the arguments for and against a dog being vegetarian - anyone prefer to sit on the fence?

Question

I will try to be as unbiased as I can about this, based on what I can remember from what I have read/observed about dogs, although I must confess that (as crazy and foolish as it may sound) I prefer to support a dog being vegetarian (unless its weak and unhealthy), while accepting both a non-veg and veg diet as equally valid for a dog diet. But I'd rather sit on the fence than be somebody to offend/push my views onto others!

Ok, so unfortunately I have a character limit so I'll just include my list of pros and cons as an additional detail(s).

Against Veg Diet:
1. dogs are omnivores (they evolved from wolves) and therefore naturally include meat in their diet
2. dogs need more protein than humans
3. dogs have sharp canines and molars made to cut and tear animal flesh and gnaw bones
4. dogs love bones with meat
5. dogs love chewing on things, and meat would give them plenty to chew on
6. dogs can be strong with meat in their diet

For Veg Diet:
1. while dogs are omnivores, so are humans, yet many humans survive fine on a veg diet so who says a dog can't?
2. protein can come from plenty of sources besides meat...peanut butter, milk, wheat, lentils, beans, etc. Dogs can eat these things 3. There are veggie dog food brands in regular pet stores, such as Natural Balance. Positive results!
4. Even dogs originally bred for bull fighting can be vegetarian (e.g. a pitbull, as shown in http://www.dawnwatch.com/companion_animals.htm)
5. Oldest living dog (26) was vegan
look at dogsinthenews.com
6. Some dogs are allergic to meat

Here is the full link for the oldest living (vegan) dog:
http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0209/articles/020918a.htm

For those who are interested (or skeptical), maybe http://www.vegetariandogs.com might have some info to look at.

Meat, while adding strength to bones, may be more prone to additional processing than vegetables. A disturbing report can be seen here:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1

So in short, to feed your dog meat you'd probably want to know what it actually contains. Or you can just play it extra safe and stick to rice, lentils, veggies, fruit, soy milk, and plenty of veggie doggy treats, etc.

Please note: I'm far from an expert on dogs and I have never had a dog. My preference for a dog being vegetarian is that (1) there is proof that it works if done properly and (2) a vegetarian diet is simpler than a meat diet.

(Note: no, I'm not a hypocrite because I myself am a vegetarian).

http://www.happidog.co.uk/2-health-main.html

argh the first link is broken. Here it is, about two healthy vegetarian dogs, one of which is a pitbull:
http://www.dawnwatch.com/companion_animals.htm

thanks for the answers. Please, you are more than welcome to disagree with me, but i'd appreciate it if you can at least be polite and not ridicule me for bringing up this question. I did acknowledge that my preference might be considered strange and unpopular!

Answer 1

All the Pros for a meat eating diet here says basically the same thing...yes we all know it's a dogs "nature" to eat meat. Keep in mind that they have evolved into meat eaters the same way humans did, and that's as a response to their own environment an to the availibility of food, you eat what's around.

I'd argue that humans aren't "naturally" vegans either, yet here we are with growing numbers of them living perfectly healthy lives. At some point in time we humans became developed our omnivious diet and as did dogs. To say that it's a human's or a dog's "nature" to eat this or that is absurd. Really, at what point did that become our nature? If you can somehow prove that we were created (at the instant of our genesis) to eat meat then the argument ends there. Otherwise don't say creatures are meant to eat this and that...

Still, I have a friend who refuses to eat anything that would benefit his health. So basically making someone or something eat what they dislike doesn't make much sense at all.

P.S. To all the posts saying that dogs are NOT omnivoires...only thing I have to say is that the last time I checked, Carnivoires means exclusive meat eaters. If that's the case then someone please tell my dog to stop stealing all the fruits and vegetables from me!

Answer 2

A dog has canine teeth. His ancestors, the wolf is a hunter and predatory animal. He has evolved over millions of years as a hunter and predominantly a meat eater.
Since domestication, dogs have been changed so much we have the Chihuahua, the Great Dane, the Chinese Crested and the Komondor. What else can we do to assert our control over the animal? Deny it's entire evolution and feed it on a vegetarian diet. I really don't care what the dog food makers say. They are in it to make money, vegetarian dogfood is a niche they found for themselves. We've also got people who believe a diet heavy in fat is good for you. Don't mean it's a good thing. Good grief.
Even the monks in Thailand who care for their tigers know the tiger's place in this world. They want their tigers to run free and hunt because they do not want to be a part of the killings. (But they are wise nonetheless to accept the creatures' existence and what they must do).
If you are really against eating meat, get a pet rabbit or guinea pig. (or any herbivore for that matter). Don't get a cat or dog then insist it goes on a vegetarian diet.
We are omnivores. It don't make much of a difference if human or animals like pigs go on vegetarian diets. Not dogs.

Answer 3

At first when I read your question i was think what the? Thats just stupid thinking that dogs can survive on a meat-free diet. But first I decided to do some research. I found out that many people make their dog eat vegetarian meals. They are perfectly healthy.

I personally think it is stupid having dogs eat a meat-free diet. It's how the world goes round. Dogs eating meat is how the society works. It is how dogs have evolved over the years.

