dogs - carnivores or omnivores???

Question

After receiving lots of thumbs down in the last few days for stating that dogs are carnivores I was interested in other people's opinions on the matter.
Please write whether you think dogs are carnivores or omnivores and your reasons for thinking this. NO THUMBS please this is purely people's opinions not a contest of wills.

I'll start - I believe that dogs are carnivores based on their physiology and genetic makeup. The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. I feel that just because they can (and do) eat vegetable matter does not mean this should be part of an appropriate diet for dogs.

* Dogs are Carnivores, by Jeannie Thomason.
http://www.dogtorj.net/id51.html
* Dr Tom Lonsdale
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/

From the wikipedia "List of Carnivores" Canines, such the Gray Wolf, Red Wolf, Red Fox and coyote. Domestic dogs are broadly considered carnivorous. The Smithsonian Institute has listed them as carnivores, because of their dental makeup and digestive tract

The oldest dog in the world was in fact a raw fed australian cattle dog x stafford cross that lived in the Australian outback. He ate wallaby, kangaroo and emu as his major source of food.

I'm sorry but 'my dog eats vegetables therefore is an omnivore' is NOT a reason. Just because an animal does eat something doesn't mean it should!! Especially as a major part of the diet. Did anyone read the attached article?

Answer 1

The dog is none other than a domestic WOLF. The process of domestication (selective breeding for socialbility and assisting humans) makes certain morpholigical changes in any animal - cats, dogs, foxes.

However, while the morphological changes are obvious, there is little to know biological difference. The physical changes have not extended to the digestive system.

Cats and dogs - both carnivores - can *survive* on a grain-heavy diet. But compare a dog given a diet of raw meat and bones with a dog getting grain-heavy kibble, and you will see that survive is not the same as *thrive.*

Answer 2

The classification as a carnivore does not necessarily mean that a dog's diet must be restricted to meat alone, unlike a cat which is an obligate carnivore. A dog can adapt, survive, thrive and digest a variety of foods, including vegetable matter, fruit and grains. But, it's still a carnivore.

Answer 3

Dogs are carnivores, because they're a part of the order Carnivora. Just as humans are omnivores but don't eat literally everything, dogs aren't literally exclusively carnivores. My dog likes to eat all kinds of crap, but this doesn't change the fact that she has pointy teeth.

Simply put, a carnivore isn't defined by behavior, but by species classification.

Answer 4

I reckon that Dogs are carnivores first but they have a system which allows them also to be omnivore, they can adapt to other food if necessary. They will eat vegetables which are cooked for them, but I can't see them actively digging up raw potatos or carrots in the wild, but then again there may be certain roots or vegetation they go for . Dogs love sweet food such as honey and they would probably eat wild sweet fruits like berries and eggs. The omnivore is because they can and humans give them that opportunity by feeding the other food to them. I believe they NEED their meat first and foremost for strength and building of healthy body and they live very well without ever having to eat anything else. So primarily Carnivore and secondary Omnivore.

Answer 5

Yes, they are carnivores, but, they will eat vegtables. However it is hard to tell if they are carnivores, or omnivores, because they don't eat purely meat, yet they share the closest relation to the wolf, which is a carnivore. It's very hard to tell. I'd say they were omnivores, they fit the definition of omnivores pretty well.

Answer 6

To the poster above: Just because an animal is in the order Canivora does NOT mean it's a carnivore. Nor does an animal being a carnivore mean it's in the order Carnivora. Indeed, look it up!! Bears are known omnivores and they are in this category.
However, dogs are non-obligate carnivores.

Answer 7

At present, there is some debate as to whether domestic dogs should be classified as omnivores or carnivores, by diet.

The classification in the Order Carnivora does not necessarily mean that a dog's diet must be restricted to meat; unlike an obligate carnivore, such as the cat family with its shorter small intestine, a dog is dependent on neither meat-specific protein nor a very high level of protein in order to fulfill its basic dietary requirements.

Dogs are able to healthily digest a variety of foods including vegetables and grains, and in fact dogs can consume a large proportion of these in their diet. Wild canines not only eat available plants to obtain essential amino acids, but also obtain nutrients from vegetable matter from the stomach and intestinal contents of their herbivorous prey, which they usually consume.

Domestic dogs can survive healthily on a reasonable and carefully designed vegetarian diet, particularly if eggs and milk products are included. Some sources suggest that a dog fed on a strict vegetarian diet may develop dilated cardiomyopathy since it lacks L-carnitine,[38] however, maintaining a balanced diet is also a factor since L-carnitine is found naturally in many nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

In the wild, dogs can survive on a vegetarian diet when animal prey is not available. However it has been noted, both by observation of extremely stressful conditions such as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and by scientific studies of similar conditions, that high-protein (approximately 40%) diets including meat help prevent damage to muscle tissue. (This research is also true for some other mammals.) This level of protein corresponds to the percentage of protein found in the wild dog's diet when prey is abundant; higher levels of protein seem to confer no added benefit.

Answer 8

I think they are carnivores that have evolved into omnivores through over 10,000 years of domestication by humans. Animals do adapt. For example the giant panda is a carnivore that evolved into a bamboo eater for survival. When the dog was kept by nomadic herders and hunters, they had more opportunity to eat meat. But in agricultural human society, meat may be expensive. Of course there were no dog foods back then. People just fed dogs leftovers. So those ancient breeds from China ate a lot of rice for hundreds of years. And dogs do vary in their taste and tolerance of different foods. What works for your dog may not suit another dog.

Answer 9

Omnivores. Dogs in the wild have been observed eating a variety of foods from fresh prey to vegetation. Therefore they are omnivores. Cats on the other hand, are obligate carnivores.

Answer 10

Dogs can have healthy lives on a diet of meat AND vegetables. Certain vegetables are good for dogs' digestion. Cats, on the other hand, cannot live healthy lives on a diet of meat and vegetables. Cats are carnivores, dogs are omnivores.

And why use Wikipedia as a credible source? Any averge joe can edit anything on there.