Vegetarian Dog Food
Vegetarian dog food is becoming quite popular. Mainstream companies offer food for vegetarian diet for dogs and vegitarian dog treats. Do you know the benefits and dangers of a vegetarian dog diet?
Photo by MShades, Kyoto, Japan What is Vegetarian Dog Food?Most people think that a vegetarian dog food diet is a diet that doesn't contain meat. This is partly true. But there are actually levels of vegetarianism.For example, at it's simplest level, a vegetarian diet would just exclude meats like beef, chicken, pork, and poultry. Fish and dairy products could still be consumed. You can see a selection of All Natural, Premium Dog Food Compare prices with the dog foods that you see at Just4Pooches. Vegan Dog FoodAt the other extreme, is the vegan diet. Vegans are far more strict in their approach. They do not eat any animal products, including eggs, milk or cheese. In fact, vegans embrace a philosophy that includes:
Photo by wonderferret, flckr.com Photo is not an endorsement for any product. Vegans believe that animals have a soul or spirit and this belief is the basis for the above. They are concerned with meat eating for ethical, health and spiritual reasons. There a number of commercial companies that specialize in making vegan foods for dogs. So, in summary, feeding your dog vegetarian dog food is a bit more complicated than just the elimination of meat. If you are considering placing your dog on a vegetarian dog food diet, then you need to decide just how strict you will be. What will you include? What are your reasons for doing this? Are you simply concerned about your pet's diet or does your decision reflect your philosophy about the planet's future? As you consider these questions, make sure that you understand what you will need to do to make your dog's diet healthy and balanced. More about this later... Carnivores or Omnivores?I grew up thinking that dogs were carnivores and that carnivores ate a diet that included only meat in the wild. Maybe you did too. But the truth is that dogs cannot survive on meat alone. They must have other foods to supplement and enrich their diet. How can this be so?A carnivore is an animal that eats meat. Dogs are actually part of a biological order, “carnivora”, which is composed of animals that are primarily carnivorous,--but they are not exclusively carnivorous! That means that they need meat, but they must have other foods also. Dogs are technically omnivores. To be included in the biological order, carnivora, an animal must have a single stomach, a short intestine and teeth that are adapted to tearing flesh. Interestingly, no member of this order is entirely meat-eating. In fact, some are complete vegetarians. For example, bears, raccoons and skunks all eat about 50% meat and 50% vegetation in their natural diets. The only animals that come close to eating 100% meat are wildcats, mink and weasels. However, animals in the wild don't just eat the flesh—they eat all parts of their prey, so they end up balancing their diets with the teeth and bones (calcium and phosphorus) and the intestines, etc. (vegetation eaten by the animal they eat). Dog Thrive on Meat and VegetationDogs, on the other hand, do best on a diet that includes both meat and vegetables or grains. An omnivore eats both plants and animals. Humans are a good example of omnivores.Even though dogs and humans are both omnivores, there are some pretty big differences in their dietary needs. Vegetarian dog food, especially a very strict vegan diet, that is designed to meet the nutritional needs of a person, can be very deficient in some of the essential vitamins and minerals needed by your dog.
Photo by Lisa Yarost in Grand Rapids, MI For example, vegetarian dog food needs to include a lot more protein and calcium than your own diet requires. Dogs are able to get most of these nutrients from meat—and some of them from vegetable sources. Wolves, the dog's ancestors, eat the meat, the bones and the organ meats of their prey. In fact, they consume every inch of the dead animal's carcass. Vegetarian Dog Food Can Work for Your Dog!In a vegetarian diet, soy is one of the foods that does contain a large amount of protein, but it isn't a complete protein.Nevertheless it is possible to provide a healthy vegetarian dog food diet for dogs. In order to do so, you will have to monitor your dog's health carefully and give him supplements designed to complement his vegetarian dog food. Reasons for a Vegetarian Diet for DogsHealth Benefits for HumansUnquestionably, a vegetarian diet provides a number of benefits to people. Some of those are:
That's quite a list of wonderful benefits—enough to make a person cut down significantly, if not altogether, his consumption of meat and meat products! Now let's look at how a vegetarian diet for dogs can affect our pets.
