New Scientist published an article in 2021 stating feeding dogs once a day may prolong age. The study was done by volunteers who claimed to have only fed their dogs once a day. People have grabbed this and ran with it, proclaiming it was true and now a fact.
I am presenting some sources and facts that will show this study’s outcome was given too soon, without enough evidence to make the case that one meal a day prolongs dogs’ lives.
Except, it isn’t. Studies done at home without verification are interesting but in no way show definitive results.
Peer review studies are needed, with many more verified studies.
I find it odd someone would even have such a study, much less done by volunteers in their own home.
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“This study has other limitations. All data are owner-reported and thus subject to error in recall and interpretation.
However, while a given owner’s responses on their dog’s cognitive function, physical activity, and other health conditions might reflect individual differences in interpretation and reporting errors, it is unlikely that these would generate the specific associations we observed.
We were also unable to account for dogs reported as fed once-daily but who received snacks and treats throughout the day.
Although HLES gathers data on frequency of treats, we did not use these data because the caloric content of treats was unknown.
Furthermore, we did not have adequately detailed data to account for the composition of the diets fed, although we do know that the majority of dogs (over 80%) ate a diet consisting primarily of dry, commercial dog food.
Finally, due to the rarity of intact dogs in our sample, analyses included only spayed and neutered dogs. While age at spay or neuter might be an important factor for some health outcomes [63, 64], this information was not incorporated into our analyses because data on the timing of gonadectomy were not available with sufficient detail or completeness.”
NewScientist
They also state:
“Given the limitations of this cross-sectional, observational study, the results of this investigation should not be used to make decisions about the feeding or clinical care of companion dogs.
However, if supported by future studies, it may be prudent to revisit the currently predominant recommendation that adult dogs be fed twice daily.
The rationale for twice-daily feeding in dogs is obscure (although see [65]), and our study suggests that more frequent feeding may, in fact, be suboptimal for several age-related health outcomes.”
NewScientist
In this blog, the author did some good research and found many good sources. The blogger does a great job of sorting out the facts.
“So the best advice is to stick with what’s working for you and your furry friend. Fetch by WebMD says that there are several healthy ways to feed your dog. But they go on to say that “it’s best to do it twice daily at 8-12 hour intervals.” In fact, this is the most common recommendation you’ll find.”
Concise Health
The dogs in this study were done in their homes and were not evaluated prior to enrolling. Their health, weights, type of diet or other important details were not recorded.
This veterinarian recorded those facts and said while the study was interesting, it was not written in stone as fact and should not be interpreted as such.
He mused that dogs that are not obese do live longer and that this way of feeding might have caused some of the fat dogs to lose weight, creating better health.
In my search for evidence that feeding dogs once a day prolonged longevity, I relied on this single study, which, as I said, was conducted by volunteers without examining each dog before or after feeding.
Plus, 80% of these dogs were fed dry dog food and were mostly spayed and neutered. Many articles used ‘click bait’ wording to promote this and treat it as though proven. It is not.
On another site, a veterinarian states this:
How Often Should You Feed Your Puppy?
“Generally, it is recommended to feed puppies every 6–8 hours (three to four meals a day). Puppies are more active and therefore need more calories. In addition, puppies usually need to use the potty about 10–15 minutes after eating. By sticking to a regular feeding schedule, it can help make potty training your puppy go faster and easier.”
How Often Should You Feed Your Adult Dog?
“Dogs over 5 months old should be fed every 8–12 hours. One main reason for this twice-a-day schedule instead of once-a-day meals is that stomach acid and bile can build up in your pet’s stomach. If your dog does not eat, they will become nauseated and vomit.”
Preventive Vet
I find all of these statements true and more reasonable.
For those of you reading this who are on my Facebook Page, K9Nutrition, at least weekly some posts about their dog throwing up bile, spitting up and in pain. When they follow the advice to feed twice a day, with a snack in the morning and night for these dogs, the symptoms go away.
Another article that promotes once a day feedings, makes these statements:
“Dr. Richard Patton, animal nutritionist and researcher, included similar comments in his book about the health of our canine companions, titled Ruined by Excess, Perfected by Lack. In this book, he shares that canines and other carnivorous animals “have exquisitely perfected the ability to survive with the intermittent lack of food. And in fact, they are poorly adapted to deal with constant excess, particularly with calories from starches and sugars.”
Animal Wellness
I am not sure what he means by carnivorous animals, let’s hope he means carnivores.
I agree that wolves are suited and designed to eat huge amounts of food in one kill (up two 22 lbs) that can sustain them for about 3 days. I also agree wolves and dogs are not adapted to deal with starches and sugars.
