Is It Ok For Your Dog To Be Vegetarian Or Even Vegan?
Owners always want what is best for their dog, but sometimes – what the owner thinks is best for their dog isn’t really so good after all.
Many people who choose to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle also push that kind of lifestyle onto their animals. But is that even ok? And should they be doing that?
Considering that our pets can’t tell us exactly what kind of food they crave or need – we have to do the guessing. But we should not take that light heartedly.
So, to answer the question – are dogs carnivores or omnivores?
Dogs evolved from wolves. So according to this it’s reasonable to assume that they are carnivores like their ancestors. However, thousands of years of selective breeding has not only adapted dogs’ personalities, but their bodily processes too, including their digestive capacity.
Having that in mind we can very easily conclude that dogs aren’t obligate carnivores. They have adapted more to eating plant-based foods than cats have. Even though carbohydrates aren’t essential for their diet, because they can derive enough energy from amino acids, they are still able to gain energy from carbohydrates.
So the main question remains – is it safe to cut meat off of their diet?
Unfortunately there isn’t that much research on this topic. The research that does exist suggest that dogs indeed can survive on a vegetarian diet, but they will possibly be some kind of downsides.
If your dog starts a vegetarian diet it is possible to have lower or absent levels of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are most commonly found in meat. So you will have to make sure your dog is getting all the nutrients possible from a diet that is healthy.
In terms of vegetarian dog food and how plants’ nutrients vary, they should be supplemented with synthetic amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Vitamins
The main vitamins that your dog may be lacking on a plant based diet are vitamin D3 and vitamin B12.
Even though vitamin D2 can be taken from plants, it has less of a biological effect than D3. It’s important that dogs have a healthy intake of vitamin D for their bones as it is essential for calcium and phosphorus.
Vitamin B12 isn’t present in plant nutrients and must be supplemented in vegan diets. It effects the health of bodily functions, including the canine nervous system.
Minerals
The main minerals your dog could be lacking on a meat-free diet are calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. Make sure that plant based food you feed your dog includes easily absorbed minerals.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids can’t be synthesised by the dog and must be taken in through supplemental food.
Some plants can be poor sources of amino acids such as methionine, that is crucial for the health of your dog.
Fatty acids
A vegetarian dog diet can be low in n-3 fatty acids including DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are extremely important in supporting a healthy brain and nervous system development in puppies. So you shouldn’t be feeding your puppy with a vegan or vegetarian diet.