Already asked this in pets but....?!
Already asked this in pets but....?
do you guys feel its fair to feed a dog on a vegetarian or vegan diet????
I am a vegetarian myself(but eat fish- am I a pesci-veggie or pesky-veggie, pls correct me!)
I dont think its right to feed my dog on a wholly vegetarian diet and most people on the dog section agree but I wonder what you would think on the vegetarian/vegan section.
I dont feel its right to impose our beliefs on our animals/pets who have no choice but to eat what we offer. Additional Details
3 days ago
I have a working cocker spaniel whos fed on working gundog kibble and chicken and veg once or twice a week. I wouldnt put any dog on a vegetarian diet to be honest but its nice to hear other peoples points of view.
3 days ago
Michael
you wonder why a vegetarian would keep a dog that has to be fed on other dead animals??
But as you state, Im not a vegetarian but a pescitarian, thank you for that info.
My dog is a working dog,yet is a softy as she only chases after toys, not rabbits. I dont eat meat for health reasons that are too private to go into here.
Thank you for your answer.
AND BTW, I apologise if I have insulted vegetarians like you claimed I have. Try not to be so militant.
Answers: 3 days ago
I have a working cocker spaniel whos fed on working gundog kibble and chicken and veg once or twice a week. I wouldnt put any dog on a vegetarian diet to be honest but its nice to hear other peoples points of view.3 days ago
Michael
you wonder why a vegetarian would keep a dog that has to be fed on other dead animals??
But as you state, Im not a vegetarian but a pescitarian, thank you for that info.
My dog is a working dog,yet is a softy as she only chases after toys, not rabbits. I dont eat meat for health reasons that are too private to go into here.
Thank you for your answer.
AND BTW, I apologise if I have insulted vegetarians like you claimed I have. Try not to be so militant. This forum tends to be rather fanatical as you have already learned. I agree that we do not impose our beliefs on animals. Turning animals in vegetarians to suit our needs is a form of cruelty.
Now opposed to that is one of your commentators that was particularly offensive. This person admits he raises 3000 bales of hay and sells it to people who feed it to animals that will be slaughtered for food. His justification is "what should I do burn them?" and suffer the economic loss.
It never occurred to raise something else that is consistent with the ethics he allegedly believes.
So I'm not sure why you deserve any criticism for having ethics that are sincere in maintaining your animals that may be different than what you choose for yourself. It shows you are able to "put yourself in your animals' shoes" as so to speak. You have empathy.
So while your choice contributes to the well-being of your animal, the choice of others who sell hay to those who fatten cattle for killing certainly is not contributing to the animal's well-being. So while your ethics are genuine, the other's are fraudulent. That's like claiming to be against war and an ardent pacifist and claiming innocence because you sell only the bullets.
Also, you are chided for being a pesco-vegetarian--a designation welcome and understood in other cultures. Yet the person who held you to such a parochial standard of what a vegetarian means --- eats eggs. So does that mean there are different standards for "ovo, lacto" vegetarians but not for pesco vegetarians? ....LMAO ... the individual is abusive and you don't deserve that kind of abuse.
Enjoy your fish . . . and dont forget to give some to that lovely animal that is lucky to have such a caring mistress. dogs need to eat meat. i don't think it's fair to deprive them of it, if they were in the wild they wouldn't think...shall i have a nice carrot....no it would be a rabbit all the way! If your diet helped you feel better and more physically fit, I don't see why your dog wouldn't benefit from the same diet. yess.......i agree totally..........ur a very PESKY vegatarian What sort of dog have you got? If you have a mongrel or hunting dog variety in the olden days they were used to the scraps coming off the tables. A friend who has a springer spaniel was advised by the vet that the dog would do just as well on scraps as formulated food but to mix the diet. I believe the dried foods contain a well balanced meal which would not offend your sensibilities rather than opening a can of dog meat. Hope this contribution helpful. the correct term is pesci-vegetarian or pescotarian. it is possible to get a dog to live in a veggie diet and for him to be healthy, i dont consider it cruel unless you cause him to suffer in anyway or make his life less fun, but there is plans that you can use to get your dog to eat veggie, here is a link...
http://www.vegetariandogs.com/
and another...
http://www.veggiepets.com/acatalog/veget...
hope that helped "pls correct me"
OK, you are a pescitarian or something like. You are not a vegetarian who eats fish. please , this is rather disrespectful to vegetarians.
