Intermittent Fasting For Pets

How One Meal A Day Can Boost Pet Health 

Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

Feeding schedules for pets have always sparked lively debates among pet owners and pet professionals. Many of us, including myself, have faithfully followed the traditional routine of serving our furry friends breakfast and dinner. But let me share a little secret—my perspective has done a complete 180!

Back in the day, I would advise pet parents to add an extra meal (a lunch) if their pets had digestive issues. Many other pet professionals continue with this advice especially with senior dogs. Now, after learning about the benefits of eating less frequently for myself, I recommend cutting back to just one meal a day for our pets.

By feeding one meal a day (FOMAD), you give your pet's digestive system more time to rest and properly digest their food. This approach has some compelling reasons behind it, and it could be just what your pet needs to thrive! Let's dive into why this approach might benefit your furry friend.

Enhanced Digestive Health

As I mentioned earlier, giving your pet a substantial meal once a day allows their digestive system ample time to fully process and utilize nutrients efficiently. This approach can reduce the likelihood of digestive upset and promote overall gut health.

I know some folks worry that for large and giant breeds, one meal might be too big, and their pet might eat too fast. But technically, "too fast" isn’t really a thing—dogs are naturally designed to gulp down their food quickly before another dog can take it. You know your pet just as I know mine. Take my Doberman, for instance. He gets 24 ounces in his one meal, and yes, he does wolf it down and occasionally pukes it right back up.

I fixed this by splitting his large serving into two portions, with a short break in the middle. Worked like a charm! So, don't worry too much—there are always ways to adjust and make it work for your furry friend.

Better Appetite Control

Feeding pets once a day can help prevent them from becoming grazers, constantly nibbling on food throughout the day. I firmly believe that food should never be left out all day for dogs or cats to graze on. Grazing is tough on their digestive systems—just like it is for us humans! When food is always available, the stomach constantly pumps out HCl, the liver/gallbladder continuously releases bile, and the intestines are always moving. Our digestive systems need a break, which means we have to stop putting food in.

Even if your pet is good at self-regulating, "free feeding" is never a good idea.As it's harder to spot health issues, such as your pet suddenly stops eating. Feeding just one meal a day helps maintain better appetite control, much like intermittent fasting does for us. It can also prevent problems like obesity and picky eating habits.

Easier Weight Management:

For pets prone to weight gain or have a hard time losing weight, feeding once a day can be a game-changer. This strategy affects metabolism, hormone regulation, and calorie intake in a few fascinating ways. FOMAD causes your pet to go longer periods  of time without food intake. When your pet's body doesn't receive immediate energy from food, it starts to utilize stored fat for energy, leading to weight loss over time.

Insulin and Fat Burning:

When food is given only once a day, insulin levels drop significantly. Lower insulin levels enhance fat burning by allowing the body to access stored fat more readily. This promotes fat loss and increases the metabolic rate because your pet's body works harder to maintain energy levels when food intake is limited, potentially leading to more calories burned throughout the day.

Hormones and Satiety:

Feeding once a day can positively affect hormones related to hunger and satiety, like ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, decreases during fasting, reducing appetite. Leptin, which signals fullness, may become more effective, helping your pet feel satisfied with less food.

Muscle Preservation:

Unlike calorie-restricted diets that may lead to muscle loss, feeding one meal a day at the full amount tends to preserve lean muscle mass while primarily targeting fat stores for energy. This is partly due to the increase in growth hormone levels during fasting, which supports muscle preservation.

Insulin Sensitivity:

FOMAD can enhance insulin sensitivity, allowing cells to better respond to insulin and effectively regulate blood sugar levels.

Cellular Repair:

Allowing the body time without food triggers autophagy, a cellular repair process where cells remove damaged components and recycle them for energy. This can improve overall cellular function and longevity.

Simplifying Your Daily Routine

Establishing a FOMAD schedule can simplify your daily routine especially if you are a raw feeder. Oh yes! I recently gave the FOMAD  routine another go in my household. My previous attempt was too hard on my senior dog, so it’s essential to pay attention to how each member of your pack responds to the change in routine.

This time, I decided not to feed that one meal in the evening but just breakfast. So far, there have been no bile pukes from empty stomachs! I'll admit, every other or third day, they do get a meaty bone or bully stick to chew on because they all walk around staring at me with those "I'm starving" eyes.

Mimicking Natural Feeding Patterns

Sure, in the wild, animals don’t have the luxury of regular meals. They hunt or scavenge intermittently, sometimes going for long stretches without eating. It’s a good reminder that we’re animals too! Our structured, convenient lifestyles have made us fat as a whole, and we could benefit from adopting some "wild feeding patterns" with breaks between our meals as well.

Feeding your pet once a day can simulate this natural feeding pattern. A couple of days a week, I join my pack in this practice by skipping dinner myself. I tell my furry crew, "No dinner for you or mommy today!"

