Originally posted by wolfsoul
I read an article on the BARF diet that explained that a dog on the diet is required to be fasted once a week. I've heard that when people fast, it is to rid their body of toxins. Is it the same for dogs? What are the health benefits?
The reasons for fasting a dog are the same, to rid the body of toxins, and to give the dog's digestion system a rest.
Another idea behind fasting is that in nature a wild canine does not always eat every single day, so fasting for a day is making the diet more natural.

Although I feed a partial raw diet I don't fast my dogs. Not for any particular reason, I just don't.

Also people that do fast their dogs one day a week usually provide a good raw bone to chew on (like a knuckle bone) and lots of water.