Stop buying commercial pet food that contains meat if you are worried about the health of your companion animals and the cruelty of the meat industry.
Unregulated and Dangerous Business Practices Feeding companion animals commercial pet foods may be harmful to their health Market-place pet foods frequently contain animal parts that have been ground up. S. Department of Agriculture inspectors have deemed unfit for human consumption. The U. S. The term “meat meal,” which is frequently found in pet food, is defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “the rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents… and animal parts that one wouldn’t typically think of as “meat” “1 Animals that fall into one of the four D’s categories—dead, dying, ill, or disabled—often have their flesh used in pet food. 2.
Most commercial meat products for humans contain the same hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics as do pet foods. Other ingredients might be harmful and go undetected until it’s too late. The Association of American Feed Control Officials sets standards for the pet food industry, which is regulated by the FDA, but neither it nor the FDA enforces them nor tests food for safety. 3.
And just as eating meat has a negative impact on the environment for humans, so does giving meat to our pet animals. One study estimated that U. S. Cats and dogs account for 25% of all animal-derived calories consumed in the nation, rank fifth in the world for meat consumption, and are responsible for up to 64 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. 4.
Vegetarian Cats and Dogs Numerous vegetarians and vegans feed their pet companions wholesome, meatless diets. One amazing case in point is Bramble, a border collie whose vegan diet of organic rice, lentils, and vegetables helped him live a nearly record-breaking 29 years. 5 Numerous commercial dog foods made with meat can harm our furry friends’ health.
Many dogs and cats’ nutritional requirements can be satisfied with a balanced vegan diet and certain supplements. VegepetTM supplements were created by Vegetarian Cats & Dogs author James Peden to complement vegetarian and vegan recipes. They are balanced nutritionally, and they also have unique formulas for puppies, kittens, and lactating cats and dogs.
Some people question whether it is “unnatural” for dogs and cats to eat meat-free diets. However, in order to provide them with the meat they would ordinarily consume, you would either have to serve them whole mice or birds or let them go hunting on their own, which would be unfair to native species of birds and other small animals given that companion cats and dogs are not native to the area and thus benefit from things that wild animals do not. A vegan diet is ethically compliant with the philosophy of animal rights, and many vegan dogs and cats have excellent health.
Important Supplements Because dogs, like people, are omnivorous and typically voracious eaters, making vegetarian food for them is simple. There are recipes for vegetarian and vegan dogs, but keep in mind that a dog’s health could be compromised if they consume insufficient amounts of protein, calcium, or vitamin D.
L-carnitine and taurine, two amino acids that dogs need, may be deficient in cooked or plant-based dog food unless they are supplemented. These nutrients are necessary for preventing dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious condition in which the heart enlarges and loses its ability to pump blood. Young or middle-aged dogs who are at risk for L-carnitine or taurine deficiency due to breed, size, unique genetic makeup, or diet are typically affected by this condition. You can purchase additional L-carnitine and taurine at your nearby health food store or online.
Cats’ nutritional requirements are more complicated than those of dogs. They need a lot of vitamin A because they can’t biosynthesize it from carotene like humans and dogs can, which could lead to hearing loss and issues with the skin, bones, intestinal, and reproductive systems if they don’t get enough. Additionally, cats, like dogs, require taurine because they otherwise risk developing cardiomyopathy and losing their vision. Make sure these nutrients are present in any food you give your cat. Commercial pet-food companies often add taurine obtained from mollusks. James Peden discovered vegetarian sources of taurine, vitamin A, and arachidonic acid, additional nutrients that are crucial for cats. Later, he created VegecatTM and VegekitTM, which were approved by veterinarians, to add to his recipes.
Digestive enzymes are also beneficial for canines and felines who only consume cooked or processed food. These are available from health food stores and catalogs of companion animal supplies. To improve digestibility, all raw vegetables in a dog’s diet should be grated or put through a food processor.
Making the Change Start by incorporating vegetarian food into what you typically serve to ease the transition to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Gradually change the proportion until there is no meat left. If your efforts are unsuccessful, try serving it warm or adding soy milk, nutritional yeast (available at natural-food stores), olive oil, tomato sauce (most dogs love spaghetti! ), catnip (for cats), powdered kelp, baby food without onions, or other seasonings to tempt your animal friends. Most cats adore mashed chickpeas and veggie burgers, and many cats enjoy nutritional yeast and pieces of melon. It might take some time for your companion animals to adjust if they are dependent on store-bought pet food.
