Feeding times?

Because I think it's good for carnivores to have a gut cleanout day.
Wild carnivores don't eat every day. They hunt, gorge themselves, then fast until the next successful kill.
Is that not more to do with the risk of injury and energy expenditure of hunting rather than them wanting to have a day off?

I'd have thought that if you gave wild carnivores the option of eating every day then they'd definitely choose that. If wild carnivores make a big kill they'll eat constantly for a few days until it's gone before hunger and desperation drive them to take the risk of hunting again.
 
Feed mine twice a day, times vary a bit but usually when I get up and around 8pm / when we remember.

I found when not feeding in the morning one of mine would get ‘hunger pukes’ and throw up.

Even a small biscuit / bonio in the morning seems to sort this.
 
Is that not more to do with the risk of injury and energy expenditure of hunting rather than them wanting to have a day off?

I'd have thought that if you gave wild carnivores the option of eating every day then they'd definitely choose that. If wild carnivores make a big kill they'll eat constantly for a few days until it's gone before hunger and desperation drive them to take the risk of hunting again.
I'm sure they would eat every day if given the choice - as domestic dogs will - but that's not what happens in real life in the wild, so their digestive system has evolved to cope with a "feast then famine" diet. Which means that a dog shouldn't have a gut full every day, because that's not how it's digestive system has evolved to work best
That's my theory, anyway. Whether right or wrong I've been feeding dogs that way for as long as I've had dogs (a long time! Something like 40 years) and in all that time I can count the number of visits to the vet on my fingers. So they do seem to be pretty healthy.
 
Labradors! Any time is feeding time!! But in reality, they (okay, he, down to one now) gets a very small breakfast, usually a couple of biscuits and a main meal at 5pm. Quantity depends on how hard he's been playing/working. Never a scrap left. When we had two, dinner was scoffed in double quick time, but now he's a (little) slower, knowing there won't be anyone hovering. It was quite funny, they would finish as if on cue at the same time, then rush to each others' bowls, always to discover nothing left.

He might get the odd biscuit during the day as a reward if, say we've left him alone for a few hours and he hasn't created (as a young dog he would howl if left alone - separation anxiety - but not any more (unless it goes much past dinner time). Speaking of which, surprise surprise, he is more reliable than the speaking clock. Kind of throws him off a bit when the clocks go forward or back though. My son tends to alter the feeding times for his dogs to keep them guessing, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of a routine for them in my book. They are creatures of habit and generally slot in with our human habits too mostly.
 
Because I think it's good for carnivores to have a gut cleanout day.
Wild carnivores don't eat every day. They hunt, gorge themselves, then fast until the next successful kill.
That's what most hound packs do I believe.
 
Raw feed in the morning, first thing when I get up usually 5/6am. It's the very first thing I do every day.
Kibble feed in the afternoon. If someone's at home (and the dogs are at home...) usually around 3pm is when they'll start acting up, but if nobody's in they get it whenever someone gets home at 5/6/7pm and if I'm out with one or both dogs they both get fed when I get back.
I'll share a bit of my lunch on a working day and if it's cold and wet I sometimes give a little handful of kibble as well at lunch time. Both fed according to condition, a bit more if they start to look skinny and less if they're looking chubby.

I was always told pups need to be fed more often, of course.
 
One lab, raw fed twice a day, morning and evening. Get deer heart if out stalking or dehydrated liver / heart treats if not.
 
Dry feed at 0600 and 1800 unless out. I cannot abide fat dogs!
 

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Dry feed at 0600 and 1800 unless out. I cannot abide fat dogs!
If my dogs started the season like that, they’d be skin and bone half way through.
Your dog certainly isn’t fat, it is bordering on skinny to the point of being undernourished.
 
If my dogs started the season like that, they’d be skin and bone half way through.
Your dog certainly isn’t fat, it is bordering on skinny to the point of being undernourished.
We will have to agree to disagree! Mo Farah doesn’t start the season like Russell Grant. They are kept in shape all their life, fed more during the season.
 
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If my dogs started the season like that, they’d be skin and bone half way through.
Your dog certainly isn’t fat, it is bordering on skinny to the point of being undernourished.
Have to agree with you on that one I dont think ribs should show to that definition, yes ribs should show but there should still be fat between (and slightly over them) I admit the first picture looks better than the latter.

The dog is well muscled no questioning but you also question the fat reserves on it, OP what happens if your dog falls Ill and refuses to eat? I'd be very concerned personally that lean has a inherent risk behind it.

No hate too OP I dont want an argument, In reality a dog that's beating up in Scotland will have drastic different needs to England where its much warmer perhaps our ideas of lean dogs are drastically different? as dun mentions, It would be ran emancipated in IRE/SCT
 
First dog is my ten month old pup at 26kg, second picture is one of the 32kg fully grown dog. All muscle and power, fitter than flea and as fast as greased lightening. North wales so not as low temperatures but it the coat rather than fat that is important for that. The wildfowl in frozen water, excellent dogs. Sadly we are all too accustomed to obesity (in adults, children and dogs) and so our eyes are warped as to “normal”.
 
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