"Help! I ran out of food!" is a cry of panic I have heard many a time. But the truth is, there's no reason for alarm. Rest assured, your dog will be fine. In fact, you may even take that occasion to try out a few new things.

1) First of all, it won't hurt your dog to fast for a day (although not a good idea for puppies and cats). In fact, wolves in the wild have naturally adapted to fasting because they can go for days without finding prey.*

Wolves are adapted to a feast-or-famine diet and can overcome periods without fresh carcasses through food caching, reduced activity, and scavenging old prey carcasses.

2) Fasting causes the body to metabolize fat. Waste products stored in fat are released. This waste not only includes breakdown products of natural substances the liver couldn't process, but also toxins absorbed from the environment, for example, chemical pest repellents.

Because the body is not being asked to digest and absorb large meals during a fast, the liver can more efficiently process the released waste products, which decreases the body's toxic load.*

* (ref: Dr. Karen Becker)

3) Okay, so we've got the fasting for a day issue out of the way, but I get it, no one wants to see their pet go hungry, no matter how beneficial a fasting may be. Not to worry, forage through your fridge, freezer and pantry and I guarantee you will come up with more options than you ever imagined. 

The freezer: Chances are you've got some uncooked chicken there. Take out a piece or two, bones and all, and serve raw. Your dog will have a field day crunching the bones which are easily consumable so long as they are not cooked.

As for the pack of minced meat that also might be there, I'd pass on that. The typical fatty content is probably somewhere between 24 - 28%, which is simply too high to give to your dog.

The fridge: 

Any deboned, unseasoned leftover meat or fish is perfectly fine to feed. Add a cup of rice to it and your dog will be licking his chops. 

Eggs: Crack an egg or two (shell and all - but first rinse), throw it on a piece of toast or that dry end piece of your bread loaf and you have your main course. Chop up some greens, a carrot, apple or pear and you've got your healthy side dish, not to mention a balanced meal.

The pantry:

Got a tin of salmon, tuna or sardines? Jimmy it open, empty it over a piece of toast and voila, you're serving up your dog with a tasty bowl chock full of those wonderful amino acids that help him maintain a healthy coat.

So you see, there's no need to panic for the day. You have plenty of time to place your next Mrs. Meadys' order!