# Recommended for BARF diets: Cereals and fasting



## jae (Jul 17, 2012)

Once or twice a week, I have been fasting my dog (and myself) for one meal, between 12-24 hours, following this with a meatless bowl for his next meal. I have found it seems to aid in quelling random bile vomit that he used to get and probably gives the digestive tract a well deserved break.

Before I did this, he would vomit bile during the day or night, mostly before his next meal. He would sometimes puke up bone fragments with it. His poop would also became lightly colored and somewhat hard, a sign there is too much bone in the diet.

I took a page from the _Complete Herbal Handbook for Dogs and Cats_, as well as how dogs always used to be fed: table food! So now whatever I make, dog usually gets a share put aside. 

Ingredients I commonly use are: Rice, lentils, oatmeal, Cheerios, Mini-wheats, Shredded wheat, Bran cereals, beans, granola sans raisins, 
And then for health: garlic (especially garlic), all berries, all nuts, all seeds, lime, yogurt, eggs, all vegetables except onions, 
To taste: tahini, peanut butter, raw honey, molasses, actual maple syrup, 
In addition to aid digestion: thyme, oregano, cumin, parsley, kelp, cayenne, ginger, rosemary, marjoram, olive oil, coconut oil, cod liver oil.

Obviously grains legumes etc must be cooked as you would eat them, but everything else I feed raw minced up otherwise dog won't take them. 

Hopefully this helps if you are experiencing any adverse affects from the diet.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

Wow your dogs eat better than me!

Agree with the fasting, Dr Lonsdale (vet) Raw Meaty Bones also recommends to fast for 1 to 2 days a week just like animals in the wild


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Animals in the wild will gorge themselves when they get a chance to eat. We limit portions for our rawfed dogs. I personally don't subscribe to fasting the dogs. I'd rather keep the digestive tract consistent. 
The only reason I'd do a fast for myself would be for spiritual reasons.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Agree with everyone above, fasting is a normal part of life for other animals, especially canines. Wolves and other canids often gorge on a meal and do not eat for days, sometimes weeks... depends on prey availability and weather/prey migration.


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## jae (Jul 17, 2012)

we eat well in this household! one of the many thanks i must certainly give.

Yes Jane, we limit our portions but that is why I think it's important to feed cereals or grains after the fast, I found a few times that if you drop a pound of meat down then the digestive system doesn't react as well as it would otherwise.

When I don't eat, dog doesn't eat and when dog doesn't eat, i don't eat. it's silly but i think it helps bonding (and the digestive tract), if i have food then the house should eat. I am not religious but for fasting myself i will quote Nikanor Chevotarevich
"I like to starve myself. Keeps the fear up."


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