Photo by Shawn Allen in San Francisco, CA Elimination of Fats and CholesterolMost of us already know that the typical American diet, rich in meats and fats, is unhealthy for humans. It contributes to increased levels of cholesterol, and, in turn, increased risk for coronary artery disease.To be fair, I need to mention that your dog is not nearly as sensitive to this risk as you are. Dogs don't suffer nearly the risk that you do for cholesterol or heart disease. In fact, eliminating the saturated fats and cholesterol by cutting meats from your pet's diet and feeding him a vegetarian diet for dogs does not really achieve any real health benefit. Your dog needs the benefit of his natural diet, including meats. The fat in meat contains essential fatty acids which are important for your dog's healthy skin and coat. Avoid Bacterial ContaminationIf you feed your dog raw meat or raw eggs, this is definitely an issue. Eliminating raw meat and eggs from your dog's diet will definitely greatly decrease the chances of illness because of bacterial contamination.Remember though, that, if you feed your pet raw vegetables you still run the risk of his getting sick because of e-coli or salmonella. If your pet is eating the same food that you do, he is subject to the same fresh food recalls that humans risk. Sadly, in recent months, we have all had to be on constant alert because of food that has not been handled properly somewhere along the food chain (and sometimes even in other countries, where we have little control over the process). On the other hand, the processing of commercially prepared pet foods in the US, whether they are vegetarian or not, is regulated by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. If your pet's food has been processed, it should be free from bacteria. Prevent Food AllergiesWhile many people believe that a meatless diet can prevent food allergies , it's probably not going to make that much difference in your pet's allergies.Dogs simply don't have that many food allergies (milk is the most common), and, if you eliminate meat, they can still be allergic to grains such as corn or wheat. Add Fiber to Your Pet's DietDogs require a large amount of fiber. Dogs have relatively short digestive tracts (Ever notice how fast food goes through?) and their systems are designed to move things along quickly.Some fiber is helpful for this—but they would need more extensive systems to handle totallyl fiber diets. (Think of a cow “chewing its cud”--it seems to digest its food forever!) In essence, your dog's body is designed to digest everything quickly, and it is designed to make the best use of a variety of foods—both animals and plants. An All Meat Diet Could Kill Your Dog!On the other hand, scientific studies have been conducted in which dogs were fed nothing but meat (no supplements either).The dogs developed what the scientists described as “all meat disease syndrome” or nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. They became sickly, developed soft bones, and some of them actually died. The dogs became ill because they got too little calcium and the calcium to phosphorus balance was way out of balance. In meat, the ratio is 1 to 20. A dog requires a ratio of 1.2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus. How did this affect the dogs? It stimulated the parathyroid gland to release a hormone to correct the deficiency. This, in turn, caused the dogs' bodies to release calcium from their bones in order to balance the calcium/phosphorus ratio. When the dogs' bones released calcium, the dogs suffered from:
So how is this different from the diet of dogs in the wild? Well, in the wild, dogs eat everything—bones, organs, intestines, meat. And, additionally, they also eat plants. I'm sure that you have noticed your dog eat grass or wild herbs. This is natural for a dog. They know instinctively that they need certain nutrients. So dogs in the wild (or their wolf ancestors) actually balance their diets—intuitively. If you were to feed your dog nothing but meat—that would be all she would be eating—no bones, organs, intestines. It's a fine line, but there is a real difference!
Photo by Harlequeen in Cambridge, UK Dangers of a Vegetarian Diet for DogsDogs are unable to synthesize vitamin B12, which is not found in very many plants. In contrast, animals that eat nothing but plants (cattle and sheep are an example) make their own vitamin B12 in their digestive systems using healthy bacteria in their intestines.So here is the bottom line on this—if you decide to feed your pet vegetarian dog food, then you should seriously consider using supplements to make sure that his diet is balanced. How to Make a Vegetarian Diet For Dogs Work For Your PetHere's the bottom line. It doesn't really matter where the protein that your dog eats comes from—meat or vegetable sources! The most important consideration is that the diet must be balanced and nutritious.If you decide to feed your pet vegan or vegetarian dog food, then, in order to make sure that she is getting all the nutrients that she needs, you will have to supplement with a special preparation that is designed to keep vegetarian dogs healthy. As discussed above, this will make sure that your dog is getting sufficient calcium and the proper balance of calcium and phosphorous, vitamin B12 and vitamin A. Occasionally, a dog will balk at the vegetarian food, which may not seem nearly as interesting as the meat flavored food that he is used to. You may have to add a little flavoring to his food to make it more attractive. Some dogs like a few banana slices or a little peanut butter mixed into their food. In order to transition your dog to his new diet, mix a little of the new vegetarian dog food into his regular food. Little by little, increase the amount of vegetarian dog food (and decrease the original food) that you add to his food. Eventually you will be giving her 100% vegetarian dog food. Vegetarian Diet for Dogs - Dog TreatsDon't forget that, if you decide to use a vegetarian dog food for your dog, then you will also need to look into vegetarian dog treats.There are a number of excellent dog treats on the market, but, if you want to have fun and make your own, please check out my vegetarian dog treat recipes.
Even if you decide that you don't want to provide vegetarian dog food for your pet, you can still give your pet healthy vegetarian treats to supplement his regular diet. They don't take that long to make, and I think you will enjoy the project. Skipper and I like to make them together. She loves to taste them as soon as they are cool!
Top of Page Home - Leave Vegetarian Dog Food
Policies - Contact Us - Link to Us - Dog Blog - FREE Bark of the Town Newsletter - Dog News - Dog Biscuit Recipes - Dog Bone Recipes - Dog Cookie Recipes - Easy Treats - Dog Food Recipes - Gourmet Treat Recipes - Holiday Dog Treats - Recipes for Kids - Vegetarian Dog Diet - Dog Nutrition - Dog Allergies - Fat Dogs - Old Dogs - Dog Care - Puppy Care - Dog Health - Support this Site - My Recipe for Success - Product Reviews - Your Dog Tails... - Search this Site - Go Shopping
|
