A Weekly 'semi' Fast

[t-time]

Yes, my dogs will also fast themselves - either leave half their brekky or all of it.

Even with a weekly fast day, they will STILL do this of their own volition.

Despite the fact that our dogs are pampered pets, after thousands of years they are STILL dogs (Otherwise they'd be walking upright and ordering at the restaurant )

[Peachie]

Yep, i get that Kismet, i would do the same. I used to still feed on dog school days, but class wasnt till about 3pm in the afternoon, and i would take them for a good walk before hand.

I can also understand about dogs fasting themselves, as some have said. (have never had that happen with my labs or grehounds).

But i still dont get (call me dim if you want) why do it by OUR choice, not the dog's choice. Is there a nutritional reason behind it?

I still think i woudl get slashed to pieces by greyhound claws if i tried it with my two chow hounds.

[t-time]

I still think i woudl get slashed to pieces by greyhound claws if i tried it with my two chow hounds.

LOL Peachie :D My neighbour does a fast day once a week but HAS to give her Lab a little something "Just so she doesn't think someone cut her throat"

Only reason I have a specific fast day is so I know EXACTLY what nutrition my dogs have gotten for the week. I'm always thinking I may have left something out as they tend to have different meals on different days of the week. ;)

Even then, as I say, they sometimes leave their meals. I actually record what they've eaten and when they haven't to give me a better idea of their weight gain/loss progress - I have a couple of fussy little ones so I will bolster their meals with different supplements if they haven't eaten for a day or two - I will starve my BCX when she's escaped to the paddocks and eaten a tonne of horse/cow poo!

I still don't force them to eat their daily meal and IMHO, if I left them to their own devices they would prefer to live on grass, chicken poop and horse dung Despite their size/breed/weight they would still gorge themselves and then hunt out another meal 2-3 days later My human interference would mean I am trying to make them eat a meal every day

[KismetKat]

Peachie - it could get down to a breed thing. It was my daughters reading of the "Dog Collection" issue on cavs (so we are not necessarily talking a very authoritive voice here) that it was a good idea to fast them once a week as they are prone to pack on the kilos, that made me think a 'semi-fast' was not going to hurt my dog. She's a good eater but not a glutton, and the new training school I have been attending allows treats - so I just gave it a go and it worked. Like I said, she wasn't fussed. I said she is not overweight, but she is a tad stocky - I think she has some corgi in her.

For the next few weeks tho I am back training at my VCA club that does not allow treats - I will see how she goes this first week with no brekkie, no treats during training, but her bone afterwards (and yes, light supper at night).

Greys tho are skinny buggers and have very little fat on them - so perhaps not a breed to fast or semi-fast.

[ellz]

I worked at a large Whippet and Afghan kennel in NSW for a time and the breeder always insisted that the hounds were fasted once per week. They're not exactly weight-carrying breeds either but they didn't suffer.