# Feeding once a day



## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

For those of you who do feed once a day, do you feed morning or evenings and why?


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## Dan Long (Jan 10, 2008)

Evening, only because it's convenient for me to feed at that time. Anywhere from 4pm to 8pm.


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## Willaim Somers (Jan 17, 2009)

Durring tracking season I feed at night , I want my dog to have an empty belly for tracking in the morning. In winter I will feed half in the morning and half at night.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I feed in the evening as well. For one, because it's more convenient for me, and secondly, because it allows me to feed less. Just like our metabolism slows at night, theirs does, too. It also works out better for training.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Usually early evening as I feed after training and that it just how it tends to works out. I feed later if we are running at night.


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## Russ Spencer (Jun 2, 2008)

I feed early evening in the summer because of the heat and to lessen the chance for bloat, mornings in the winter.


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## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

I recently switched from am/pm mealtimes to only morning feedings after a workout and did away with evenings because it is not as convenient for me to feed at night.

They say breakfast is the most important meal! Lol...but I don't know that this applies to dogs. I exercise and then train early in the a.m. then feed. Of course, there are treats throughout the day for other training sessions. Just wondering on metabolism, etc...if there are really any "ill" effects from morning only feedings. (most everyone I know who feed once, feed in the eves.)


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## Kay Halvorson (Jan 22, 2009)

I feed all the crew in the a.m. I guess because this is the way my mo did it too. Vendetta eats twice a day in the a.m and then again at 5 pm or so,but she is still just a pup 12 weeks old.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Gracie gets fed at night, Edge 2x/d. i started feeding at night years ago because i wanted the dogs up and at 'em during the day when i was gone--not snoozing on a full stomach, and have continued it because it does work out better for training. plus it's more convenient for my schedule.


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## Emilio Rodriguez (Jan 16, 2009)

In the evening between 7pm and 9pm. I want the dog with an empty stomach during the day if we're going to do anything; training or play. Another reason is that sometimes in the day the dog will get a little leftovers/table scraps from our food depending on what we're having. I keep track of this and by the evening I know how much less food to put in the bowl. I still consider this feeding once a day. Alternatively I collect the leftovers throughout the day and make up the meal by adding dog food to it. Yet another reason is that I decide what I'm going to feed in the beginning of the day and that's when I put it out to thaw. By evening it's ready.


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## Mo Earle (Mar 1, 2008)

try to train in the a.m.- so feed between 4-5p.m. daily


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I feed in the early am too, I'm not even dressed. Gives the dogs all day to digest, while I am stuck working and they are ready to go after work. It also lets me skip the feeding before training on Saturday mornings, if I feed him at all on training days, it's at night when I put him up.


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

I feed once a day and usually at 9:00 - 10:00 pm. I feel it is best for the dogs because they tend to be most relaxed during the evening.


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## David Stucenski (Mar 29, 2008)

I feed twice a day. I work the 11pm-7am shift with my police K9. I feed at 7am(after shift) 2cups and about 5pm(2 cups) so he has six hours before we start our shift. Training days are usally day shift so I skip the AM meal and he just gets one meal (2 cups). Never had a problem even when we get a hot call right out of the gate at 11pm.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Usually between 4 pm to midnight. The schedule isn't as important as what I'll be doing with them on a given day. 
I'll feed light or not at all one day a week. 
My old house dog (JRT) pretty much demands a set schedule. Noisy little bassid!


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## James Larkey (Sep 2, 2007)

Here is a quote from Natural Nutrition for Dog and Cats by Kymythy R. Schultze. said:


> _"...Generally speaking, normal, non-pregnant, non-lactating, adult dogs and cats should eat one meal per day, six days per week. One day per week is a fast day...
> 
> ...Carnivores are not grazing animals that who should eat continually throughout the day. Digestion requires a lot of the body's energy, and an adequate breakdown of meals is necessary to use that energy for healing and other body functions...."
> 
> ...Fasting is a normal occurrence for wild carnivores. It enables the energy used for digestion to be used elsewhere in the body. For this reason, many dogs instinctively fast when ill. Even when an animal is not ill, fasting encourages the body to heal and cleanse itself..." _


I believe kibble takes 10-12 hours to digest. If feeding kibble twice a day, the digestive system is given no break to rest. I prefer feeding RAW, which, takes less time to digest and is used more efficiently by the dog.

Now, I don't 'fast' my dogs one day a week. However, I believe the idea of allowing a dogs digestive system a 'break' is important, which, is why I prefer to feed only once a day.

I have considered fasting one day a week, but, have not done so yet. I do feed 'light' one day a week like Bob sometimes does. What is everyones opinion on fasting one day a week?


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

I feed raw twice a day. Just my preference. 

However I do "skip" meals once or twice a week, especially when I am on the go a lot training (usually the dogs get high quality kibble if I am on an extended trip and run out of raw so this would be when I feed only once a day) . 

I guess I have never fasted the dogs. Just don't see a need for it.


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## Tabatha Farnel (Sep 7, 2008)

James Larkey said:


> I believe kibble takes 10-12 hours to digest. If feeding kibble twice a day, the digestive system is given no break to rest. I prefer feeding RAW, which, takes less time to digest and is used more efficiently by the dog.



I'm just curious....I've heard of this "letting the GI tract rest" concept a few times now. Is there any scientific basis to it, or it just a matter of personal preference? In humans (I know, i know, dogs aren't humans ;-)), it's healthier to eat frequent small meals as opposed to larger meals spaced further apart. Anyone know?


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Tabatha Farnel said:


> I'm just curious....I've heard of this "letting the GI tract rest" concept a few times now. Is there any scientific basis to it, or it just a matter of personal preference? In humans (I know, i know, dogs aren't humans ;-)), it's healthier to eat frequent small meals as opposed to larger meals spaced further apart. Anyone know?


I haven't really seen much in the literature. With some raw feeding websites (most of whom the authors have little if any training in biology), you get a lot of handwaving about clearing toxins and stuff, but it probably depends on the dog. Some carnivores and carnivorous omnivores are gorgers (lions, hyenas, wolves) and some little at a time when there is food present (domestic house cats, ferrets), but many of all the examples just have to take what they can get when they can get it. A wolf might wolf down *rim shot* 20 lbs of deer meat in a sitting or eat a little half pound ground squirrel. Depends on the time of the year too. Bears graze in the spring and summer and start more of the gorging in the late summer early fall to prepare for winter.

What I do is if they have a light day of just a raw meaty bone for the teeth, like a lamb neck, they'll get a few heaping tablespoons of canned food, pumpkin, or yogurt as well so it's not just mostly bone.


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