Welcome to Tail Blazers Talks! In this talk we are going to take a deep dive into FASTING. The world wide phenomenon that is working wonders for people and believe it or not, PETS as well. Before we get started, I should note that fasting is not an appropriate practice for cats. If your cat isn’t eating regularly it may be time for a deeper look into their wellbeing. Let’s get started.
What is Fasting?
Fasting means abstaining from food for health or other purposes. In this case, we are fasting for health purposes so any other reasons for fasting are not necessary to list. We fast pets for anywhere from 8-48 hours. If you are feeding your pet at designated intervals, without giving treats in between, chances are you are already practicing fasting – so congratulations. You are already well on the way to making your pet as healthy as they can be! Let’s go over a few different ways fasting can be done.
Fasting Chart
If you are new to fasting it can be a very different way of doing things and I am sure your dog at first will assume you are plotting its demise. It does get easier. You can use tools to distract your dog when mealtime is meant to be. Instead of putting down the food at meal time try leaving a bowl, or lick mat filled with bone broth for them.
Who can fast / Who can’t?
As mentioned at the beginning of the episode, cats are among those pets that should not fast. Cats who aren’t eating regularly can go into kidney failure because their bodies are not designed the same way as dogs. They are not scavengers like dogs are. They hunt and eat in the wild every day, where wolves/dogs sometimes only hunt and eat once a week, maybe even less. The remainder of the time wolves scavenge on smaller meals if they require them, like berries or grass. Puppies should not be fasting until they are full grown. Puppies need every ounce of nutrition as they are growing, so limiting their meals is not a great start! As well, dogs with severe health issues should not partake in a 24-48 hour fast, but can take part in an 8/8 hour fast, 12/12 hour fast or even the 24 hour fast (feeding once a day only). Start slow with pets that have health issues. If you are interested in trying the 24 hour fast, try it once a week to start.
Benefits of Fasting
Natural Detoxing
Because your pet is not busy digesting, its body has time to focus on other things going on. During this time your pet’s body can focus on detoxing the liver, the kidneys and the skin. This is great for pets who suffer from yeast problems as it will give their body time to heal and focus on that particular issue.
Better Digestion
Since you have given your pet a break from digesting, they can essentially reset their system. For the digestive system, fasting can stimulate better nutrient absorption and healthy gut microbiota rebalance. This can help with bloating, gas, diarrhoea, and constipation.
Weight Management
When fasting to help with weight, you are giving your pet the ability to focus on using stored energy rather than get energy from their current feeding. Fasting once a week can dramatically help with pets that may need to lose a few pounds.
Common Questions or Concerns
Won’t my dog be hungry?
Yes, they will be and that’s ok. As humans, and as humans who raise animals, we are so focussed on giving in to that first ping of hunger. But knowing the benefits to fasting and utilizing them for the health of your pet and maybe even yourself is so beneficial. If you can only go half the time or a quarter of the time the first week, continue to try to increase the amount of time in the following weeks until you have reached a full fast.
My dog throws up yellow bile when I don’t feed them by a certain time. What does this mean? Can I still fast if my dog is throwing up?
For the most part, yellow bile is indeed a hunger vomit. It can indicate more serious issues like IBD however, we suggest that you slowly integrate fasting so that they can ease into the transition. If you plan on fasting overnight into the following afternoon, give your pet a small meal before bedtime to help them with the hunger pukes. Or feed a small meal at the time they regularly puke and continue the fast from there.
Can I give my dog an egg during a fast day?
Although eggs are small, any amount of food will break the fast cycle. I would suggest sticking to a fast as long as you or your pet can without going over the 48 hours until giving food and therefore breaking the fast.
12 hour fast or 48 hour fast?
Obviously the longer the fast, the better the results, but start where you feel most comfortable. It is certainly easier to start at the 12 hour point and then increase to 16, then 24, then 36, then 48. Go with your gut to help heal your dog.
We hope that you found this talk helpful and hope that you can start implementing fasting into your pet’s routine in the future. Check out the chart that we added to show the different types of fasting that you can accomplish by changing your pet’s feeding times slightly. The chart is made using a raw feeding guideline for a 65lb dog, and although we suggest raw and are using it as an example in this chart, fasting can be done successfully while feeding any diet. If you have any questions or require further assistance on your fasting journey, visit a Tail Blazers near you and experience the benefits of your pet being Tail Blazers Healthy.