Some dog species are quite capable of surviving on a vegetarian diet.
I don't understand why a vegetarian would keep a pet dog if it would mean that animals are going to have to be killed to make pet food. To me, you are supporting the meat industry in the same way as a meat eater.
Of course, if you are veggie for health reasons then there is no moral decision, you can feed the dog whatever you like Good question! I was going to say "No", based on the fact that dogs are carnivorous, but I've just had a look on the internet & found an interesting article about vegetarian pets, which basically says that you're doing them no harm by feeding them a veggie based diet. Apparently it doesn't matter which foodstuff animals get their nutrients & protein from, as long as they get them. X Sweetie..if you eat fish, you are not any type of vegetarian. Vegetarians do not eat fish or any other animal. As far as pets go...I've heard that dogs that can do pretty well on a vegetarian diet...especially if they have many food allergies. A cat though is a born carnivore. I'm a vegan but I still feed my dog dog food with meat in which may be hypocritical but to be honest I don't care if it means my dog's happy and healthy. The only reason she is on a meat diet is because she's very old... she's been eating the same dog food for 12 years and I don't want to change her diet now just because I've decided to change mine. I was advised by my vet that I shouldn't even switch over to another brand this late on in her life. I don't like that she eats meat but her health is the most important thing for me when she's this old.
I believe that dogs can definitely be healthy and even healthier on a vegetarian diet and if my dog were younger then I would move her on to a veg diet straight away and when I have dogs in the future they will be vegetarian. I don't think it's cruel because I don't even think they would notice... I'm sure the veggie food would smell just as good as meat dog food. Sure in the wild they would be eating meat but they're not in the wild anymore and we as owners know how to give them a balanced diet. By keeping pets we're already imposing our beliefs on them... we train them, tell them when they can go outside and we basically control their whole lives so it's a bit unrealistic to think that we aren't. If your dog understood then they may even thank you for moving them onto a healthier diet. A couple of family friends have been vegetarians for over 30 years and have had countless numbers of rescue pets, all of which have been vegetarian... they've all been very healthy and lived to an old age.
If I were you I would give it some more thought. You are the 'pack leader' so it's your decision but please don't just go by what meat eaters say... a lot of them say vegetarian diets are unhealthy for humans when they've done no research on the matter.
http://www.happidog.co.uk/2-health-main.... It is really up to you. The vegetarian pet food on the market is specifically designed to give animals all the nutrients they need. People (and animals) require specific nutrients, not specific styles of food.
Besides, it isn't like you are feeding your dog a bowl of carrots and spinach.
:)
Some people feel their pets are happier when they have food their omnivorous bodies are used to eating, some feel that their pets show now changes when eating vegetarian food. It is about preference.
Oh yes, you can be a pescatarian, or even a piscavore, but there is no such thing as an animal-eating vegetarian... it kind of defeats the purpose.
:)
And I wouldn't say that MichaelH is "militant" just because he has different views. It isn't very nice. Dear friend
Many of you are wondering if a vegetarian or vegan diet might be appropriate for your animal friends. Fortunately, your dogs can be vegetarians! Vegetarian Dogs provides answers and gives directions to easily purchase (see resources) or prepare a healthy meal.
There is no scientifically known reason why dogs cannot live full, healthy lives on a vegan diet. Furthermore, a homemade or commercial vegetarian food can avoid the potentially detrimental health effects of many meat-based commercial foods.
Some suggest more widespread benefits: "Dogs would benefit in health and temperament worldwide....Such a diet would also greatly reduce the risks of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and other common diseases and disorders.
I will give some vegan dog food if u want yr dog goes veggies.
Vegetables
Vegetables are highly digestible by dogs after cooking. Baking is best for nutrient retention; but boiling is fine, if you also use the water in the food. Dogs love most cooked vegetables, but may prefer them cut into small pieces or pureed. Whole cooked potatoes make an excellent snack. Just fill a pan with potatoes and place in the oven for about an hour at 350 degrees. After cooling, store in the refrigerator and give as snacks. As much as 1/3 of the basic recipe can consist of "extra" vegetables without greatly altering the nutrient balance.
