Hi NectarMom –
Fasting is beneficial for the dog’s immune system. I fast my dogs once a week. Feeding dogs daily or twice daily is a complete human invention – dogs are designed to live a lifestyle of feast and famine (this is why their stomachs are so large compared to their bodies and they can consume such a large amount of food in one sitting). The way fasting was explained to me was by comparing the effects of fasting on the dog’s immune system to the effects of weight lifting on muscles. When you lift weights you actually damage the muscles by creating microscopic tears, but when the muscles recover and heal they are stronger than they were before. Because about 70% of the dog’s immune system is in the gastrointestinal tract – when you fast a dog you put a mild stress on their immune system (a level of stress healthy adult dogs are able to handle). This mild stress in a sense “exercises” the immune system and leaves it stronger than it was before. It also allows for some of the energy that was normally be used for digestion to be used for healing.
