Vegetarian Doggie

Joey Concha · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:41 am Post subject: Vegetarian Doggie

If you're a vegetarian, would you prefer that your dog is vegetarian, too?

Michelle Pilver · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:02 am Post subject:

no. that would be changing the natural order of things. dogs are carnivorous so there's no way you can make them stick to a diet composed of just fruits and veggies. besides, i think feeding your dog with mostly veggies will have a deleterious effect on him or her. Sad

Liz Munro · Hairball Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 44

If I were a vegetarian, I would not expect my dog to be a vegetarian, too. Shocked

I would respect my puggle's food preference. I wouldn't force her to eat all veggie foods if she does not want to it that. I can probably feed her with some veggies at times, but most often give her meat, which she likes. I don't wanna go changing the natural order of things (as michelle cited).

Carlito Lucas · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject:

Nope.

Even if I were a vegetarian, I would not impose this preference on my pet. Dogs are natural carnivores as posted by Michelle above so I don't think it will be beneficial to their health if they are deprived of meat.

Maia Shearer · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject:

Definitely not! Rolling Eyes

That's just so absurd! If I were a vegetarian, I would not convert my dog into a vegetarian, too. Perhaps feeding him veggies sometimes is just healthy but not veggies all the time!

I'll just let my pet be, really.

Edith Pope · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject:

hey everybody, i'm vegetarian but i don't make my pet vegetarian, too. Haha that's ridiculous! Shocked

Dogs should be given a healthy mix of meat, veggies, and fun treats. I think I'm sane enough not to make my own pet eat the same way as I do.

Joey Concha · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:40 am Post subject:

I'll answer my own question. I won't also as what Michelle and Carlito correctly said, 'Dogs are natural carnivores.' They've always been that way so I also think there's no way we can change them.

Patrick Ratzenberger · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:35 am Post subject:

Hey guys! I think a vegan dog is going to be a fad. Go make a search and you'll see lots of veggie dog food. Heck, there's even a vegan jerky strip! How they do that, I don't know.

Laughing

Beatrice Dixon · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:41 pm Post subject:

Haha that's right Pat, I made a search and I found a lot of veggie dog food online. How do they do it? I don't know! LOLZ!

But I guess giving veggie foods to dogs can be beneficial especially if you want them to lose some weight (I mean when you notice that they're getting obese), so that low-fat foods are healthy options. Very Happy

Liz Munro · Hairball Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 44

Simon Dobson · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:37 am Post subject:

do dogs really enjoy these veggie treats? i mean, come on, dogs have been meat eaters all this time, i just can't imagine they'd turn vegetarian that quick.

Carlito Lucas · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:16 am Post subject:

Personally, I would only consider veggie treats if my dog were overweight. Dogs need protein in their diet and I don't think veggie treats can provide them with the recommended daily allowance.

Melrose Clement · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:39 pm Post subject:

i think a good balance of both meat and veggie treats is what every dog needs. even though dogs have been meat lovers for the longest time, it doesn't mean that they won't benefit from the nutrients veggies can bring, right?
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Liz Munro · Hairball Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 44

Exactly... any type of food, veggies or meat, as long as consumed in moderation, can bring positive results to your pet. Just don't overfeed and it will be fine!

Douglas Barr · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:37 pm Post subject:

In my case, my pet eats what I eat -- except when I know what I'm eating is bad for it.

Amelia Bowman · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:02 am Post subject:

yeah doug, that's exactly how it should be. the reality is, not everything that's good for us people are also good for pets.

Douglas Barr · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:51 am Post subject:

Yup, Amelia. And that goes for all products, not just food items. Wink

Michelle Pilver · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject:

Isabella Valencia · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:18 am Post subject:

dogs and cats as vegetarians? that won't work. after all, the teeth of these animals were designed to chew on raw meat, not fruits and veggies.

Sasha MacNeille · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:19 am Post subject:

If I am a vegetarian, yes, I'd love my dogs to be vegetarians also.

But I'm not. So it's all meat for them.

Laughing

Irvin Zelasko · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject:

I feed my dog what he wants! Very Happy

Except, of course, if I know I shouldn't. If I were a vegetarian, I will not impose the same diet on my pet. We all have different needs, you know? Rolling Eyes

Beatrice Dixon · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:55 pm Post subject:

yeah... i guess it would be beneficial to keep in mind that pets are not like humans. we might be living under the same roof with them and breathing the same air around them, but they're still of a different species, with different, specialized needs. we should all be reminded of that. Wink

Simon Dobson · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:23 am Post subject:

Beatrice is right. pets aren't us, they're not like humans. we shouldn't change their diet just because we've changed ours. i'm still sticking to what i've said earlier: dogs are meat-eaters. let them stay that way.

Douglas Barr · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:53 am Post subject:

I think that's a little bit harsh, Simon. Dogs can eat veggies, too. But they can't live on a pure vegetarian diet.

Melrose Clement · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:38 pm Post subject:

just a quick question, have you ever tried feeding your pets tofu? how do you categorize tofu anyway? is it a veggie?
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Douglas Barr · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:15 am Post subject:

It's safe to feed dogs tofu, though they may not really like it because it's almost tasteless and odorless. Maybe you can try to add a little flavor to it before giving it to your dog.

Carlito Lucas · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:32 am Post subject:

Tofu or bean curd is made from coagulated soy milk; the process of tofu production is similar to that of making cheese from milk.

I cannot say with complete certainty if tofu is a vegetable, however, it is part of the Buddhists' vegetarian diet.

Joey Concha · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:30 am Post subject:

Whoa! Some people feed tofu to their dogs? I'd consider that extreme.

Rolling Eyes

Douglas Barr · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:11 am Post subject:

How is feeding tofu to a dog extreme, Joey? I don't think there's anything wrong or extreme about it, unless, of course, you force your dog to eat tofu... Shocked

Irvin Zelasko · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject:

I think what Joey meant was that it is quite extreme to put your dog on a strict tofu diet. Am I right, Joey?

Douglas Barr · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:58 am Post subject:

Well, I just think that tofu is better than limiting your dog's diet to leafy greens. But, hey, I give my dog what it wants so maybe I shouldn't be that concerned about this tofu thing. Laughing

Eleni Gordon · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject:

you can actually cook tofu in such a way that it tastes like meat. my mother used to cook those in barbeque sauce, which tastes really really good. almost like the real thing. healthy, too!

hmm. this gave me an idea. i'm going to try to feed my Yuki tofu in barbeque sauce and see if the furball likes it. no harm in that, right?

Pauline Weiss · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:42 am Post subject:

interesting idea eleni. tell us how it went, alright?

my neighbor is a vegetarian and she feeds her dog veggie food, too. personally, i think her doggie is looking quite unhealthy. McCoy (her poodle) no longer have the "bounce" he used to have when he was still a pup.