Vegetarians who have dogs; do you feed your dogs a vegetarian diet?

I've seen several websites day it's a good thing, while others say it's bad. I read somewhere that a vegetarian dog can live longer than the average lifespan.Vegetarians who have dogs; do you feed your dogs a vegetarian diet?
No. I feed my dog a healthy diet that includes meat products. I'm not imposing my diet on an animal that could have side effects from it.



Besides, my main reason for being a vegetarian isn't because I think it's wrong to eat animals, I generally just find the idea of eating dry, burnt strips of flesh unappealing. o.O



But I do try and make sure the dog (and cat) food I buy is from a company that treats its animals humanely.
I have yet to read scientific evidence that proves that dogs cannot thrive on a vegetarian diet. Consider this article: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/106470_wi鈥?/a>



Dogs can be healthy and in fact, thrive on a vegetarian or vegan diet, as long as all necessary nutrient requirements are met. Dogs are biologically omnivorous, but can adapt well to a plant-based diet which meets all their nutritional needs. It's important that the food be digested easily as well as have good palatability. The transition to a plant-based diet should be a gradual change (mixing the 2 foods in different proportions until the new food is given exclusively) to minimize the occurrence of gastrointestinal disturbances (such as diarrhea and sometimes vomiting).



In my clinical practice treating dogs, one of the most common ailments I diagnose and treat in dogs is skin allergies. Recurrent skin allergies (itching, scratching, biting, licking, leading to recurrent inflammation and infection of the skin) are usually due to one of the following (and sometimes a combination of these factors): (1) flea allergy dermatitis (the most commonly diagnosed); (2) food allergy (occurs in about 10-20% of cases); and (3) atopy, which is an allergy to something in the environment, such as house dust mites, pollen, grass, etc. Atopy is relatively uncommon. Most of the time a dog has a food allergy it is to a meat protein such as beef, chicken, or one of the other common meat sources. Vegetarian diets may bring these food allergic dogs relief from their skin allergies. A smaller percentage of dogs are allergic to soy, which may limit choices of commercially available vegetarian diets. In that case, if a caretaker wishes to feed a vegan diet, a homemade diet may be the next best option, but even more care must be taken to insure appropriate nutrient balance and supplements may need to be added to the diet.



Although dry kibble is generally better for dental health, if the dog is predisposed to urinary problems such as urinary crystals, canned (moist) food would be a better choice because the higher water intake helps to dilute out the urine and reduce the incidence of crystal and stone formation. One of the potential but unlikely risks associated with vegetarian diets in dogs is the occurrence of struvite crystals, which are more likely to occur if the urine pH becomes too alkaline. (This problem affects certain breeds of dog more commonly; the affected breeds include shih tzus, miniature schnauzers, bichon frises, miniature poodles, cocker spaniels, and Lhasa apsos.) Adding water to the dry food or encouraging the dog to drink water would be another way to address the issue of urine concentration which is related to crystal formation (the more dilute the urine, the less likely crystals are to form). To avoid any problems associated with urinary alkalinization secondary to the dog being on a vegetarian diet, I recommend that 2-3 weeks after switching the dog from a meat-based to a plant-based diet that he/she be brought to a veterinarian to have a urinalysis performed. This simple test will show what the urine pH is, as well as whether any crystals are present, therefore heading off any problems before they start. If the urine pH is too high (too alkaline) and/or struvite crystals are present, various acidifying agents can be used.



Although diet-related problems are unlikely to occur for dogs on a nutritionally complete and balanced diet, certain dog breeds are predisposed to DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy), a form of heart disease which may be influenced by lack of sufficient intake of taurine and/or carnitine (amino acids which are naturally occurring in flesh foods but can be added to the diet via synthetic supplements which are readily available. Doberman pinschers, boxers, "giant breeds" (Scottish deerhounds, Irish wolfhounds, Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Afghan hounds), and cocker spaniels are the dog breeds predisposed to DCM. The role of carnitine and taurine in the therapy of DCM remains controversial. American cocker spaniels with dilated cardiomyopathy generally respond favorably to taurine supplementation. Those not responding to taurine will often respond to the addition of L-carnitine. This http://www.carnitine-taurine.com/index.h鈥?/a> contains info on ordering supplements of taurine and carnitine for affected dogs. If someone has one of the predisposed breeds, it may be beneficial to supplement with taurine and/or carnitine if not already present in the vegetarian diet, in conjunction with consulting one's veterinarian.

-Armaiti May, D.V.M.

Source(s):

http://www.v-dogfood.com/Vegetarians who have dogs; do you feed your dogs a vegetarian diet?
No I dont. But it can safely be done. I'm only 14 and convincing my mom to let me feed our 2 dogs a vegetarian diet would just get me in trouble. I annoy her enough already!
Dogs are carnivores, but they are non-obligate, so even though they might not be able to thrive 100%, they should survive well.Vegetarians who have dogs; do you feed your dogs a vegetarian diet?
No. We feed holistic dog/cat food.







Ingredients



Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Tomato Pomace, Rye Flour, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Tomatoes, Rice Bran, Deboned Whitefish, Natural Chicken Flavor, Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Ground Flaxseed, Ground Millet, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite], Vitamins [Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Garlic, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation products
My dog is fed a high quality kibble that is meat based. (Can't eat raw as the protein is too much for her at her age.) It's high quality in the way that I made sure the meat is from a more humane place than most kibbles.



Dogs are not designed to eat a vegetarian diet... from their teeth to their cousins, the wolf. The ONLY reason a dog would do what some people call *thrive* on a vegetarian/vegan diet is that there are no by-products in the food, which benefits them, but nowhere near as much as a balanced, high quality, meat diet.



Sometimes it's just as cruel to force your carnivorous pet to eat a diet not made for them as it is to feed them food with tortured animals in it.



Also, just because a vet says a vegetarian diet is good for a pet doesn't mean it is. Vets are not educated well about the nutritional needs of animals in vet school.... not to mention the schooling is usually sponsored by Hills, which is a very low quality pet food company. My vet wanted to feed my dog a TERRIBLE food that I agreed to for a bit. It made her break out in scabs.
No way in H***. My cat eats Wellness Core kibble and raw, and my dog eats Wellness Core kibble and raw. The kibble is high protein, low carb too. I have carnivorous animals so I feed them like carnivores. I on the other hand prefer my soy nuggets and veggies.