Allegedly, fast is instinctively practised by both wolfs and wild dogs. This has led many people to that assumption, that our dog on the couch should, once in a while, be fasting as well. A wild animal surely knows what it is doing, nature is wise, you would think. But is it true? Will it benefit the health of your dog, or rather harm it?
That wolfs and wild dogs don’t eat for a day or two is determined by the fact, that they are not successful in catching something every day. And not that it is necessary. Since when they get to their prey, they stuff their belly full and it takes them even several days to get hungry. Fort this time, they don’t feel the need to eat. People often mistake the process of digesting for a fast. But our dog at home gets a regular and adequate dose of food. So there’s no reason to deny it to them for one day.
Nobody is hungry voluntarily, an animal is refraining from food only due to a compulsion in case the hunt hasn’t been successful or when it’s ill. Such situation can therefore arise on one hand due to the inability to procure food, on the other because of lack of appetite caused by a disease.
Wild animal needs plenty of energy for the preservation of its kind, so it isn’t logical for it to fast on purpose. On the contrary, in the period from summer to autumn, it stuffs itself with anything it can find, so that it has enough subcutaneous fat reserve to weather the winter. Moreover, a predator weakened by hunger will not hunt much. If you start with a fast, for example, with a puppy, you will deprive it of the much needed energy for a healthy growth and for the growth of new teeth. In older dogs, diabetics, lactating or gravid female dogs, this for sure won’t help with their fitness.
And you say that the dog will not gain weight, if they fast one day a week? Well, whether you feed it with granules, BARF or you cook for it, you will modify the dose in such way, so that it is proportionate to its size, activity and form. The necessity of one day a week without food is not based on any veterinary or nutritional research. To the contrary: from health point of view, dog should get food every day at regular times and not even the content of it should change radically. Therefore, if you, for example, feed your dog with a single type of granules, it is not suitable to exchange them for a different type from day to day.
Therefore, if you’re thinking about starting a fast with your dog, first consult your veterinary and take a listen to an expert opinion on this issue.
Doing yoga with a dog, or doga in other words (the combination of “dog” and “yoga”), has become popular in the United States of America, but it has not become so popular in the Czech Republic yet. What is it about and what benefits does this sport have...
Earlier, this heart disease was attributed only to certain pure-blood breeds. Nowadays, it can even occur in cross-breeds. Another disease which reminds us of how important regular preventive check-ups at the vet are.
Days are getting colder and it is time again to prepare our furry friends who live outdoors for winter. All cats (whether they live outdoors or only go outside occasionally) need our greater attention in this season.
A Somali cat is a long-haired version of Abyssinian cat, one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. But it does not have an interesting or long history itself. Even though it is named after an African country, first Somali cats were born in the United...
Until recently, Cairn terriers were the most popular terriers in Great Britain (until they were overtaken by Westies). It comes from Scottish island Skye and it used to hunt foxes and otters here already in the times of Mary, Queen of Scots. That’s...
A team of Swedish athletes one of whom is Mikael Lindord regularly attends one of the most difficult races in the world to challenge other teams – the Adventure Racing World Championship. When Mikael and his friends stopped in the middle of an...
Each dog is an individual and has different needs. When it comes to diet, it depends on its health condition or physically demanding activities. However, we can generalize these needs to a certain degree according to a breed, age and mainly the size of...
Adopting a dog senior might save his life. They also need stable home and love which unfortunately can never be fully provided in the shelter. Nevertheless, most people who are considering adoption as an option automatically look for a puppy or at...
The International Rabbit Day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday or Sunday in September. This year, it was 22 September. This annual celebration of a cute mammal with long ears, short tail and a velvet coat is not only meant for the million of rabbits...
Do you also follow the recent trend which encourages us to come back to our roots and mind our planet more? I am personally very happy about that. More and more households live according to zero-waste and non-toxic principles and we don’t forget about...
Cats enjoying themselves in a doll house are a hit on Iceland. Their creators probably didn’t expect so much fame and first of all, they didn’t create the whole project for money, fame and for a short-time amusement. There is a much more noble purpose...
Your furry friend might get poisoned in a minute, only a few seconds of carelessness or a slow reaction is enough, especially if your dog is similar to mine and “eats everything he finds on the way”. Fortunately, my dog hasn’t been poisoned yet but I’m...
