Intermittent fasting is a way of feeding your dog to cycle between periods of eating and fasting that has numerous health benefits, including improved immune function, speedier recovery from injury, decreased incidence of diabetes and heart disease, and increased longevity through delayed aging! You can increase your dog’s lifespan and quality of life by practicing intermittent fasting. 

Intermittent fasting activates autophagy, the process by which cells break down old, damaged, or abnormal proteins, making the components available to the body to recycle for essential cellular processes. Autophagy is critical during periods of stress or starvation. It impacts the immune system, affecting the body’s immune response against viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells.

Intermittent fasting is the reduction of meal frequency to prolong the fasting between meals, but without necessarily restricting total caloric intake. Extending the period of fasting between meals has been shown to make your dog’s body more sensitive to insulin, lower specific markers related to blood sugar, slow down the growth of some cancer cells, reduce inflammation throughout your dog’s body, slow down aging, and help repair nerve cells after an injury better than eating regularly throughout the day.

A simple overview of how fasting benefits your dog’s body is that it activates glucagon, the hormone that counterbalances insulin, allowing blood glucose levels to balance.

In the wild, wolves are not eating two meals a day. They occasionally fast for one or more days when prey is not available. The canid body is designed to thrive even during times of fasting. In fact, there are direct benefits to fasting.

Fasting allows the body to rest and heal without expending energy for digestion, allows the beneficial bacteria in the gut to flourish, and provides a break in ingesting toxins such as pesticides or herbicides often found in food.

The immune system can recharge and promote healing. Specialized cells, such as white blood cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells, have increased activity. 

The white blood cells, including neutrophils and monocytes, are part of the first line of defense in the body’s immune system.  Macrophages that  “eat” or destroy bacteria, viruses, and other foreign invaders break down old or abnormal cells throughout the body. Natural killer cells are very aggressive cells that penetrate abnormal cells and release toxic granules into them.

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state in which the body burns fat as its primary energy source. Ketosis can occur in the body when your dog eats a diet of high fat, adequate protein, and low carbohydrates or during intermittent fasting.  The body switches from utilizing glucose to burning fat for fuel during ketosis. Ketosis boosts metabolism, increasing fat burning and muscle toning. 

Ketosis should not be confused with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition in dogs with uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes.  

Detoxification During Intermittent Fasting

Fasting allows for a natural detoxification process, activating autophagy and enabling the cells to break down damaged or abnormal proteins and other cellular components. Catabolism, the breakdown of proteins or fats, increases the release of energy for use as fuel.

Fasting conditions the body’s cells by causing mild stress. These prepared cells can better cope with severe stress, such as a traumatic injury, which decreases the recovery time from the injury. 

Diseases that benefit from intermittent fasting include chronic diarrhea, chronic pancreatitis, yeasty skin and ear infections, inflammatory bowel disease, leaky gut syndrome, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

During fasting, the body produces molecules called ketones. These ketones increase and activate specific proteins that help protect and repair nerve cells. They also reduce damage to brain cells caused by low blood sugar in rats. In experiments with rodents, intermittent fasting has shown the potential to reduce the size of spinal lesions and improve recovery!

Another molecule called ghrelin, released by the stomach during fasting, has been found to protect nerve cells from damage caused by reduced blood flow. It also reduces the production of proteins that are involved in causing inflammation and damage to brain cells in lab cultures.

Fasting does not mean starving! There are two methods to use for intermittent fasting. 

Provide no food for 24-48 hours. In nature, the wild dog does this regularly and still thrives. However, as a pet parent, this may be very difficult to do as your dog expects daily meals.

Use a restricted feeding window, usually an 8-hour time frame during which your dog will take in all his calories for the day. Utilizing a feeding window is easy to adjust to your schedule, creates less stress for you and your dog, and is still very beneficial.

Some dogs will voluntarily fast, especially if they are experiencing GI upset. Allow your dog to take a break from eating if he is inclined to do so. It is only an issue if it continues for more than 48 hours.

Fasting can be challenging for some dogs. Each dog has different needs. Some dogs may vomit when they're overly hungry or have an empty stomach for extended periods due to excess stomach acid irritating the stomach lining. The buildup of bile in the stomach can also irritate your dog’s lining. The vomitus will usually contain bile or be a frothy or foamy liquid. 

Fasting times should be adjusted if a dog experiences bouts of vomiting bile or stomach acids between feeding windows. They tend to occur in the morning, before feeding. If your dog consistently vomits bile or a foamy liquid, you can try feeding her bone broth  in the evening. 

Never fast puppies! Dogs should reach their adult size and weight before you implement intermittent fasting.

Only use the daily restricted time frame method for ill dogs, on specific prescription medications such as insulin, or for older dogs.

Refrain from feeding any other food, even small treats, during fasting to achieve maximum results.

Intermittent fasting has numerous health benefits for your dog, including increasing quality of life and longevity!

Many body systems benefit from intermittent fasting as it allows the body to focus on routine maintenance at the cellular level without disrupting digestion and processing of food.

Intermittent fasting aids in the management of many chronic diseases that involve the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal tract.

Habib, R and Becker, K. The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer. (2021). Publishers Weekly, 268(27), 53. PWxyz, LLC.

Metabolic and Immunological Effects of Intermittent Fasting on a Ketogenic Diet Containing Medium-Chain Triglycerides in Healthy Dogs 

In situ neural isolation of the entire canine upper gut: Effects on fasting and fed motility patterns 

<a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/intermittent-fasting">Intermittent fasting</a> is a way of feeding your dog to cycle between periods of eating and fasting that has numerous health benefits, including improved immune function, speedier recovery from injury, decreased incidence of <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/diabetic-ketoacidosis">diabetes</a> and heart disease, and increased longevity through delayed aging! You can increase your dog’s lifespan and quality of life by practicing intermittent fasting. 

Intermittent Fasting in Dogs

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