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Can a dog really be healthy eating only vegetarian dog food?

Can a dog really be healthy on a vegetarian diet? I’d like to get a dog but only if she could be vegetarian, and I don’t know where to go for information about this. I’d really like to see what vets have to say, and all that I can easily find on the internet is what the dog food manufacturers say.

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23 Responses to “Can a dog really be healthy eating only vegetarian dog food?”

  1. timesharegod said :

    Dogs bred for eating in places like Korea are only fed vegetables because it makes the meat tender, if they eat meat it makes the meat tough. So I am sure a vegetrian diet is fine

  2. noneofyourbusiness said :

    Dos are carnivores naturally and should be fed as such. We are constantly reminded to treat our dogs as such. They are not human babies, nor do they want to be. We should try and keep them as canine as possible in order for them to have a fullfilling life. Just because you are vegitarian doesn’t mean your pet wants to follow suit. Dogs find it hard to digest some veg and cereals so a meat based diet is essential. You can get dry dog foods so you don’t have to come into contact with any meat.

  3. silent_kayos said :

    Do not torture your dog by denying it meat.
    God, that’s so ridiculous. Dogs eat meat, if they were wld they would hunt and kill and eat meat.
    Cats eat meat

    if this bothers you too much, get a rabbit. Don’t make the animal suffer do to your warped sense of morals.

  4. celtic.piskie said :

    If you want a vegetarian pet, get a rabbit. Dogs are naturally carnivores. They are built, and only thrive, on meat.

    Why would you want to feed an unnatural diet to a pet anyway?

  5. MicroGirl said :

    I dont think feeding your dog a vegetarian diet would be very healthy. Dogs are carnivores and require sufficient amount of protein in their diet. Just like humans, it is hard to consume the required amount of protein from a plant based diet…To do so you would have to eat large amounts (i mean impossible amounts) of vegetarian food.

  6. Little Miss Sunshine said :

    NO WAY LADY.. Get a guinea pig eh!!

  7. Frodo said :

    While dogs can live on a vegetarian diet they prefer meat. I’m sure vegetarian dog food is fine for dogs (if it wasn’t it wouldn’t be on sale!) however I think it’s unfair to deprive a mostly carnivore animal of meat.

    And I’m a vegan myself.

  8. Fishtalk said :

    I don’t know medically speaking ( check with a Vet) but my dog lived 12 years on Rice and vegetables, fruit and chocolate ( when he could get it) Unfortunately I had to put him down because of a paralysed rear end. But apart from that problem ( which happens quite often with large dogs because of a calcium deficiency he was very healthy;…AND HAPPY

  9. Seafret1412 said :

    Why on earth would anyone inflict their vegetarian beliefs on a known carnivore?

    Do you see lions or wolves eating carrots at the zoo. I get so annoyed when I see adverts for dog food extolling the virtues of vegetables and rice in a dog’s diet, these are not natural to the diet of a dog.

    We may have them as domestic pets, but we must treat them correctly. Dogs require meat, it is their source of iron, vitamins and strength, do not get a dog if you cannot handle this fact.

  10. Frodette Baggins said :

    Unless the dog has a requirement for vegetarian food only it would be most unfair to deprive it of meat. Vegetarian dog food is on sale but it is fully of supplements to give the dog the balance of nutrients that it needs.

    I think that more of an issue here is would the dog be a happy dog eating vegetarian food – and I would say that it wouldn’t be.

    You will probably also find that your dog is constantly scavenging for meaty tit-bits.

    I don’t think that it would be fair to keep a dog under these circumstances.

  11. Owned by Rocco the staffy. said :

    Whilst a dog can *survive* on a vegetarian diet, it will not *thrive*.

    I am a massive supporter of feeding dogs, as close to as possible, the diet they are biologically designed to eat.

    And for a dog that is not a vegetarian diet.

    They are your morals, not your dogs.

  12. dogcrazylady said :

    Of course a dog can’t be healthy on a vegetarian diet, a dog is a carnivore. in other words a flesh eater, it would be really cruel to keep a dog and deny it its proper diet. A rabbit might be a better option for you.

