Can your dog be a vegetarian and stay healthy?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a vegetarian yourself. And if you can stay healthy, it’s natural to wonder whether your dog can be a healthy vegetarian as well. This is especially the case when you have a strong moral dilemma and don’t feel comfortable buying and serving meat for your canine companion.
Here we will present the pros and cons of vegetarian diets for dogs before we give you the verdict.
Key argument against vegetarian diets for dogs – debunked
One of the strongest arguments against depriving your dog of meat is that dogs have descended from wolves, who are carnivores. The conclusion we can draw from this is that dogs are also carnivores and that their digestive systems are
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You are not willing to consult with vets and nutritionists
You can’t provide all the necessary nutrients for whatever reason (and won’t consider supplements)
You are not willing or able to make more frequent visits to the vet to monitor progress
You’re only doing it for yourself and not taking into account your furry friend
You want to breed your dog
If you’re really devoted to the idea of having a vegetarian dog, here are some extra tips to help you:
Talk to your vet
Talk to a veterinary nutritionist
Gain a full understanding of your dog’s needs and potential consequences if those needs are not met
Create a balanced diet plan with the help of a veterinary nutritionist
Only use commercial pet food that has gone through extensive feeding trials and is AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) compliant
Grate or cook raw vegetables to ease digestion
If you notice your dog is not doing well on a diet, take him to the vet and consider going back to animal products
Dog eating a carrot
Dogs can thrive as vegetarians, but only with a perfectly balanced diet
In the end, if you really want a vegetarian or vegan pet and these guidelines seem too difficult to follow, maybe you should consider getting a rabbit