[rawfeeding] Re: Why gorge and fast?

> I've read a lot about people who gorge and fast their pets. But I was
> wondering... why do you do it? Is it just for convenience, or are
> there certain benefits for the animal?
>
> Thanks. :)

I'm still a newbie, so I can't speak to any long term effects, but
here's my reasoning, which only factored in after my dogs sorta put
themselves on this feeding style...

1. Dogs digestive system = wolves digestive system, which is designed
to eat huge amounts whenever they can get a big kill, some smaller
meals occasionally when they can grab a rabbit or whatever, and to
fast for long periods of time while hunting for the next meal. So,
it's perfectly natural for their systems to gorge/fast.

2. That being said, I'm not going to fast my dogs for weeks at a time
just because 'they might not catch anything for that long.' But a
couple days, sure. This is because my dogs love to eat a large amount
of food at a time. If I feed them daily, they're always bothering me
in the kitchen unless I make them go lay down. If I let them eat
themselves silly, they don't bother me for a couple days. Topaz can
eat a 5lb chicken in about 15 minutes- one day's worth of food takes
him about 10 seconds, so it also allows me to feed things that I'm not
worried about him gulping. I could take it away after he's eaten some
of it, but then I still wind up giving him a small, gulpy piece all by
its lonesome some days instead of that piece coming on a full tummy
when he's not so eager to bolt it.

3. Convenience is a factor. I dislike raw meat and don't really like
having it sit in my fridge. This way I can thaw out a week's worth of
food for them, let them eat as much of it as they want to in one go,
then put the rest away. They get whatever they didn't eat three or
four days later and snacks of eggs or liversicles or nothing on the
in-between days. I can also give them each a whole kidney this way
without it giving them the runs since it's part of a large whole =
less cutting for me.

Crystal and the Zoo

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