Vegan dog food

All scientific evidence points towards the fact that dogs, while not true carnivores, are opportunistic, carnivorous scavengers. Cats on the other hand are true, obligate carnivores, requiring animal protein to survive. There is a difference between a carnivorous scavenger and an omnivore though - dogs lack the dental characteristics, longer digestive tract and specific enzymes of true omnivores like humans. That is the reason why they can not digest grains and vegetables unless they are "predigested" by processing, mincing/grinding, breakdown by enzymes, or fermentation through bacteria. Once converted, they are fully available to the dog. This does, however, not mean that your dog will thrive on a diet mainly made up of poor quality grains or grain fragments, which is what most cheap foods are. Whole grains, including their entire complement of nutrients are much more valuable - and this does not only apply for a dog's diet, but for humans as well! Digestibility depends on quality and type of grain used: rice (72%) is for example more digestible than wheat (60%) or corn (54%). Dogs can absorb the digestible carbohydrates from rice almost entirely, of the other grains about 20% are not absorbed. Indigestible fiber from grains contribute to intestinal health. Sabine Contreras, Canine Care & Nutrition Consultant

over 1 year ago by Anonymous

I would encourage everyone to examine the studies on dogs & cats conducted @ Cornell university. While cats are known carnivores, dogs are omnivores. Just make sure your companion is eating a well balanced diet. Multiple veg protein sources and a good vitamin supplement. I feed my 17 year old kelpie+ & 2 year old & 1 year old cattle dogs this way. I supplement with high quality vegan kibble. I make sure my dogs have loads of live foods. My family purees organic veggies...pressure cook beans etc. We rotate grains throughout the week. Believe it or not, our loves enjoy our morning muesli with us too! ....rolled oats, chopped pecans & walnuts, bananas, mango, soy yogurt and ricemilk with a splash of vanilla. If you don't offer some, prepare to have your bowl dumped in your lap while they protest! I feel commercial kibble is not needed, but we keep it around for being on the go and when friends take care of our dogs. Try Vegedog vitamins. I have also used Paul Owens (the dog whisperer)...he's the 'real' thing....his book has feeding guidelines. Unfortunately he recommends raw meat. I have used his protein ratios by simply supplementing vegan protein in place of the meat. You can get a good scale for weighing food @ a thrift store or kitchen shop and be on your way to making quality food. I agree with Christine Agro that you have to watch your companion carefully...always...as you would yourself or a child to make sure they are happy and well on ANY diet. Continuing to perpetuate the myth that dogs 'need' meat is very conservative and lacks education. Humans aren't carnivores either. We may 'crave' foods....they may taste good to ourselves and dogs, but aren't needed. Cats are the only true mammalian carnivores in our keep and I have known of many a vegan cat, though it takes a little more work. I choose to not have cat companions for this reason. I would also find it interesting that a clairvoyant would promote meat eating at all. Has Christine had clairvoyant moments with animals ready for slaughter...does she 'intuitively' sense thier desire to die? I have yet to encounter any animal that would give themselves up for food. Therefore, I feel that our lifestyle/philosophy is appropriate for our companions if it is good for ourselves.

over 2 years ago by Anonymous