  13. dotlrb said :

    Your dog would be fine,I had an alsatiian many years ago who was only allowed boiled rice and she was very fit

  14. willoug said :

    if you insist in denying a carnivore meat she’ll end up craving it so much she will hopefully end up eating you

  15. MamaB said :

    Sorry, dogs need meat. To inflict human values on a dog just isn’t on. There’s really no other way to say this, but unless you are able to overcome your own personal preferences, I suggest a dog is not for you.

  16. Ian C said :

    To correct almost everyone else on here, dogs are NOT carnivores. They are, like humans, omnivores, meaning they’ll eat almost anything. This is how dogs survived in the wild before they were domesticated. They were opportunistic and would eat whatever they could get their paws on. Dogs are more used to scavenging than hunting (unlike cats, who are hunters and cannot have a vegetarian diet.)

    Some dogs will be okay with a vegetarian diet, and will be perfectly healthy. However, you need to make sure you give them a good range of the vitamins and minerals they need. It may be a good idea to ask your vet about this sort of thing.

    If you’re looking for information on the internet about giving a dog a vegetarian diet, please try and avoid websites such as PETA or vegsoc, as they can be quite selective with the information they give you.

  17. wolflady said :

    No dogs are carnivores. They need meat.

  18. --- said :

    experts in dog nutrition have shown that dogs can be fed adequately on vegetarian foods however dogs love meat and so I think it would be unfair to deny a dog meat because of your own beliefs, dogs are dependent upon us to provide for them, we make the choices not them, I am vegetarian, I feed my dogs meat because I feel a dog should have meat in their diet, I do not tell my friends not to eat meat as it is their choice, it is obvious to me that my dogs love the meat in their diet so I would never deny them meat due to my own preference not to eat it myself.

  19. abbyful said :

    Dogs are not meant to be vegetarians. They are carnivores. That makes about as much sense as feeding a rabbit a steak.

    While dogs can survive on a vegetarian, diet, they need a meat-based diet to thrive. (You wouldn’t want to be merely surviving, would you?)

    If you are unwilling to feed a pet a proper diet, don’t get one.

    In my opinion, it’s bordering on a form of neglect to feed dogs as vegetarians. As pet owners, we need to do what’s best for our pet and not force unnatural beliefs onto them.
    .

  20. ~♥ Shih Tzu lover ♥~ said :

    I’m a vegetarian myself but I wouldn’t dream of forcing vegetarianism on my dog – or my children when I have some!
    Dogs are a meat eating species and you don’t have to raw feed, many don’t. A dog would do fine on good quality kibble, they have high meat content but it’s not in wet raw meat form.

  21. ♥PomMom♥®™ said :

    No. It is not natural for dogs to eat only vegetables. They need the protein, fat and other nutrients that meat contains. I don’t eat a lot of meat myself, but wouldn’t dream of putting my dogs on a vegetarian diet. Even people can die from eating “too healthy”.
    http://www.syl.com/articles/orthorexiatreatmentcanbeaconfusingtopic.html

  22. Caitlin said :

    http://www.helpinganimals.com/pdfs/Dog_Health_Survey.pdf

    A survey is done on whether vegetarian diets are good for dogs and it shows that vegetarian dogs are indeed healthier.

    Another point to note is that dogs are OMNIVORE, and NOT carnivore like most of you said they are. They can survive on a vegetarian diet as long as they are fed a balanced diet.

  23. Sammy said :

    Personally, i think its healthier for a dog to eat vegetarian.
    I know someone who has a german sheperd which she got from a litter of three pups. The house that the two pups stayed would get fed meat every day. Eventually one died of a heart attack and the other died of cancer. The other pup which is at her house was fed vegetarian and she is still alive, 13 years old now, and the only problem with her is that she can’t hear as well as she used to but she can still hear.
    And also a lot of places say dogs are omniores not carniores which means being vegetarian is okay.




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