Let’s say that your dog or cat has been eating Life’s Abundance food for anywhere from several days to several months. There’s an event that might happen, and it’s good to know about it:

 

It’s the Big Slowdown.

 

Many dogs and cats that are eating other brands of food are getting inferior nutrition. Foods that contain corn, wheat, gluten, and byproducts generally deliver little usable protein. So when those animals start on Life’s Abundance, they may begin by eating a lot, but it’s not uncommon for the quantity eaten to taper off, sometimes dramatically. Dogs and cats may slow down to eat one-third to one-half less quantity than they were eating of the other food. That can take weeks or months, but it just about always happens.

 

That’s happened with two of our greyhounds--Logan and Zelda--and with Lucy, our cat. It hasn’t happened yet with our greyhound Jordie, but he’s been on Life’s Abundance for less than a month. Jordie is our new greyhound. He has just one eye and is missing part of his lip. We look forward to the day when he catches up on nutrition! He’s pictured above.

 

That voluntary reduction in quantity is what we call the Big Slowdown. It is perfectly normal and healthy. With a nutritionally dense food like Life’s Abundance, it’s not surprising that many animals need significantly less quantity.

 

Another aspect of the Big Slowdown is the Day of No Hunger.

 

Just as the amount of food people eat should vary from day to day, the same is true for our pets. If a dog or cat has an extra-active day, then the animal’s appetite might be greater the next day. Or if one day is very inactive, the next day’s appetite might be just about nothing. That’s normal. As long as the pet is maintaining healthy weight, skipping a meal now and then is perfectly fine.

 

However, pet parents can interpret the Day of No Hunger as “my dog (or cat) no longer likes the food.” That’s simply not the case. In fact, on the day when a dog or cat doesn’t come to breakfast, as long as all other signs shows that there’s no illness, that’s a day to rejoice! Virgil often asks our customers to tell him about that day so that we can celebrate with them!

 

Here’s what that means:

 

It indicates that the animal’s body has caught up on what was probably a lot of deferred maintenance, such as cell repair. On a poor-quality diet, the dog’s or cat’s body has to prioritize what it does, and some things that are important for long-term health get deferred. But after some time on our food, the animal’s body gets caught up, and the dog or cat might not feel hungry for a meal or two.

 

So, as your dog or cat becomes a Life’s Abundance feeder, watch for those two great signs: The Big Slowdown and the Day of No Hunger!