Vegetarian dog

[KatyM]

Is anyone feeding their dog a vegetarian diet? I have been reading about it and wondered how common it is. I do not eat meat and my family are pescatarians (eat fish but no meat). So it would not seem right to feed our dog meat. I would be happy to feed it fish based food. What are your thoughts?

No dog yet! I am still in the over thinking /planning stage!!

[linny]

There are vegetarian options for dogs on the market and I believe that unlike cats who must have meat, dogs, like humans can survive quite happily without
I am vegetarian but my dogs do have a meat /fish / vegetable diet...(more fish than meat though)

[pixie's mum]

My dogs have always had a varied diet including meat fruit vegetables and I would not like to deprive them of the enjoyment and nutrition from any of these sources. My dogs love meat and bones and offal more than the vegetable side and they are perfectly built to deal with this varied diet.

They would not suffer if not given meat but is it fair to deprive them either

There are fish based meals that you could explore

[Bid]

Dogs are carnivores - they are designed to live on meat. It would be totally wrong imo to feed them according to your beliefs. I have not eaten meat or fish since 1979 but I feed my dogs raw meat/bones/offal as that is what they do best on, and they depend on me to do what is best for them - they have no other choice. The only time I think a veggie diet would be appropriate for dogs is when there are medical reasons for it.

[MandyG]

I don't have that problem - Phoebe turns her nose up at any fruit or veg

[Ben]

I wouldn't let one of my pups go to a family who only fed a vegetarian diet.

Dogs are not human, dogs need meat. You will struggle to find anyone who supports your view I'm afraid.

[stout]

I am mostly vegetarian, I am trying to get back to it after a 10 year break. I still cook meat for chris as he doesn't share my views. Stout is a fan of veg, but with his ibd I would be worried about him getting enough nutrients. He is intolerant of white fish, and I worry about raw salmon, so he couldn't have a fish diet anyway! I do feel that a meat diet is more natural for him.

[Liz!!]

A cat is an obligate carnivore and must have meat to survive. if fed a vegetarian diet they go blind - I know someone who has two rescued blind cats because of this.

Dogs are not obligate, are omnivorous, but omnivorous means just that - many/all foods.

In fact they do best on meat, and they have very strong stomach acid to break meat down - if you just freed them veg the they can get problems from the acid.

Plus, some dogs need two amino acids in meat, a deficiency of which causes a type of cardiomyopathy, where the heart becomes unable to function.

Plus you'd be infliciting your beliefs on them, which is unfair, if they want meat, they should have it.

[Pollydoodle]

Hi, it's a fair enough question. I'll add my 2p worth.
Guess one should examine the reason why one chooses not to eat meat. If we consider the often less than humane manner many farm animals are reared in then it is understandable one may chose not to. (The industry has managed exceedingly well in having us believe animals are out grazing lush green grass each day,akin children's storybook farmyards.The reality is hard to dwell on imho and still be able to enjoy that steak.)
I do think dogs should eat meat. The best meat,in respect of animal welfare,one can afford. Yes,for the dogs I buy at the supermarket yet try to buy local,slow grown etc too.Conversely some of the poor quality, well advertised, dog food available and on which many dogs survive on can hardly be construed as a 'meat' meal!

Ps Mandy:
How individual our dogs are. My boy is out sniffing fruit trees esp figs to pick the ripest he can reach!

[annabell22]

Dogs are meat eaters and by denying them this and all the nutrients they need you will be depriving them of one of their basic needs right from the start. If you cant put a dog above your own personal beliefs then you shouldn't get a dog as you cant provide for it correctly.
As much as some dogs enjoy fruit and veg and many dry foods contain plenty cereals such as wheat and corn, none of these are actually provide much benefit at all to dogs in large quantities.
Regarding the feeding of only fish, there are plenty of complete fish based dry foods that you could feed. However, dry food so little resembles any kind of meat that once you have decided that meat is what your dog needs that any sort of good quality dry food should be an option. I wouldn't want to give my dog the same dried pellets day after day after day, so i would try and put your own feelings aside and let your dog enjoy and eat lots of different flavours and textures.

[KatyM]

Thanks for your responses. I am surprised that many of you feel so strongly about a dog not eating meat but fish. I have done lots of research and a dog can live a long, happy, healthy life without meat. One of the longest living dogs in the UK was vegan! She was a border collie and lived to 27 years!

As I mentioned I am still in the planning stages and have not made a final decision yet.

[Liz!!]

This is true - but one swallow doesn't make a summer. Dogs are all different, and collies actually have a very low need for protein.

[o4d]

I do not think it is fair to impose your lifestyle on others in general, especially where they have no choice in the matter (like a dog). Dogs are meant to eat meat in general and while you might be able to get away with a carefully chosen vegetarian diet I do not think this is fair on the dog. I also think there is a lot more available for humans who do not eat meat to make up for nutrients etc. normally absorbed from consuming meat but dogs do not have the same variety of products available which would probably make a healthy vegetarian diet for most dogs quite difficult.