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Have You Ever Purchased Vegetarian Dog Food?

4K views 21 replies 17 participants last post by  carmspack 
#1 ·
Has anyone up here ever tried their dogs on a vegetarian food? Several years ago when I was still trying to decide what I was going to feed, I purchased a sample pack of Evolution for my dogs and they wouldn't eat it,so that was the end of that.There was a lot of hype about dogs/cats being 'guaranteed' to live twice as long on this brand of food,but there was also some backlash about those claims.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Well considering my dogs aren't vegetarian and there is no point for them to be...No. In fact, Zoey eats a carnivorous diet of raw muscle meat, organ meat and bone. No fruits, veggies, grains, ect. Those things caused yeast infections over her whole body therefore being useless additions to her diet, something that would make up ALL of her diet on a vegetarian food. (Which would lead to nothing but medical bills and suffering for her!)

Only thing I'd find it half useful for would be to supplement real meat for those who feel that the non-animal products in this food would be useful to their dogs diet without having to feed them fresh which some dogs don't take very well to and/or for the added vitamins in the food if they feel they can't "balance" a real diet. Even then I feel if you're going to feed kibble and meat, just go for a regular kibble with meat in it. I wouldn't JUST feed a vegetarian kibble by it's self. JM2C.

As for guarantee of living twice as long, do you get a refund for all the food you buy if the dog dies "early"? What about medical bill coverages if the dog has problems on it? I mean "twice as long" for our breed would be roughly 18-24 years. Heck, many small breeds average 15+ years. Does this mean they'll live to 30+ years old?? Where are all the dogs at to prove these double lifespan claims?! :O

Are you interested in feeding a vegetarian diet? Is there any specific reason? If someone absolutely HAD to feed a vegetarian diet because they couldn't stand the thought of the "poor animals dying" then I'd at least put forth the effort to research and make your own diet than feeding kibbles that are mostly soy.
 
#14 · (Edited)
No I feed my dogs a raw diet now. I brought this up because I saw an advertisement for their food, and remembered trying it 7 years ago when I was still researching what the best way to feed my animals was. The guarantees that they offered were pretty much just a written guarantee of dogs/cat living twice as long. They had a couple of written 'testimonials',but of course nothing that you could prove.

Freestep, the claim of living twice as long was made by the manufacturer,but they took that guarantee off the the site when some customers started questioning it.



Are you interested in feeding a vegetarian diet?
 
#6 ·
No. In the wild, dogs are not vegetarians, and I think it's cruel to try to put a dog on a vegetarian diet.

I don't eat soy; I sure wouldn't feed it to my dog.
 
#7 ·
I'm a vegetarian-but feed my dog a raw diet. Not eating meat may be healthy for me, but my dog is A DOG and needs meat! It actually really bothers me when people feed their dogs or cats a vegetarian diet. If they are so concerned with the treatment of animals, 1)they should purchase humanely raised animal products, or 2)they shouldn't have dogs or cats if they refuse to provide a healthy diet. Get a rabbit!
 
#10 ·
I don't know why this food is even made. There must be a niche market for it, otherwise, they wouldn't be making it... but it's hard for me to understand how that many people think a soy and grain based diet is a proper diet for a canine.

Now, if you made a kibble out of egg and milk products, it could be a decent kibble and still vegetarian. But a vegan diet is just so inappropriate for dogs. They are not obligate carnivores like cats, but they are not really omnivores either, their teeth are not like a bears' which have grinding molars in the back. A dog's teeth are designed for eating meat and bone. Sure, they can survive on plant proteins, but they won't really thrive.

I'm surprised to hear a claim that dogs will live "twice as long" on a vegetarian kibble, was that a claim made by the manufacturer?
 
#11 ·
I don't feed my dogs vegetarian and never would but I do know a dog who lived to be a strong, healthy 15.5 year old (50 lb mixed breed) on veggie kibble. Never any medical issues until the very last month of her life. This dog was amazingly vibrant for her age.

I certainly wouldn't call it animal abuse to feed veg. And not everyone can afford to feed humanely raised-free range-organic meat to their dog or has the room or time to raise or hunt their own "dog food". I do think diet is important, but I feel it may be less important for our dogs, who live to be 15 at maximum, generally, than for people, who live to be over 70 on average.
 
#12 ·
"I certainly wouldn't call it animal abuse to feed veg. And not everyone can afford to feed humanely raised-free range-organic meat to their dog or has the room or time to raise or hunt their own "dog food".

True, just don't feed your dog rabbit food. :)
 
#13 · (Edited)
My understanding is that there are some canine medical conditions in which this food may be necessary -- I read something that slips my mind now about some conditions that create digestive problems processing meat, and this sort of diet being one of the ways it gets treated. I just don't recall what it was though.

I'm a vegetarian too, but we feed our dogs meat-based kibbles and canned food.
 
#17 ·
My understanding is that there are some canine medical conditions in which this food may be necessary -- I read something that slips my mind now about some conditions that create digestive problems processing meat, and this sort of diet being one of the ways it gets treated.
Oh, I didn't even think of that. That would probably be the only good reason to feed a vegetarian diet to a dog... unless there was nothing else available and the dog was starving.

I imagine that street dogs of India (and other places) eat a lot of vegetable matter, bread, grains, etc., whatever they can scrounge up. There's probably not a great deal of meat available to them, and they seem to survive. They don't look great, though.
 
#16 ·
I think vegetarian diets and vegan diets are just awful. For a week of cleansing in an adult dog its fine, but a full on diet is just not capable of meeting the needs of the dog.

Met quite a few folks who tried it and their dogs ended up slightly neurotic and quite thin.
 
#20 ·
For female humans, the latest recommendation from the American Dietetic Assn. and Academy of Medicine is to not have more than 2 servings of soy/week. A new study just came out that indicates that a high soy intake increases the chance of estrogen related cancers in women - this includes soy milk for those who use it. As for canines, I would also avoid it - just not for the same reasons.
 
#21 ·
I've been a vegetarian for 10 years. I would never think for a second that my dog should consume the same diet as me. Dogs have canines. They need meat. Period. My advice to fellow vegetarians (or vegans) who have a problem feeding meat to an animal is to not own an animal who requires meat in their diet.

And on a side note, I don't eat soy either. It's nasty stuff.
 
#22 ·
There are some medical reasons for some dogs to eat a diet with alkalinizing vegetable and fruit and plant based proteins . Soy is not the only option for this . Hemp flour is one source . The medical reason , for which you can have a DNA evaluation , just as you would for DM , is hyperuricosuria , common in Dalmations, but GSD are on the list "
Detailed Hyperuricosuria Information
The VGL offers a DNA test for hyperuricosuria to assist owners and breeders in identifying affected and carrier dogs. The test uses DNA collected from buccal swabs thus avoiding invasive blood collection. Breeders can use results from the test as a tool for selection of mating pairs to avoid producing affected dogs. The test is offered to all breeds, including Dalmatian, Bulldog, Black Russian Terrier, Weimaraner , Jack Russel/Parsons Terrier, Pitbull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Giant Schnauzer, South African Boerboel, German Shepherd, Large Munsterlander, and Australian Shepherd. "
This was brought to my attention at one of the "health" shows I attended - stand still enough and someone will bring a problem to you - expand your horizons on what is out there.
On this site there are many recommendations for sweet potato treats , sweet potato in kibble, or as a substitute for pumpkin- well sweet potato is high in oxalates which is kidney stone forming . I *think* pumpkin may be in the high category???? not sure .
For an antidiarrheal then carob which is low in oxalates is a better choice.
 
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