When introducing a vegan diet to your dog or cat, be sure to watch them closely to ensure that they are comfortable with the change, especially if they are still puppies or kittens. Keep an eye out for persistent gastrointestinal and skin issues and make a note of any new health issues. On a vegetarian diet, most dogs and cats do better, but occasionally an animal may not thrive, so use common sense if this happens.
Dogs Are Built To Eat Meat
The length of the bowel, the jaw structure, and the teeth of your dog have not evolved. His strong jaw is no accident; it makes crunching bone and cartilage a breeze. His razor-sharp, pointed teeth are there for tearing flesh and meat apart. Humans must grind their food into smaller pieces in order to process it through our longer digestive tract and flatter teeth. Meat and bones provide mechanical support for a dog’s body.
In comparison to humans, dogs’ digestive systems must be much more acidic. Meat is acidifying while plants are usually alkalinizing.
However, there are concerns about consumption of meat too. If your dog consumes meat from animals that were raised in a factory, the meat will have high concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol. This can cause irreparable damage to your dog’s pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands.
Toxins in meat are another serious concern. Compared to a plant-based diet, the toxic load that pesticides accumulate in the tissue of meat animals is much more dangerous. This is due to the fact that plants do not bio-accumulate pesticides, whereas pesticides are stored in the body fat of meat animals. Compared to a pound of chicken flesh, a pound of apples will contain much fewer pesticides.
According to studies, vegetarian mothers produced human milk that contained up to 36% fewer toxins than meat-eating mothers. Bear in mind that humans are not really built to eat meat, at least not as much as we do, and that their digestive systems are completely different from those of dogs. Because dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans do, they digest meat much more quickly than we do, which results in less toxic effects on the body.
The nutritional needs of many dogs and cats can be met with a balanced vegan diet and certain supplements. James Peden, author of Vegetarian Cats & Dogs, developed Vegepet™ supplements to add to vegetarian and vegan recipes. They are nutritionally balanced and also come in special formulas for kittens, puppies, and lactating cats and dogs.
Vegetarian Cats and Dogs Numerous vegetarians and vegans feed their pet companions wholesome, meatless diets. One amazing case in point is Bramble, a border collie whose vegan diet of organic rice, lentils, and vegetables helped him live a nearly record-breaking 29 years. 5 Numerous commercial dog foods made with meat can harm our furry friends’ health.
Digestive enzymes are also beneficial for canines and felines who only consume cooked or processed food. These are available from health food stores and catalogs of companion animal supplies. To improve digestibility, all raw vegetables in a dog’s diet should be grated or put through a food processor.
L-carnitine and taurine, two amino acids that dogs need, may be deficient in cooked or plant-based dog food unless they are supplemented. These nutrients are necessary for preventing dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious condition in which the heart enlarges and loses its ability to pump blood. Young or middle-aged dogs who are at risk for L-carnitine or taurine deficiency due to breed, size, unique genetic makeup, or diet are typically affected by this condition. You can purchase additional L-carnitine and taurine at your nearby health food store or online.
Stop buying commercial pet food that contains meat if you are worried about the health of your companion animals and the cruelty of the meat industry.
“What does the vegan food need to contain?”
Verify that the vegan diet satisfies AAFCO nutritional requirements for adult maintenance. This is a comprehensive list of specifications that the food must fulfill to guarantee proper nutrition.
FAQ
What happens if dogs don’t eat meat?
It’s challenging for dogs to get enough protein if they don’t eat meat. Dogs need more protein in their diet than do humans, and they can get very sick if they don’t get enough. Additionally, it is challenging to replicate the essential fatty acids found in meat proteins.
How long can a dog go without eating meat?
As long as they are drinking water, dogs can go three to five days without food, but that doesn’t mean you should wait that long if your puppy isn’t eating. “A red flag should be raised if your dog normally eats well and [suddenly] stops eating,” Dr. Jones told The Dodo.
Can dogs survive on vegetarian diet?
Dogs can eat vegetarian food, but not vegetarian food made for humans. People need to be aware that their digestive systems are completely different. Thus, the requirement of protein and calorie also differs. A vegetarian diet is fine for a dog if this idea is kept in mind, he claims.
Do vegan dogs live longer?
Using a questionnaire, researchers gathered information from 1400 dog owners in Canada and the USA for the study. They deduced from the results that dogs on a plant-based diet lived an average of 14 years. 1 years, compared to a mean age of 12. 6 for those on a meat-based diet.