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 Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:36 pm
So I was in an organic food co-op the other day and stumbled across some vegetarian dog food. My jaw hanging open, I looked to make sure I was reading it correctly. Yep. Vegetarian dog food for the non-breeding adult dog. Using no animal meat whatsoever. I had heard of it before, but to actually see it was another thing.
I got to thinking. Aren't dog descended down from wolves, which are for a fact carnivores? Don't they have to eat meat? I quickly became annoyed and moved on. I've thought about it for a while, though, and wondered if someone who is vegan or vegetarian and owns a pet, do they do the same to their pet to feed their radical no meat lifestyle? I don't mind if people don't eat meat, but our pets need it.
My question is: what do you think, even if you don't have a pet?
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:59 am
Need is a funny term, and even if you define it quite broadly as that which is sufficient for healthy life, dogs dont need meat. Dogs are naturally carniverous, but a well balanced vegetarian pet food can provide them with all the essential nutrients which they need with no proven health problems that I am aware of. People may feel odd about feeding carniverous animals only vegies, but looking at vegetarianism from a moral perspective, I would rather people did things which were unnatural, but not dangerous, for their dogs if it stops animals from being killed for food.
I personally own a cat, and as far as I know there are no commercially available vegi cat foods because cats have different dietary requirements from dogs which are not so easily catered for in this way. If there was a viable alternative which was not likely to affect her health though, (and which she would eat, is terribly difficult to find a meat one she will finish a bowl of) I would be much happier to feed her that than the meat stuff, especially given that the meat stuff is often made of the most manky offcuts anyway and is not really an adequate representation of an animals natural diet anyway.
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:48 pm
I'm not so sure about vegan dog food, but vegetarian dog food definitly seems healthy. Dogs, while carniverous, do indeed like and eat veggies, and if they can be healthy, it seems like a good idea. The idea of feeding animals other animals seems...blah to me.
Though yeah. Cats would be harder because they're much more carniverous then dogs confused
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:27 pm
Well, I'm considering owning a cat. I decided that I will only adopt one if I can feed it vegetarian-only. Yes, I know that cats naturally eat meat, but for one thing, I don't want to handle it, and for another thing, it's raised by humans, which is just... unnatural. So if I find a healthy way to keep a vegetarian cat, I will, otherwise, I just won't adopt one.
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:58 pm
From what I recall hearing is that it's fine to have a healthy dog on a vegetarian diet (Paul McCartney's dog is vegetarian) but that it's nearly impossible if you try to do so with cats.
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 12:21 pm
Both of my cats are fed on a vegan diet. All we do is add a thingy called enzymes pH with every meal of theirs and they could never be better. They don't even puke all over the floor anymore. Its great, and it can be done.
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:10 pm
We have a vegan/anorexic/bulmic dog.
Why you ask?
He can't digest store bought dog food.
He can't digest meat.
Dairy for some reason upsets his stomach.
He hates fish.
Basically my mom got fet up with him constantly being a pooping/puking little gasbag. She started making him dinners by blending sweet short californian brown rice, tofu, kale, carrots, cashews and powdered dog vitamins.
Its a bit of a hassle, but at least now he seems happy now and he's now at a healthy weight (before he was 10 lbs underweight).
My dog totally eats healthier food than most Americans. I find that hilarious.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:38 pm
I read that dogs are not actually full-blown carnivores. Dogs often have a hard time digesting raw vegetables and grains. So in the wild, dogs kill other animals for thier meals, but instead of eating the parts you'd think they'd eat, they mostly go for the animal's stomach to eat the partially-digested vegetables and grains. Kinda nasty, but evidence that a veg diet for dogs isn't really a crazy idea. However, dogs are susceptible to soy and corn allergies, so you have to carefully try out different foods and figure out what's best for your pet.
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:38 pm
Dog and wolves are omnivores, you can feed them with vegan dog food if you want, but since their diet includes meat try to find one with plenty calories and proteins
but never never never try this on a cat, they are strictly carnivores, that's what my vet said
3nodding
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:24 pm
I see the point in people trying to feed their dogs vegetarian/vegan diets, but for most dogs I'd think it would be unhealthy. It can technically be done, but I'd be uneasy about owning a dog and trying to make it a vegan especially. Cats definitely not, they can't digest what they need from sources other than meat.
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:32 pm
I had always thought dogs were omnivores, to be honest. Cats, on the other hand, are definitely carnivores, and need meat.
As long as the dog food has enough nutrients, I have no problem with feeding my doggies veggie chow. =3
I worry about what sort of "meat" goes into dog food. sweatdrop
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:54 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:06 pm
Animals don't choose to be veg*n like we do. That's like forcing your child to be veg*n. I still feed my kitty meat and my lizards crickets. They need it. Also my pets won't eat anything else. x)
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:25 pm
While many dogs may be able to eat vegan diets, it really depends on the specific animal. A good friend of mine tried switching his dog to a vegan pet food (gradually) but it made him ill. You have to cater to the specific animal.
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 6:44 pm
ThE_DuDe
but never never never try this on a cat, they are strictly carnivores, that's what my vet said
3nodding I'll second this. I have a very open-minded vet, and even he is very much against a vegetarian diet for cats. It's apparently very tricky to manage. I don't know enough about dogs to comment, but I do know that they can really enjoy vegetables as a dietary supplement. My sister's dog eats a salad with his dinner every night.
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