Poll: Do You Feed Your Dog Vegan Dog Food?

[BlueGene]

I just got a dog! Do any of you feed your dogs vegan dog food? I know it's controversial but every anecdote I've read says dogs live long, do well and even improve on these diets. Here are three of them. The V-Dog is a purely vegan company.


Halo Vegan Garden Medley

Ingredients: Green Peas, Chickpeas, Pearled Barley, Oat Groats, Pea Protein, Whole Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Potato, Sweet Potato, Alfalfa Meal, Carrot, Celery, Beet, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Dicalcium Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Dried Kelp, Natural Vegetable Flavors, Flaxseed Oil, Carrots, Dried Apple, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cranberry, Chicory Root, Taurine, Rosemary Extract, L-Carnitine, Potassium Chloride, DL Methionine, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D-2 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Ethylene Diamine Dihydriodide, Sodium Selenite).

V-Dog

Dried Peas, Pea Protein, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Potato Protein, Sorghum, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols) , Natural Flavor, Suncured Alfalfa Meal,
Brewers Dried Yeast, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaxseeds, Millet, Calcium Carbonate, Lentils, Peanut Hearts, Quinoa, Sunflower Chips, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Dried Carrots, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate), Dl-methionine, Dried Parsley, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D2 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hyrdochloride, Biotin, Folic Acid), L-Ascorbyl- 2-Polyphosphate (A Source Of Vitamin C), Preserved with Citric Acid, Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Celery, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lettuce, L-carnitine, Dried Watercress, Dried Spinach, Rosemary Extract.

Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula It's actually vegan.

Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Peas, Potato Protein, Canola Oil, Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Vegetable Flavoring, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Spinach, Parsley Flakes, Cranberries, L-Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-2 Supplement, Folic Acid.

[barryoilbegone]

I've known a couple of dogs do very well on these kinds of foods. I definitely wouldn't argue it's a natural diet for them, given the amount of different ingredients in the list and the vitamin supplementation required in these dog foods. However, given how destructive the livestock industries are, and that this is where the food for most dogs comes from, these mixtures definitely seem though the more compassionate choice, if they're made sustainably and ethically. I'd check out their production methods if you can.

If they're kosher in these, yours could be a very lucky dog

[arugula]

This should not be a matter of controversy:

Animals (Basel). 2016 Sep; 6(9): 57.
Published online 2016 Sep 21. doi: 10.3390/ani6090057
PMCID: PMC5035952
Vegetarian versus Meat-Based Diets for Companion Animals
Andrew Knight* and Madelaine Leitsberger

This article comprehensively reviews the evidence published to date from four studies that have examined the nutritional adequacy of vegetarian diets for cats and dogs. To obtain additional information, we surveyed 12 pet food companies detailed in the most recent study. We also examined the nutritional soundness of meat-based companion-animal diets, and reviewed the evidence concerning the health status of vegetarian, carnivorous and omnivorous companion animals. Both cats and dogs may thrive on vegetarian diets, but these must be nutritionally complete and reasonably balanced. Owners should also regularly monitor urinary acidity, and should correct urinary alkalinisation through appropriate dietary additives, if necessary.

free full paper
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5035952/


The authors state:

"As interest in vegetarian companion animal diets continues to grow, it is anticipated that further relevant studies will shed additional light on the nutritional adequacy of these diets, and on the health of companion animals maintained on them. We intend to continue to provide summaries of any good quality evidence, at www.vegepets.info ."

[calvin]

Translation: When your four-legged companion eventually gets sick on a vegetarian diet, refeed him/her the meat upon which carnivores are designed to thrive.

Why Do We Anthropomorphize?

[viv]

So when the giant carnivore aliens land and you are taken as a cute and cuddly pet, hopefully you will have a compassionate owner and given a whole foods plant based diet. Or you could get one of the meaner types who will only feed you meat, because after all, you should eat what they eat.

