually not hungry anyway.
I think that many of us get onto a schedule for feeding our dogs that suits our routine best. One benefit of course from a training standpoint is the ability to use this routine for leadership purposes, but working closely with clinics I've come to see the importance from the emergency perspective too.
Schedule feeding does allow for definitive answers with regards to stomach contents if emerg. surgery is required.
Like Mordy said, fasting does absolutely nothing for weight loss, if anything it messes with metabolic rate.

[GSDlover_4ever]

When I know I am going to do tracking the following day I dont feed my puppy. He isnt going to die, and he is usually sleep the whole day because I wear him out. He gets his food at the end of the track. Caza hasnt eaten since sunday morning (he's had pieces of natural balance food rolls) , because I'm going to train with some people today, and I want him hungry. You can control food drive and can make my dogs do just about anything.

BTW, I dont want to hear the "your so cruel" thing.

[Doberluv]

Well...it stands to reason that fasting has it's benefits. In the wild, hunting is not always successful for dogs or wolves and it is perfectly normal to go without for a couple of days and then they may get lucky and get something. Then they tend to gorge. Their digestive systems are designed for that.

[RetrieverLove]

It is not unnatural to do this. It's much like wolves in the wild. They do not eat every single day for several reasons. Yes, it is beneficial to the digestive track.