Dog experts: Since dogs are carnivores do they really NEED vegetables in their diet?

Answer 1

Molly,
What planet are you from??? Yes ALL HUMANS need a balanced diet and yes we all need veggies.

Answer 2

They definitely do not. Anyone who says dogs are not carnivores needs to have a good long look at the dog digestive tract starting with dentition - still that of a carnivore! and the digestive tract which does NOT digest vegetable matter well - something that is not the case in omnivores. Dogs ARE carnivores.
Dogs have changed in appearance from wolves but their digestive tracts have not. This means your dog still has the digestive system and dentition of a wolf. Anything except raw meat and bones makes up very little of a wolf's diet. And dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates. People have been brainwashed by the dog food companies (and they are the ones who publish studies and educate the vets on foods - so your vet will agree with them) that you should be feeding your dogs only the stuff they take left over from the human food industry, cook it till it's unidentifiable, smash it into blobs and put it in a bag. Start taking a hard look at what you're putting in to your dog and why bad teeth and bad breath are now an epidemic! Carbs and vegetables (and certainly not corn and byproducts) are not the answer!
To find out more, try www.rawfed.com for more info on how to feed a carnivore.

Answer 3

Many people would say no. Grains are mainly put into dog food as fillers. The digestive system of a dog isn't suited to properly digest vegetables (carnivore intestines are shorter, where as herbivore intestines are longer because it takes longer to properly digest the cellulose in vegetables), yet I know many people that feed their pet veggies.

There's been a growing trend with some people to put their dogs on a raw diet of meat only. I do have 4 dogs, but I don't feel the need to go to the extreme of a raw food diet. It's much more costly and time consuming. I think that this diet does help a lot of the larger dog breeds such as Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, and Saint Bernards to name a few. These dogs have such short life spans that their diet can really have a direct correlation on their quality and length of life.

Greyhound racers have been fed raw meat diets for years, but they also usually mix in a grain such as rice.

There are many risks of exposing your pet to potentially dangerous pathogens by feeding them a raw meat diet. For the most part the digestive systems of dogs can take these one with no problem, but we're not dealing with wild dogs anymore. We have very much domesticated this species, and in doing that we've also domesticated their digestive systems to deal with what we're feeding them too.

In general, I would say that dogs do not need vegetables in their diet. If the dog happens to like vegetables, I don't think it hurts them either.

Answer 4

Cats are true carnivores - dogs are actually omnivores. If you ever watch a dog in the wild, they not only eat meat, but vegetables, fruit, carrion, lichens and buds. Dogs can actually survive on eating items other than meat without severe health effects, where-as cats must have that meat source.

So, yes, dogs do need their vegetables.

Answer 5

Not all dogs are carnivores, most are omnivores. There is a reason that when your pooch goes outside he goes for certain grasses. It helps digestion and to settle food (hence the sometimes yaking). There is generally vegetables in all dog food, whether you can clearly see the veggie as in beneful or other brands. I buy canned peas for my dog. She loves them! She gets a can once or twice a week as a special treat! Yes, they do need them, but like I said, there's generallysome type of veggies in bagged dog food.

Answer 6

In the wild wolfs and coyotes eat vegetation. I have coyotes around my place and they eat more of my asparagus, watermelons and cantaloupes then we get. We have also watched them eat tomatoes and pull ears of corn off of stalks.
So yes, they are carnivores but they also eat vegetation. Have you not seen a dog eat grass? I know we are told that when a dog eats grass they are sick, but that is not true. They will however, eat grass to drag worms from their stomach.

Answer 7

Dogs are not carnivores!!!! And YES, they do need vegetables!
If you're feeding your dogs commercial food, you're feeding them a mixture containing vegetables. Dogs also enjoy eaten fresh (raw) vegetables, as in carrots, and fruits, as in apples.

Answer 8

Short answer, no. However, if a dog isn't getting a lot of exercise, they will be hungry much of the time, and likely become a garbage hound. The vegetables help fill them up without making them fat.

Answer 9

vegs are only filler material so the dog feels full protein levels in dog food should be low for a non working breed hunting really active dogs need more protien in thier diet a nice raw sirloin wont kill them every once in a while besides they all came from wolves even the bi-polar chia. when the last time you saw a wolf eatning green beans and carrotts really now!

Answer 10

a DOGS Digestive tract isn't designed to process veggies-They don't really need vegtables, but a small amout doesn't hurt-my dogs love raw carrots!