Viv

[brittasmom]

As a Groomer ,breeder and exhibitor for over 40 yrs And also boarding hundreds of dogs I can tell you the condition of our pets is the same as our people. Dogs pretty much eat the same SAD diets as their human counterparts. Their is great controversy over feeding "raw" versus kibble but most people who feed raw feed chicken. The same garbage that humans eat. In their natural state dogs are opportunistic eaters. In other words they eat whatever is available. Whatever they can catch ,rodents,fish,frogs birds scavenge (dead stuff),poop,berries ,grass,etc.. One thing they don't eat is huge amounts of FAT. Their is very little fat available in nature.If a dog eats meat it should be venison or wild meat as most of the meat used in dog foods is the same overfatted animals humans eat. Years ago I read where dogs had been fed nothing but potatoes for (with skin) for 6 mos and were healthy at the end of that time . When fed potatoes without skins their health suffered.
I work in a vet clinic and we see many dogs brought in with pancreatitis especially after holidays when people feed them too much turkey,ham gravy and fat . Dogs do not metabolize fat very well. Plenty of dogs with diabetes aand many other diet related diseases. So you can argue about vegan diet over meat diet all you want but what american pets need is exercise,NO cookies,ice cream ,hot dogs ,potato chips and on and on. Oh and don't forget McDonald's chicken nuggets. One woman buys those so her schnauzer will take his allergy medicine. Is he overweight . YUP
My personal opinion is that dogs should do very well on a vegan diet that includes beans and rice and potatoes. There are many recipes online. As for the vegan dry food it is still a processed food and much more expensive than what you could make yourself. Mrs Plant from Texas(Amy Johnson ) has a recipe on her website that she makes in the pressure cooker and freezes. I think her 2 pugs are about 6 yrs old . They are shiny and trim. She recently published their bloodwork and it was perfect . At our practice there is no such thing as a trim pug. At 3 to 4 yrs old they are grossly overweight and already developing issues
The absolute truth is that dogs I groomed 40 yrs ago were old at 12 but over the years with more education,better vet care and improved dog foods we regularly see dogs that live to be 18 to 20 yrs old. If they are kept trim . However, we are seeing many recall for the e coli and salmonella (dirty meat) and atill it is processed and you really don't know what is in it. If you want your dog to be vegan check it out and try it. More than anything people need to stop "loving" their dogs to death with high fat rich foods.

[mountain]

Just to clarify here....dogs aren't carnivores, they are omnivores. Cats are carnivores.
That aside, I feed my dog a mix of meat, cooked yams and ground up veggies (zucchini, broccoli, carrots, celery etc.) She also gets some banana, apple, blueberry, mango...whatever I am having I give her a little bit.
Plus she gets marrow bones to chew on.
She is the healthiest little Chihuahua/Pug mix there is, never at the vet.

[calvin]

Myths About Raw Feeding

Is Your Dog A Carnivore Or An Omnivore?

...the debate goes on...

[BlueGene]

Mountain, you have to post a pic of your dog. It sounds hilarious! This is a Chipit - a Chihuahua Pit bull mix. Ha ha!



Thanks for the recipe, Brittasmom. Here's the link: http://www.mrsplantintexas.com/2015/05/ ... vegan.html

According to this, the two dogs that lived the longest, 20 & 27 were on homemade whole food vegan diets. http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/2013/ ... ctory.html

[Kaye]

I've got 3 dogs (2 pointers and a rottie) and they have always eaten meat so I would feel very mean changing them to a vegan or vegetarian diet now. If I ever have another from a pup I will give it serious consideration though.

[mountain]

BlueGene, if you can tell me how to post a pic here I would love too!!!

Brittasmom, you are so right about overweight dogs, I see it all the time too.

[BlueGene]

Mountain, go to an image hosting site like https://postimage.io/ Upload the pic then copy the forum thumbnail link and paste it here.

[mountain]

https://postimg.org/image/ivgvbxquf/

BlueGene, here is my try. Didn't let me copy the pic, just the link.

[mountain]

Now it worked....I did it wrong first.
And that pic is from when I got here, I have put her on less food and now she looks way better and I bet is healthier too.

[Kaye]

Can we all join in with posting photos?

Here are my lot

This is Colt, a German shorthaired Pointer, he is about 9



This is Arthur an English Pointer and about 7



and this is my baby girl Indie, she is a rottie and about 5



They are all previous shelter dogs and keep me rather busy