# Vegetarian dog food



## kjarels (Aug 21, 2007)

I took Gracie for her yearly visit to the vet today, heck I don't even get a yearly exam, and the topic turned to dog food because Gracie weighs 11.6 lbs. I asked him about the high protein diets that you see a lot of dog food companies talk about and he said that dogs are NOT true carnivores but do well with a vegetarian food if its got the right nutrients in it. He went on to tell me that brocil, carrots, celery and things were actually very good for dogs. What do you guys think??


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

I guess it would require a lot of research to make sure you are feeding with the right nutrients? I imagine once you've got the balance right it could be very healthy.

I don't know that dogs aren't true carnivores though, that's quite surprising to me - not saying it isn't true, but I just think back to wolves in the wild - I don't know that they lived on berries & twigs alone! LOL

We have a member here who feeds a vegetarian diet (I think??) - Sir N & Little C's Mom - maybe you could PM her & ask for her thoughts?


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Vegetables are probably fine but vegetables alone are not a balanced diet. Vegetables aren't what is called "complete" proteins. They don't have all of the amino acids. Humans can substitute beans for animal protein or mix two complementary incompletes. You might be able to do this with dogs but you would need to know what you're doing, that's for sure.


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## binniebee (Sep 27, 2007)

Well, I am no expert about vegetarianism or anything like that but seriously if your baby is not fat then why try to cut the weight by switching to a vegetarian diet? Or is this even the reason you are considering it? Personally, I wouldn't mess with Midis' diet and he is not far off from your pup's weight. He is a dog, even though we all know they are also our babies.  I think dogs need protein. I do give Midis small baby carrots and green beans occasionally, but his daily treats are boiled chicken and grilled lean beef. His dog food is dry Science Diet Lamb & Rice (I had read that Lamb & Rice were good for the coat). I never feed him any table food, although his daddy does sometime pick off the husks from popcorn and give him a bite or two of clean popcorn. Basically, I just don't want him to have diarrhea or get constipated or throw up! So I try to stick with the same diet day after day that is working pretty well for him. I'm afraid if he gets too many veggies it might throw off his system and then we'd have a gross, disgusting problem to deal with in addition to a very uncomfortable little baby. I'm leaving well enough alone. 

Cyndi


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

My breeder even put it in our contract that I would not feed a vegetarian diet. Dogs are carnivores not cows. :brownbag:


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

My opinion on this is dogs Need Meat! Sure, vegetables are good, but not as their only food souce. 

http://www.drmarty.com/

http://www.drmarty.com/feeding.htm


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## kjarels (Aug 21, 2007)

> My opinion on this is dogs Need Meat! Sure, vegetables are good, but not as their only food souce.
> 
> http://www.drmarty.com/
> 
> http://www.drmarty.com/feeding.htm[/B]



Just to confuse us some more!!



Vegetarian Dogs

wpe6.jpg (24676 bytes)
Reprinted with permission from the Doctor Fun site. Visit it to see other funny cartoons.
More and more people are making the choice of a vegetarian lifestyle. They believe that it is healthier to eat foods that do not contain animal protein within. They also do this to make a lifestyle statement against the way that animals are slaughtered for food. For whatever reasons you may have for becoming a vegetarian, if you own dogs you may be in a quandary about what to feed them.

{While I am not a vegetarian, I feel that if you believe in something strong enough and you don't hurt yourself or others in the process then, by all means, go for it!}

Can dogs be Vegetarian?
Most of you will agree that dogs are meat-eaters by design. The ecological niche of their ancestors was to provide a way to strengthen the herbivores by weeding out the sick and the weak, therefore keeping a balance of population. Dogs (and Wolves) being predators, rely on eating a high protein diet. Their digestive systems are well adapted to breaking down proteins and using them efficiently. After relating this though, how does being a vegetarian fit into this lifestyle? The answer is, surprising, not so hard at all!

Although most dog food producers are geared to a meat protein and supplement diet, more and more vegetarian foods are being produced. The high protein content of certain Legumes, Lentils, etc. can easily be produced in this way. Soy and Wheat based foods have been available for years. Also, Vegetarian diets can be essential for those dogs that have dietary sensitive problems (allergies) with foods made with animal proteins.

Dogs were never Carnivores
It may surprise you to hear that dogs aren't totally meat-eaters. In a pack situation, when a wolf pack, for example, brings down a prey animal, the leaders (Alpha's) who have first crack at eating, don't go for what we might have considered the best parts. Instead, they go for the stomach, where pre-digested grains and grasses can be found. For essential vitamins and minerals, they eat the heart, liver, etc. In other words, all the stuff that our parents tried to make us eat because it was "good for us." Wolves in the wild exist on a well-balanced diet. Dogs also like to munch on grasses, although they can't digest it in that form. This is different, though, than dogs eating rough grasses in an attempt to relieve dietary distress

Choices for Vegetarian Diets
There are a variety of commercial vegetarian foods, treats and supplements out there to buy as well as a selection of resources for making your own food for your pets.

Processed Foods
The most readily available processed foods to be found out there, depending on the area in which you live are:
{NOTE: If any product has a website, the name will be underlined as a hypertext link. Click on it to go directly to that site. Click on the BACK button on your browser to get back to this page.}


Nature's Recipe:


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

Well, I'm not confused about this topic! Good thing, because I'm confused about too many other things. :biggrin:


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

I have recently started cooking for my dogs and this topic is discussed in a few of the books I use. There are vegetarian recipes in a couple of the books, but most of the authors (vets or nutritionists) say you shouldn't feed a dog a purely vegan diet more than 1 day out of a month. Some advocate that doing it 1 day a month is actually good for their system. There are also several recipes that include eggs or tofu as the primary protein source, which is sort of vegetarian.  

The books I have found to be tremendously helpful are Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (by Richard Pitcairn), The Whole Pet Diet (by Andi Brown), and Barker's Grub (by Rudy Edalati). Each of the books includes the supplements you add to the diet to ensure optimum health. All of the recipes are quite easy.

One last thing: The Honest Kitchen makes a vegetarian formula of dehydrated food that you reconstitute. Its got great ingredients and is fortified with vitamins so all you have to do is add your protein source of choice. This is a bit easier than all out cooking for the little furry ones.


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## Desiree (May 29, 2007)

If you go to this site PetDiets.com you can pay a certified veterinary nutritionist to custom make a recipe just for your dog and her needs. It's not cheap, but may pay off in the long run if it's really something you're interested in. 

The Vegan Dog Nutrition Association provides links to different sites that sell vegan food for dogs if you'd rather just purchase something already made. Good luck!

<div align="center">Desiree & Eros


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## MickeysMom (Jun 16, 2006)

It is true that dogs are not true carnivores. That means that they eat other things and can live without meat. It doesn't mean they should not eat meat though.

Cats are an example of a true carnivore. They pretty much only need meat (protein) and they really don't need as much carbs as dogs do.


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