Millet, beans, lentils, and other grains/legumes.
Add up to one cooked cup per basic recipe. Beans, lentils and other legumes are especially high in minerals and protein. However, as mentioned earlier, you should check the dog(s) stool to see if they are digesting such foods. If you see whole beans, for example, cook them longer and/or put them in a blender.
Pasta
Add up to 1 cup dry or cooked pasta to the food. Any size shape or variety will do-- it should be whole wheat or enriched, however.
Whole wheat bread
Dogs love bread. Fortunately, bread is a healthy snack. You can add it to the meal or use for treats.
hope this will help u lots..
Or try this link for more vegan recipes:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/moredogtrea...
put it on Google u will find the link u want.
good luck. You should feed your dog meat. I agree completely that one should not impose one's personal beliefs on animals; it's not fair on them, and it's irresponsible of the owner. Dogs and cats need to have a well balanced diet. Cats for one have to have meat or they will go blind. They are not meant to have a vegan diet. I would never put my pet on any diet untill I have discussed it first with my vet. A vet will recommend the best diet for you pets. Please don't push your beliefs on your animals. No, it's not fair, some people might claim it's cruelty, because a dog is a natural meat eater.
If you think about it, it's like forcing a vegetarian to eat meat. So I agree with you about it not being right to impose our beliefs.
Vegetarians who are not prepared to feed their dog meat, should consider choosing a non meat eating pet/companion. Much happier result all round if you choose a pet to suit your lifestyle. I think of it like this,, all dogs originally descended from wolves etc, how many wolves have you seen eat lettuce, carrots, tofu, etc.
If you had a pet lion (ok in dream land here) but would you try to make it eat tofu, your bang on the money it's not right to impose your beliefs onto pets unlike the Muppet in this similar question
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind... Dogs are by nature carnivores. Please read this article on natural pet food:
http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/n... I'm a vegetarian. My cat is not. That's not the way God made her. If, some morning, she tells me that she would rather eat vegetables, I'd oblige her. Until then, I feed her a diet that is more conducive to her species.
I'm a beliver that God put animals on the Earth and those animals eat certain things. It's not for me to make my own decision about this. I am not insulted. My dog eats as she is made too(mostly). I make a dog food, it has animals flesh as well as lots of veggies with a small amount of brown rice. I changed her over when we were having the pet food scare. The brand she was eating was never on the lists but when I investigated I found all the scary info that even the better brands were including in bad things. Since changing her diet a life long problems with allergies & vomiting has stopped. She no longer has to take Benadryl or Zantac,,yeah her vet had her on both.
I say mostly because I am reading allot on RAW diets for dogs. Her food is 99% cooked stuff. no its not fair to do this , its a bloody dog for gods sake,the poor thing is dumb and carnt tell you if your crap is horrible,why dont you stick to your carrot crunching ways and let the dog enjoy a nice bit of beef ............... I agree with you that it is not right to feed your dog a vegetarian diet only.
Dogs are carnivores by nature and people cannot think of them in the same sense as humans.
People can make conscious decisions and still get nourishment from many other sources through vegetables, fruits, etc.
Dogs digestive systems reject many of the fruits and vegetables that humans can eat for nourishment. Some can even kill them.
Feed your dog meat, even if it is just an ingredient in their wet or dry dog food. Ditto - glad you linked the spot the difference link - jeeez I screamed the place down when I did it!
I too have a working cocker spaniel - a black one with a white flash on his chest! He is three and a half. (lively little things aren't they!) I feed mine Bakers and he loves it - Chicken and Vegetables or, Bacon - he loves them both.
I agreee with you - I don't think we should impose our veggie beliefs on our pets - we could be denying some nutrients they need and that is not fair. I am vegetarian and I have 3 cats. I would like to feed them a veggie diet but don't think it is fair on them. But I restrict their food to non-fluffy animals (only chicken and fish and if absolutely necessary some beef). It salves my conscience somewhat. My husband has the same restrictions on his diet, lol! The oldest dog in the world is a vegan dog! A 27 year old Border Collie in Australia.Dogs are omnivores and can survive as strict carnivores or herbivores.
There are vegan cat foods that come synthesized with Taurine,Vitamin A Retinol and everything else cats need.