Answer 4

There is no reason to make a dog a vegetarian. Dogs are omnivores in the wild so why change that? Would it be ok to make a dog a carnivore and only feed it meat and no vegatables? Dogs eat both in the wild because thats what they like and thats whats best for them, I would not change that.

To respond to the people below that are calling dogs carvivores, yes taxonomically they are. Like I said though, "Dogs are omnivores in the wild". Dont be a "cook book" thinker, learn to think on your own. Did you know that the Giant Panda is also classified as a carnivore? Even though it eats mostly bamboo. Dogs produce amylase from there pancreas, the enzyme that digests starch which is what grains are mostly made of. They are one of the only "carnivores" that do this. Also, they are the only "carnivore" whos body produces large amounts of taurine. This is a chemical that is needed to survive but only found in the meat of vegetarians/omnivores. So only omnivores and vegetarians produce this chemical because normal carnivores get this from eating vegetarians/omnivores. So like I said above taxonomically, dogs are classified as carvivores but like Giant Pandas they dont live like carninvores which is what is the relivant issue with the question asked. They live the life of an omnivore, which is why you find dogs at every garbage dump you see.

Answer 5

I have never been around a vegan dog, and I do not believe everything I read. So until I (MEAT)..lol a 26 year old vegan dog, I will consider this another foolish fad. A baby can drink tabasco sauce with calcium, vit, min, supplements, and a little antiacid added from a bottle, and survive, so should we do a study on it, and say hey look what I can do to a baby that can not speak or decide for itself. I consider the vegan dog idea equally, as foolish and odd.

Answer 6

Dogs, as their teeth indicate, are carnivores. Humans, as their teeth indicate, are omnivores. Humans can thrive on vegetarian diets, provided they get adequate supplies of protein. Dogs need MEAT to survive and thrive.

Plain and simple.

In the cases you provided, the dogs were either given supplements of protein or fed eggs, cheese, and other supplies of protein that dogs NEED to survive. Feed a dog broccolli, cucumbers, tomatoes and green beans, ONLY, and you will have a dog who wilts and dies before your eyes. A human could survive on such a diet. A dog CAN'T.

Check out the protein sources in the 'vegetarian' dog foods.

Answer 7

My opinion is, dogs need meat. They are not vegetarians & to feed them that way, will cause some serious issues you'll need to address. And you'll have to add more supplements to the food you're feeding them. Why do you think dog foods are made with the ingredients they are? Must be it's needed to keep them healthy. I recently watched a program on animal planet where dogs & cats were only fed a vegetarian diet & they had all kinds of health problems from bone weakness to vision problems & dental disease just to name a few.

Answer 8

Dogs are NOT omnivores!!!!! They NEED meat in their diet..they are designed to extract nutrition from meats NOT veggies & grains. Study a dogs anatomy..their teeth, their jaws, their digestive system.
While a dog can exist on a vegetarian diet it is neither recommended nor healthy for them to do so.

Answer 9

The oldest living dog was actually an australian cattle dog that lived to be 29- on the site it says that the dog there is only BRITAIN's oldest dog.
Secondly, I believe that dogs should be fed meat- it is ridiculous to make them vegetarian- have you ever seen a vegetarian wolf?

Answer 10

Dogs are not omnivores, they are carnivores, and are classified as such.

They can digest very little plant matter, what plant matter they can digest needs to be nearly pulverized first.

They are not set up to digest these plants. A cow is designed to eat plants, look at its teeth. Do you see any similarity between a dogs mouth and cows mouth? Humans are omnivores. We have some teeth designed for ripping meat and other designed to chew plant matter. Now compare a human (omnivore mouth) to a dogs (carnivore mouth). You won't see any teeth in a dogs mouth designed to chew plant matter.

Some dogs have allergies yes. A dog allergic to ALL meat proteins is extremely, extremely, rare.

Can dogs live on a vegan diet, maybe. Do they thrive, and stay as healthy and happy as their meat eating counterparts, I doubt it.

Human beliefs shouldn't be pushed onto a dog. Forcing your dog to eat a vegan diet which he is not designed for is wrong. If people can't stand to feed their dog meat, they should consider non meating pets. Plain and simple.

http://www.tarazet.com/mt/archives/000330.html

The dog believed to live the longest was Bluey who died in 1939 at age 29, and I highly doubt he was a vegan, and its very very unlikely he ate kibble either.

This report http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1 is meant to show the crappy nature of commercial foods. I guarantee you even vegetables process for pet foods aren't going to be much better. Look at the recent pet food recalls. What has been recalled? Rice and wheat products. The FDA has also added corn, and soy products to the list as well.

Trying to feed a dog a diet it isn't meant to eat is going to much more complicated than feeding it one it is designed to eat. A raw prey model diet is going to much eaisier to balance than a vegan diet.

DOGS EAT MEAT, GET OVER IT, OR DON'T GET ONE

If you want to be vegan fine, but feed your pets the way they were DESIGNED to eat. I know a few vegans that have dogs, and guess what, while they don't eat meat themselves, they know that their dogs REQUIRE it, and they feed, OMG evil meat.