FOMAD For Seniors

Senior dogs often face reduced appetite or digestion issues, and smaller, more frequent meals can sometimes help manage these concerns. I used to be a staunch advocate for this approach, but now I believe each senior dog needs a personalized evaluation.

A common comment I hear from clients is that their senior dog isn’t interested in breakfast. This is a pretty frequent issue, though the exact reason isn’t entirely clear. It could be due to gastrointestinal changes, a slower start to the morning, or perhaps, as I suspect, it’s related to changes in their biological clocks and hormone levels as they age. With more time spent indoors, their internal cues might be off, and they might not feel that familiar hunger signal in the morning. This could highlight the importance of getting plenty of sunlight and having a morning feeding routine throughout you pet's life.

If your senior dog is skipping breakfast and only eating lunch and dinner, consider adjusting their meal schedule. Try offering a larger dinner and see how it goes. You can always revert to two closer-together meals if needed. I was chatting with a client about this recently, and she was worried about making sure her senior dog eats at every meal. I hope this gives you some reassurance that seniors might do just fine on one meal a day. Reducing the number of times they have to digest food might actually be gentler on their system overall.

When FOMAD Might Not Be A Fit

Puppies

Young puppies are like little energy dynamos, and they may thrive on more frequent meals to fuel their rapid growth and development. I used to be a big fan of feeding them two, or even three, meals a day. My own “Bigs,” the doberman and standard poodle, were growing up together in my home, and I kept them on that lunchtime routine until they were done growing around 16 months. Was it necessary? Hard to say, but that frozen Kong snack was a fantastic distraction while I was at work!

On the flip side, my mini dachshund came to live with me at 13 weeks and was already comfortably settled into just two meals a day. When deciding how often to feed your puppy, consider how much growing they still have to do, what energy level your specific breed has, what your breeder suggests, and what has worked for you in the past. And if your puppy starts showing any disinterest in mealtime, it’s a sign you might be overfeeding—time to adjust the amount or number of mealtimes.

Medical Conditions:

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that certain medical conditions, like diabetes, hypoglycemia, or specific gastrointestinal disorders, often need more regular feeding schedules to keep blood sugar levels stable or to support digestion. And don’t forget, some medications might need to be given with food twice a day. Always stick to those instructions and have a chat with a member of your veterinary team about the possibility of feeding once a day (FOMAD) before making any changes.

Large breed dogs or those prone to gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV or bloat) may benefit from smaller, more frequent meals to reduce the risk of bloating and stomach torsion. This is especially true for those feeding kibble. Kibble fed dogs have a higher propensity for GDV. On the flip side, raw-fed dogs have a much lower chance of GDV, which is why I stick with raw feeding in my household. Take my doberman, for instance. He has a deep chest cavity and eats in a special spot where he can relax after his raw dog food meal. Plus, there's a strict no roughhousing rule post-meal to encourage a calm and restful digestion period. Keeping things chill after eating helps him—and my other dogs—digest more comfortably. 

It's important to consider your dog's individual needs, health status, and activity level when deciding on their feeding schedule.

How to Make the Transition :

Start Gradually:

Begin by reducing the number of meals per day over several days to weeks, depending on your pet's adaptability. Generally, remove lunch first or make it just a snack. You can also try an every-other-day approach where you remove the meal.  If  your're on a 2 meal per day schedule, you will be feeding just breakfast or just dinner. I’ve done just dinner in the past, but this time, I opted for just breakfast for several reasons. It's easier for the household routine, aligns with my eating schedule, and matches the body's hormonal balance with circadian rhythms. We want to take advantage of the higher cortisol levels in the morning, strong AM sun (if your animals eat outside, even better!), and coordinate with the master hormone leptin, which plays a crucial role in regulating energy balance and appetite.

Monitor for Hunger or Discomfort:

Keep a close eye on any signs of hunger (of course they will tell you they are hungry) or discomfort during the transition period. Adjust feeding times or portion sizes accordingly. The biggest issue I’ve noticed, and people often complain about, is the empty stomach bile puke. If it happens occasionally, don't worry about it. If it becomes an every-morning occurrence, make some changes. Feed more at your pet's one meal, change from a morning to a night meal, or feed at a different time. Keep adjusting until it works for you and your pet.

Feeding your pet once a day isn't just about simplifying your routine (though that’s a big plus, especially with a raw diet). It's about promoting their overall health and well-being. Consider this approach as part of a holistic way to care for your furry family member, and you may find it benefits both their physical health and their quality of life.

Remember, every pet is unique, so finding the feeding schedule that works best for them is key to ensuring they thrive for years to come.

Is FOMAD is right for your pet?

Book a virtual pet wellness consult with Dr. Andi today! Whether you're navigating the ins and outs of feeding schedules, tackling health concerns, or just looking for personalized advice to keep your pet happy and healthy, Dr. Andi is here to guide you every step of the way.

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Got a question about your pups feeding schedule? Don't be shy, drop us a line in the comments below! And if you know someone struggling to get their pup eating right, please pass this along!

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