Special Post by Chris Holzhauer
Chris is a freelance writer and pet specialist. His website is www.simplypets.com Chris can be reached at chris@dadcentric.com
If you are reading this post, most probably you are a vegan or your dog has meat allergy to certain types of meat. You are looking for an answer to the question “can dog survive on a vegan food & treats diet?” Well, it depends on many factors. It is possible for a dog to consume vegetables. But you cannot expect your dog to get rid of meat completely.
Many studies suggest that dogs can digest vegetable protein. People, in general, consider the dog to be carnivorous. But they have the characteristics of omnivores.
There are some animals from the Carnivora order who frequently consume plants. To defend the omnivorous nature of the dog, people present the example of the panda., which has the physical characteristics designed to eat meat, but they prefer plants and eat mostly bamboo.
There are debates over the total vegetarian dog. It might seem cute to hear the word “Vegetarian dog,“ but ithere is some considerable health risk involved. Because, most of the dog from very early age, are accustomed to eating animal protein, vegetables without any meat might be stressful for their digestive system.
Some dogs are allergic to certain types of meat. So to compensate for the lack of nutrition, you can add vegetables to your dog food. Vegetables that are rich in protein will be good for the dog’s nutrition.
Can Dogs Survive on a Vegan Food & Treats Diet?
A vegetarian diet system for the dog is a new idea. Many people are thinking of being vegan. Although it had started as a healthy diet change, now for some, it’s a way of life. So they also want to add their beloved pet in that lifestyle.
It isn’t completely impossible for a dog to have a moderate vegetarian diet. But the diet should contain the proper amount of meat. It is natural for the dog to go for the meat if meat and vegetables are presented to the dog at the same time. You can’t just turn your dog into a vegetarian overnight.
So, if you truly want to serve vegan food to the dog, you can do that by following these instructions.
A Vegan Menu for Dogs
Dogs have the ability to consume a variety of vegetables. As mentioned before, vegetables that are rich with protein should be your first choice. Vegetable such as pulses, bean, carrot, broccoli, and other vegetables which are rich with proteins can be considered for dog food.
Protein is easy for the dog to digest and turn them into amino acid. It is tough for the dog’s stomach to digest vegetables that have no protein. Then the stomach has to collect Amino Acid from other kinds of components of the vegetable. It is both stressful and not enough for dogs.
So you should always look for vegetables rich in protein. To provide the daily requirement of protein, you can try adding an egg, which is an excellent source of protein. Adding an egg is not a true vegan diet; it’s called an ovo-vegetarian diet.
You need to take some precautions if you want your dog to be vegan. Although they can consume various vegetables, some could have a harsh effect on your pet. Bunch of vegetables has components that are harmful or non-consumable for dogs. So do a thorough study before choosing a vegan diet for your dog . If you keep giving vegetables that your dog won’t like, it might eat less. That is not what you want for your dog. Another critical issue is that you have to ensure that your dog gets the right amount of neutrinos from its food. So choose the correct mix of meat and vegetable to ensure the good health of your dog.
You can find vegan dog food in the market. There is some good brand of vegan dog food which you can get for your dog.
Provide supplements
Naturally, vegetables don’t have the same kind of components as meat. There are some proteins, that is almost impossible to find among vegetables which exist in meat. Lack of these proteins will cause some pretty nasty disease.
These missing protein can be compensated with supplements. Even if you make sure that your dog gets proper protein, vitamin, and mineral, there is a fair chance that your dog might miss other essential compound needed for its body. So you may give supplements to your dog with the consent of a vet. It will make up for the ingredients required for the dog’s immune system.
Whatever you do, don’t do anything without consulting with the doctor.
If your Morkie doesn’t want to eat the food, don’t force it. First, try adding a little bit of vegetable with the meat. Then gradually try to increase vegetable. Always keep a certain amount of meat in the dog food. Do not go for a vegan diet, if your dog totally refuses to eat vegetables.