BUT our domestic dogs do not eat 22 lbs a day (or 11 lbs for a medium dog, 5 lbs for a small dog) to sustain them from ‘fasting’.
If dogs smell our cooking, or our lunch, dinner, their gastric juices start running.
That can cause inflammation in stomach or digestive tract, that can result in irritated intestinal lining, reflux and excess spit up bile.
Another study cited is Metabolic and Immunological Effects of Intermittent Fasting on a Ketogenic Diet Containing Medium-Chain Triglycerides in Healthy Dogs.
The claim is that when they feed lab dogs diets higher in fat, that they are healthier, and lost weight.
Now realize, this diet is the keto diet. And dogs are already close to eating a keto diet IF they are eating a raw diet, although not quite enough fat.
And other studies showed that dogs will eventually get pancreatitis and die if fed a keto style high fat diet.
They started out 10 dogs on a high carb, low fat commercial diet. Then, it gets weird.
“A commercial dry food was chosen as the low-fat, high carbohydrate diet. The high fat diet was created using the same dry commercial diet with the addition of powdered whey protein, beef tallow, sunflower oil, coconut oil and a multivitamin/mineral mix to ensure adequacy of the total diet.
The total amount of medium-chain triglycerides (C8, C10, C12) from the coconut oil and beef tallow amounted to 14.7% of the total calories in the diet when using an energy of 6.8 kcals/gram for the MCTs.”
Animal Wellness
So it is no wonder dogs did better on a diet that at least had more protein in the whey protein, beef fat and vitamins and minerals.
And they proclaim that by giving this, it caused better health.
Maybe it would be more truthful to say a high carb, low fat diet doesn’t give a dog much of what they need, and carbs cause weight gain and unclear thinking.
They added the fat so dogs would produce more ketones.
I can say, being on the Keto diet myself, weight loss happens and more protein can help with clearer thinking. They note this:
“Both diets used in this study were formulated to meet AAFCO requirements, and while all attempts were made to create similar nutrient profiles excluding the fat and carbohydrate content, the diets did differ from one another in some micronutrients. In addition, when the dogs were intermittently fasted on the LF diet, they lost more weight than in the other feeding regimes, indicating the dogs were in a greater catabolic state.”
Animal Wellness
And this is something most of already know. If you remove fat, dogs lose weight.
Conversely, starches are empty calories that cause weight gain.
But the high protein, high fat diet causes the body to keep sugar levels even, create less hunger and cause weight loss depending on the amount consumed.
In my opinion, this study is more about ketones and dogs, than intermittent fasting. They also note the higher fat the diet, the more ketones are produced (DUH!).
The vet who posted this study also says,
“When the body is not busy working on digestion, (i.e. the breakdown and absorption of food particles), enzymes are freed up to focus more on detoxification, reducing inflammation and repairing tissues. During this downtime from digestion, the liver is also more efficient at processing waste products and eliminating toxic load.”
Animal Wellness
And to be more clear, a dog feed small more frequent meals also is easier on the liver. Also enzymes are released from the pancreas when a dog eats so I have no idea what she means here. And we don’t detox, sorry, that is an internet myth. The liver is quite capable of filtering the blood.
She also says this, which I agree with:
“When meal frequency and/or carbohydrate content are decreased in your dog’s diet, it can directly result in less inflammation in his body.”
Animal Wellness
So you don’t need to feed intermittently, both these studies and her statement are saying low carbs are the key to decrease inflammation and improve immunity.
And then she adds this word of caution at the end, which contradicts what she is saying:
“Generally, fasting is only safe for adult healthy dogs. Despite its potential benefits, there are many situations and health conditions for which fasting could be harmful and is not advised.”
Animal Wellness
It is apparent that while this study could be important research and information, it was passed off as fact before they had done all the research. Giving one meal a day is not a good idea for puppies, dogs with illness, seniors, active performance dogs and pregnant females.
Healthy adult dogs may do fine with one meal.
I urge everyone to assess your own dog’s need. Once, twice or more times a day.
Understand when we eat more times a day and prepare our food in the house, our dog’s gastric juices react to this, and can cause more problems.
Knowing that our dogs’ digestion needs AND differences from ours, helps us make the best decisions for our dogs in feeding practices.
Fasting might be an option, IF they ate like wolves, or up to 22 lbs per feeding.
But our dogs are simply not as active as wolves, who are in the elements, to survive must go out to catch, kill and eat their own dinner. Fasting in wolves’ cases are due to massive meals which is the fuel needed to keep them fit in between kills.
Our dogs simply don’t have this issue, nor did the studies above show any real benefit to fasting or feeding once a day.
Happy Valentines everyone! Don’t forget to have water out for your dog around the clock during our cold season. Dogs need to be fully hydrated to stay warm.
