cant teach old DOGS new tricks: but can you teach them to be VEGETARIAN?

Question

to be healthier & live longer.

Answer 1

Sorry, but being vegetarin for a dog means less healthy and shorter lives. Dogs need meat to be optimally healthy. Notice those big canine teeth, the ones that evolved for tearing huge hunks of flesh. It is actually somewhat abusive to a dog to refuse to feed it meat.

BTW, you actually CAN teach old dogs new tricks, using Positive Reinforcement.

Answer 2

Human anatomy and dog anatomy are different. Humans can be healthy on vegetarian diets because of their intestines. Ok, an herbivore intestinal tract is 1/3 longer than a carnivore (which ends up being many feet)- which is why we are better off not eating much meat - it rots in the time it takes to make it all the way to the other end. Dogs however have the short intestines of a carnivore, and therefore do not have enough time to break down and digest vegetables before they are expelled.
Dogs need to eat meat, humans do not. If you try to feed your dog a strictly veggie diet it will not be able to absorb nutrients, and in fact, can get poisoned from plant toxins that are otherwise harmless to humans.
You can teach them to be vegetarian, but you can't keep them alive on it.

Answer 3

I doubt it, meat is what they're made to eat my friend. Dog physiology isn't the same as humans, I'm not sure they would live healthier or longer by eating plants vs. squirrels. Their teeth are all designed for cutting through animal tissue, thats why they don't have big square teeth (which is used for grinding up plant food). If you want a vegetarian pet buy a ruminant or a fish. If you want to see how poorly a dog digests vegetables, try giving them a piece of lettuce, they'll look at you like you've lost your mind (which may be possible)

Answer 4

Nature made them to eat meat. I have had many dogs. Most of them ate a raw meat deit. All of my dogs as had long lifes. My Just Enought lived to be 24 years. He was also the smallest. The largest was a Irish Wolf hound and he was 16 years. That is about 4 years longer than most. Nature knows best, don't try to change it.

Answer 5

It's a common mistake to think that being a vegetarian is healthy. Even for humans. They eat tofu and salad, etc. with out making sure they have all of the right food groups and assume they're healthy and great because of no meat. But enough about humans, back to the dogs. They're omnivors, so they CAN eat vegetables, some what, but not only them. Keep your dog on a healthy diet of the healthy dog food of your choice, or ask your vet.

Answer 6

It is not healthier for a dog to be a vegetarien, their digestive systems were not made to process vegetables. They need high protein, meat based diets, that is what they have evolved to process and making a dog or cat be vegetarian could make them ill and shorten their life.

Answer 7

Please don't try to turn your dog into a vegetarian. I have a friend who is a vegetarian, and she decided that her dogs should be, too. Both dogs became sick from not having meat in their diet. One had to be put to sleep and he was only 5 years old.

EDIT TO ADD:

Excellent question though :-) It's nice to see something other than "is my dog sick because he's throwing up blood" or "Should I take him to the vet because his leg might be broken?". OK, maybe I'm exaggerating about the dumb questions, but it's still a great question. Thumbs up :-)

Answer 8

They live healthier and live longer due to the meat which helps sustain their bodies. Did you recently convert to a vegetarian? Please don't let your dog suffer by making him convert. My friend recently became a vegetarian but she absolutely refused to have her pet do the same. It's actually considered cruel.

Answer 9

Teach a dog to go against it's nature?? Why? You'll shorten their life span. Dogs by design eat meat.

Answer 10

Check with your vet before starting your dog on a vegetarian diet.