Feeding Dogs A Vegetarian Diet

[Miranda]

Well as far as I'm concerned if a vegetarian diet is an optimum diet for a dog it should be perfectly possible to breed and raise all dogs on a diet consisting solely of carbohydrate. You should be able to wean a puppy directly onto it and that puppy should be able to live on that diet for its entire life and successfully produce puppies which will go on to become vegetarians themselves. If it isn't possible to do this then obviously a vegetarian diet isn't a suitable diet for dogs.

I actually hope it is possible because it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than the diet my dogs are getting at the moment

[Cavalier]

Well as far as I'm concerned if a vegetarian diet is an optimum diet for a dog it should be perfectly possible to breed and raise all dogs on a diet consisting solely of carbohydrate. You should be able to wean a puppy directly onto it and that puppy should be able to live on that diet for its entire life and successfully produce puppies which will go on to become vegetarians themselves. If it isn't possible to do this then obviously a vegetarian diet isn't a suitable diet for dogs.

I actually hope it is possible because it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than the diet my dogs are getting at the moment

What I wrote about the dogs digestive system is correct. My dog ate some cat faeces the other week - she ended up in hospital for 3 days on a drip with bloody diarrhoea.

A vegetarian diet does not just consist of carbohydrate - now you are showing your lack of nutritional knowledge ;)

Edited November 5, 2009 by Cavalier

[chuckandsteve]

It probably is possible to breed from vegetarian dos healthy pups, its just an area that has had little research to date. It is a bit rich to assume its not possible before trying. A dog that is already on meat needs to be changed slowly, if the parents weren't on meat then theorectically the pup could go straight onto a vegetarian diet.

Personally I dont see the point of someone trying to do that as I dont think animals should be brought into this world purely for experimental purposes. There are very few people as you can tell who believe in a vegetarian diet so no market for pets like that. Swapping a single dog to vegetarian needs to be done whilst monitoring the dog.

The slow change over helps pick up any problems before they are actually problems should you have them. I think you need to stop thinking about the extreme cases, in the vegetarian community there are extremists as in all we are talking about doing this responsibly not in the worst possible manner.

We are talking about doing it in the worst way possible, its assumptions like these tha dont allow for open discussion and wont allow for a realistic outcome to ever be reached.

For the research to be produced emotion needs to be removed and looked at it for what it is not what you want it to be. People who have vegetarian dogs aren't going to let people who want to run a research project entitled "Why vegetarian dogs are bad" look at their dogs health are they?

Edited November 5, 2009 by chuckandsteve

[poodlefan]

C&S:

if the parents weren't on meat then theorectically the pup could go straight onto a vegetarian diet.

Please explain your theory. How what a parent animal eats (especially the male) would influence the digestive system of a pup initially fed on milk sure defeats me.

Changing the diet does NOT change the anatomy of an animal's digestive system. Until we breed a dog with 4 stomachs, a lip that can grasp grasses and molars to grind them, I'll be feeding my dogs some meat.

Those keen to champion the rights of oppressed animals might like to question what most dogs would eat given the choice. That fact that we have the ability to entirely control our dogs diet should not give us the right to inflict our dietary philosophies on them or treat them like nutritional guinea pigs.

Edited November 5, 2009 by poodlefan

[chuckandsteve]

C&S:

if the parents weren't on meat then theorectically the pup could go straight onto a vegetarian diet.

Please explain your theory. How what a parent animal eats (especially the male) would influence the digestive system of a pup initially fed on milk sure defeats me.

Changing the diet does NOT change the anatomy of an animal's digestive system. Until we breed a dog with 4 stomachs, a lip that can grasp grasses and molars to grind them, I'll be feeding my dogs some meat.

It would change the milk just as diet effects human milk but the male probably doesn't matter. Not an expert on this I will admit it was just in response to the question posted above, there is no reason you couldn't do it. By the way I dont have 4 stomachs either

Edited November 5, 2009 by chuckandsteve

[poodlefan]

C&S:

if the parents weren't on meat then theorectically the pup could go straight onto a vegetarian diet.

Please explain your theory. How what a parent animal eats (especially the male) would influence the digestive system of a pup initially fed on milk sure defeats me.

Changing the diet does NOT change the anatomy of an animal's digestive system. Until we breed a dog with 4 stomachs, a lip that can grasp grasses and molars to grind them, I'll be feeding my dogs some meat.

It would change the milk just as diet effects human milk but the male probably doesn't matter

It would not change it from an animal based protein source into anything else.

[Law]

Well as far as I'm concerned if a vegetarian diet is an optimum diet for a dog it should be perfectly possible to breed and raise all dogs on a diet consisting solely of carbohydrate. You should be able to wean a puppy directly onto it and that puppy should be able to live on that diet for its entire life and successfully produce puppies which will go on to become vegetarians themselves. If it isn't possible to do this then obviously a vegetarian diet isn't a suitable diet for dogs.

