What do vegetarians/vegans feed their animals?!
For those that do feed meat...what meat sources do you use?
For those that don't feed meat, how do you justify denying the animal what it was born to consume?
Not trying to start a war...I have 2 dogs and am a vegetarian and am hoping to get some input.
Anyone raise their own meat to make sure it is at least treated well and euthanized as humanely as possible (as opposed to the facorty farm method commonly found in human and pet food)?
Thanks in advance for thoughtful, polite replies! And I know I could post this in the Pets section, but I am really only wanting the opinions of vegetarians and vegans.
Thanks!
Answers: I'm curious...for those vegetarians/vegans who have carnivores for pets (cats/dogs, etc.)
For those that do feed meat...what meat sources do you use?
For those that don't feed meat, how do you justify denying the animal what it was born to consume?
Not trying to start a war...I have 2 dogs and am a vegetarian and am hoping to get some input.
Anyone raise their own meat to make sure it is at least treated well and euthanized as humanely as possible (as opposed to the facorty farm method commonly found in human and pet food)?
Thanks in advance for thoughtful, polite replies! And I know I could post this in the Pets section, but I am really only wanting the opinions of vegetarians and vegans.
Thanks!
There was an interesting article about this in the most recent Vegetarian Times. Basically what they said was that it's possible, but not easy and not always sensible, to create a vegetarian diet for a dog. As for cats, it's essentially impossible for them to obtain the requisite nutrients on a veg diet.
It's one thing to make the choice individually, but to make the choice for someone else, in this case a carnivorous animal that doesn't have a say in the matter, is irresponsible and inappropriate.
As much as I hate the smell, my cats all eat meat and I think it's best that way.
What do vegetarians/vegans feed their animals?
As far as cats go, they feed them meat. Cats, unlike dogs, are carnivores. Dogs are omnivores and can thrive on a widely ranged diet.
Always better to talk to a vet than a veger regarding your pets.
**
i feed my dog regular food. it would be completely unfair to make her do something unnatural unhealthy. dogs are meant to eat meat. they like meat. my dog doesnt want to eat veggie dog food and i dont want her to either... way to expensive. i believe that the same thing goes for kids too. its their decision and i know that my dog loves meaty bones and stuff like that.
I understand some vegetarians feed or try to feed their pets vegetarian foods which I find ironic especially if they are against cruelty to animals yet are being cruel to their animal companions in this manner
The best way to approach this is to feed the animal what it would normally eat if it wasn't your pet in the first place especially the carnivorous ones such as cats and dogs. If the vegetarian/vegan owners/human companions have a problem with this then:
1)they should not get a pet to begin with or
2) they should only get animals such as birds (but then you have the freedom issue with caged birds too) that survive naturally on a vegtarian diet.
Any vegetarian/vegan who owns a pet is a hypocrite.
They are for animal rights which means it would be wrong to keep an animal captive.
I feed my dog exclusively vegan dog food. He is a hundred pound husky and he looks better with his skin and coat being more lustrous.
Dog are related to the bear which typically (polar bears excluded) eat 95% vegetarian.
As for cat owners it is much harder but still possible to feed vegetarian. I believe supplementing with tyrosine is necessary in such cases.
I understand the conundrum, save and animal from a shelter and doom hundreds of others in the process. I feel this is hypocritical and if all possible a guardian should feed there pet as much animal free products as possible.
Some have posted that it is cruel to feed dogs vegetarian. Not only is it not cruel but actually healthier. Her is a link about the oldest living dog in the world (29 years old at the time of the article), who by the way is fed vegetarian.
http://www.dogsinthenews.com/issues/0209...
Here is a link to a vegetarian dog food that I had feed my dog on. It was so good I actually wanted more when I tried it myself. I did in the end switch to cheaper vegetarian dog food. They is a surprising variety out there.
http://www.v-dogfood.com/
Here's a link to a variety of vegetarian dog food. natures recipe looks the best. You do not have to order this on line as many local pet stores carry one or more of these brands. Shipping will get you in the end.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/105...
I feed them regular dog food..they were made to eat meat not people
I would ask your vet about brands and your concerns.
I know cats, regardless of what some extremists will tell you, are pure carnivores (though you'll see them nibble on grass - or in my cat's case, pineapple lol - occasionally, seemly just for the novel flavor). Far as I know, digestive enzyme supplements still would no t allow you to safely put your cat on a veggie diet.
Dogs might be more flexible, but I really would still feed them meat. We humans can live fine without meat, but it's not healthy to force another species into it.
I would look for high quality pet foods, maybe organic. I don't know if you can find foods that are made from animals who were treated well though. You can, however, see if your pet food is cruelty free.
Remember if you change foods, change the dog's diet gradually if you can (mix it in, etc).
EDIT: Hey that oldest dog link is interesting. I'm still not sure about keeping dogs on vegetarian/vegan diets though, I think I would need more research. Definitely ask your vets opinion.
I was right about cats though (from that link):
The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (UK) states: "Although both dogs and cats are carnivorous by nature, the dog has evolved such that it is able to adapt to a vegetarian diet, if required. This is not true for the cat, whose diet must be derived, at least in part, from animal tissue."
(I guess you're off the hook, Morris.)
Source: Nutritional Imbalance,
Waltham.com
my one friend is a vegetarian and she feeds her cats all natural cat food.
If they choose their lifestyle for health reasons they should feed their pets whatever a reputable vet to recommend. If they choose for moral issues they should not "own" a pet because it would be unnatural.
I've been vegetarian for about 16 years and my two dogs are fed tinned dog food and freshly cooked chicken, rabbit and liver. Sometimes fresh cooked fish. I'd never consider giving a vegetarian diet to a dog.
Wahoo and GR Cowboy, my cat was rescued from an abusive situation; this is the case for many veg*ns who keep animals. Hypocrisy would be saying you would never keep an animal and then nipping to a breeder to buy one; saying you care about animals and then - er - caring for an animal is not hypocrisy.
I feed my cat meat; I'm the vegan, not her. Carnivores can't make that choice, omnivores can.
My fiance's parents once had a dog that could not eat a meat-based diet because it had some health issues. I think they basically made this liquid diet out of all sorts of vegetarian foods including yogurt and chickpeas and other stuff, and the dog became healthier. But they're not vegetarian. That was just a one time thing.
I think it's easier to make a dog vegetarian than a cat. I plan on getting a dog sometime in the future (never owned one), and I might try to go for a vegetarian diet (they do sell that sort of stuff), but we'll see how that works out. If it becomes detrimental to the dog's health, then I'd switch to a meat-based diet.
I feed them good quality dog and cat food. BTW..dogs are not carnivores..they are omnivores.