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.
Heroparkour is a great sport for problem dogs. Since a great part of problem behaviour has roots directly in timidity. Such dog is unable to handle more complex situations of ordinary life due to fear. It doesn’t believe non-standard conditions.
The use of dogs in search and rescue (the so-called SAR) is an integral part of natural disasters, mass accidents or, for example, when search for missing people. Do you know, when the first dog rescuers appeared?
Every dog has its individuality and is unique in its own way, so even the period of growing up can differ significantly in every individual. I know dog owners, who didn’t know what to do with puberty excesses of their otherwise loved four-legged...
A handy assistant not only for dog owners, who need to work on training with their dog, but also for sport cynologists who, on the other hand, are refining the discipline called the “track” with their dogs. The original purpose of the long cord with a...
One dog isn’t enough for you and you’re looking for an excuse that will help you vindicate having a whole pack at home? One option is to become a musher - a dog sled racer. For adrenaline lovers, who’d love to ride through the landscape on a sled using...
Of course there are more apps, we chose only the ones for you that intrigued us the most. Have you tried an app or have you got a favourite one that you could recommend to others?
It’s like a rollercoaster ride with outside temperatures this winter, once you’re up and then back down. All the more attention should we pay to the care for our dogs. Since it’s not only us, people, who don’t take well to the changing temperatures.
Unfortunately, in the life of dog owners, even unpleasant situations occur, which aren’t only an intervention in the life of your dog partner, but also affect your wallet. For example, if the dog gets hit by a car or it is otherwise injured and the...
With changes of the temperatures accompanying the autumn, higher demands are put on the organism and thus its immune system. That’s why it’s not unreasonable to start and boost the immunity already now. Remember, that prevention is always better and...
Before we get to winter sports that you can do with your four-legged buddies it’s good to remember the care that you shouldn’t forget about in this period.
If you’re planning to go abroad, even just for a few days, then definitely don’t forget about the animal’s passport. When you’re packing this dog passport, make sure that you check off-hand, that your four-legged friend has all its vaccinations valid....
Kittens, as well as a number of other animal offspring, are born blind. Their eyes open around the tenth day of their life and only after another week, they are fully functional. Even though the sight in a cat belongs among the best-developed senses,...