I actually hope it is possible because it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than the diet my dogs are getting at the moment ;)

What I wrote about the dogs digestive system is correct. My dog ate some cat faeces the other week - she ended up in hospital for 3 days on a drip with bloody diarrhoea.

A vegetarian diet does not just consist of carbohydrate - now you are showing your lack of nutritional knowledge

Cat poo is Boodzey favour treat are you sure it wasnt just that your dog reacted badly because I know from previous yucky discussions that alot of others on here have cat poo connoisseur's

[Spot.]

For the research to be produced emotion needs to be removed and looked at it for what it is not what you want it to be. People who have vegetarian dogs aren't going to let people who want to run a research project entitled "Why vegetarian dogs are bad" look at their dogs health are they?

But why fix something that isn't broken?

We know what dogs thrive on (meat!).

[chuckandsteve]

C&S:

if the parents weren't on meat then theorectically the pup could go straight onto a vegetarian diet.

Please explain your theory. How what a parent animal eats (especially the male) would influence the digestive system of a pup initially fed on milk sure defeats me.

Changing the diet does NOT change the anatomy of an animal's digestive system. Until we breed a dog with 4 stomachs, a lip that can grasp grasses and molars to grind them, I'll be feeding my dogs some meat.

It would change the milk just as diet effects human milk but the male probably doesn't matter

It would not change it from an animal based protein source into anything else.

I agree no point in doing it wouldn't effect the animals at all. Was just in response to if you can breed from 2 vegetarian dogs. A pup should be able to go straight to vege diet. Just an adult eating meat needs slow swap over

[GeckoTree]

I think a dog could cope on a vegetarian diet, I dont think a vegan diet would be very good for one though.

[Miranda]

What I wrote about the dogs digestive system is correct. My dog ate some cat faeces the other week - she ended up in hospital for 3 days on a drip with bloody diarrhoea.

A vegetarian diet does not just consist of carbohydrate - now you are showing your lack of nutritional knowledge ;)

Well obviously my dogs must be tougher than yours Cavalier, I've had dogs for 35 years and they've all eaten raw meat, smelly bones, dirt, insects, dead animals and poo from many and varied sources including human and they've all been perfectly healthy. They've even caught wild rabbits and eaten the complete animal including the fur, I don't think a human GI tract would cope with that do you? Strange really because you'd think that if the human and dog are exactly the same a human would be able to chow down on a raw rabbit with ease

I seem to remember from previous discussions that you wish to show and breed cavaliers, I'll be very interested to hear how successful your breeding program is on a vegetarian diet, semen quality, conception rates, survival rates, milk production, you know the sort of thing

Regarding carbohydrate I consider that word perfectly sufficient for a discussion between laymen (other than yourself of course ) on DOL.

[Kissindra]

chuck&steve - I'm trying very hard to look at the available data and seek information from those who say they've done the reseach, I've stipulated I am asking because I am genuinely interested, but my questions seem to be being ignored

[Kissindra]

hang on a tick....cavaliers, vet, odd statements, talking about breeding....

KYLA! You've come back to us!

Edited November 5, 2009 by Kissindra

[SparkyTansy]

chuck&steve - I'm trying very hard to look at the available data and seek information from those who say they've done the reseach, I've stipulated I am asking because I am genuinely interested, but my questions seem to be being ignored

you aren't being ignored kissindra... your question isn't being answered because the answer isn't known...

[WreckitWhippet]

hang on a tick....cavaliers, vet, odd statements, talking about breeding....

KYLA! You've come back to us!

I was thinking the same yesterday but dare not say it

[Miranda]

hang on a tick....cavaliers, vet, odd statements, talking about breeding....

KYLA! You've come back to us! ;)

I remember Kyla

[Kissindra]

Think I'd better leave now - oh and just for shits n giggles the veg food site has an interesting list of links - http://veganpet.com.au/articles/?page_id=23

Will report back if Dr. Costa is helpful and emails me his findings in full

[WreckitWhippet]

Miranda I wonder would you be able to get a vego male to repeatedly serve a bitch ?

[Rozzie]

Miranda I wonder would you be able to get a vego male to repeatedly serve a bitch ?

If she smelt like cabbage maybe?

[Souff]

Those keen to champion the rights of oppressed animals might like to question what most dogs would eat given the choice.

Well ... this is the list from the canine crew in response to this question about being given the choice:

The Bird.

The Chooks.

Next door's cat.

That pet rabbit that comes to stay sometimes.

Vintage Cheese (cut into squares please) (soft cheeses stick to the teeth a bit much apparently)

Schmackos - any variety

Dental Sticks

Pigs ears

The small steaks that you have that nice sauce with.

BBQ chicken.

Sausages (cooked please)

Shortbreads, and any other sweet biscuits that humans like.

Crackers and pretzels.

Toast (buttered)

Some of your pasta dishes, but not with carrot in them please.

That nice red mince that you get from the local butcher, it tastes way better than the mince from the petshop.

So, there you have it folks. I did give them the choice. ;)

Souff