Vegan pets?
Recently, there was outrage on Tumblr when a woman gave her dog a vegan medley of sweet potato, rice, and digestive enzymes, and tried to say that this dog looked happy to receive it. Let's face it, if you saw this dog's face, would you actually conclude that she was happy?
Probably not. Let's face it, that's the most neutral happy face I've seen in a while.
Let me start off by saying that I don’t have a problem with most vegans at all. Actually, I recently went vegetarian and it’s been really helping me with my weight loss goals, and my health in general. It’s great that so many people are waking up to the cruelty of the meat industry and are advocating against it. It’s also great that they care about their health and the environment. Going vegan is a positive step towards overall better well being, and people who do it with the passion that they feel for animals should be commended.
However, there’s one thing I don’t agree on, and that’s forcing your beliefs, you diet, onto your pets.
I conducted a poll asking if you should force the vegan lifestyle on your pets. A whopping 94% of voters said no, you shouldn't do this, while only seven people, or six percent, said yes. Many people said it's abusive to do so, and ultimately goes against the message that so many vegans are trying to get across to society. But...many still insist that it is the healthiest diet out there for our furry friends.
I am studying to be a veterinarian, and there are many, many reasons why forcing you dog or cat to eat fully vegan is risky, and can even be fatal. Even though I am vegetarian, I will still feed my dogs and cat some form of meat. The only way I will stop doing so if they pipe up and say "Stop feeding me this yucky food! Give me a carrot instead, will ya?"
While most vegans and vegetarians realize that their dogs and cats need some form of meat to survive, there are some who insist that they feel the need push the vegan lifestyle onto everything and everyone, including their pets.
Are dogs omnivorous animals?
It’s been long argued that dogs are omnivores like us. Well, not exactly. They are mostly carnivorous animals. If you look into your dog’s mouth, you will see sharp canine teeth, used for grounding up meats, not plants. They are opportunists, and will resort to plant-based foods when necessary, but that doesn’t mean that it is the optimal diet for them. They will eat plant based foods, but it is very risky to try to feed them only plant based foods. Meat provides them will all the nutrients they need to thrive.
If you look into a bear’s mouth, you will see flat molars, used for grinding up plant-based foods. Dogs do not have flat molars of this nature, and "chop", rather than "mush" their food. Also, they do not have anatomical makeup of one who can thrive on plants and meats.
We, and other true omnivores like pigs and bears, produce enzymes in our saliva and stomach that help break down the plant matter that we ingest. Dogs do not have all of these enzymes. For example, in the stomach of humans and other true omnivores, we produce cellulase , an enzyme that aids in breaking down complex carbohydrates such as beans and grains. Dogs do not produce enough cellulase to break down plants enough, and usually need this in supplement form if fed a plant-based diet.
Since dogs don’t secrete the enzyme amylase in their saliva which gives a head start in breaking down carbohydrates, all of the burden is placed onto their pancreas, where most amylase is located, forcing it to produce large amounts of amylase to deal with the starch, cellulose, and carbohydrates in plant matter. Thus, feeding dogs as though they were omnivores taxes the pancreas and places extra strain on it, as it must work harder for the dog to digest the starchy, carbohydrate-filled food instead of just producing normal amounts of the enzymes needed to digest proteins and fats (which, when fed raw, begin to "self-digest" when the cells are crushed through chewing and tearing and their enzymes are released). This can cause the pancreas to lose it’s efficiency and can cause health issues later in life.
When all of this plant matter sits in the dog’s short digestive tract, even with supplemental enzymes, it is leaving them susceptible to bacterial infections and disease. They cannot obtain the proper range of nutrition from plant products alone like we can.
Dogs, like wolves, which they evolved from, have adapted to eat certain plant products when meat is scarce. They do this only in rare instances, and only when nothing else is available. Just because they are capable of eating small amounts of plant foods doesn’t mean they can thrive on a diet consisting of that and that alone. Dogs need some sort of meat, and maybe some sort of veggies for optimal health. They cannot obtain all or most of the nutrients they need through only plants like us. You are robbing them of all the essentials that they need to be healthy.
And I know some vegan is going to link me to one of the oldest living dogs, Bramble, a border collie who lived to be 27 years and ate a vegetarian diet. That is anecdotal evidence and does not take into account for every dog alive. Actually, this was not the oldest living dog anyways. The oldest dog is a Kelpie called Maggie who lived to be 30 years of age and ate a normal, meat-consisting diet. Dogs can merely survive off of plant-based foods, but that does not mean they will always thrive. While feeding them plant-based foods can be beneficial, doing it every day as a full meal can actually end up harming them. They can become very sick and malnourished. So please, do not do this to your animals.
Now, moving on to cats...
In 2013, there was an incident where a tiny kitten nearly died from health complications while being on a fully vegan diet. They were feeding the kitten a diet of potatoes, rice milk and pasta. The kitten collapsed and became severely ill. The cat only recovered when being fed meat. Why?
While dogs can live off of plants, being opportunistic omnivores, cats simply can’t. They are classified as obligate carnivores, which means that they essentially cannot live without meat in their diet. If they are robbed of meat, they will ultimately become ill, lose their vision and die. Is that what you want for your beloved cat?
Why does this happen anyway? Well, there are some chemicals that a cat can’t make within their bodies and need to obtain it within their environment. Like we need to get Iron from some sort of food source because we don’t make it within, cats need a special amino acid called L-Taurine. They need other molecules, but Taurine is essential for living entirely!
Taurine is important because it makes up the organs. In your heart, kidneys, eye retina, and even brain, Taurine is found in large quantities. It’s not really a problem for us because we already have sufficient Taurine present in our bodies, but for cats? It’s mandatory that they get it from somewhere. It is needed for normal heart function, eye function, normal digestion, and other things. Taurine deficiency can be fatal for a feline.
Taurine is found exclusively in the flesh of animals and seafood, which is why it is mandatory for a cat to get some sort of meat in their diet, so that they can get the proper amount of Taurine for proper function. Feeding them plant-based foods only is harmful for the cat, and ultimately useless because cats already make most of the nutrients found in them.
Also, most cats won’t eat plants anyway, and the ones that do need a Taurine supplement in their food. I would want the best for my cat, and sorry, but plants just don’t make the cut. It’s basically like eating a bland wafer and loading it up with supplements and powders to make it healthy. If I had the choice I would want the more delicious stir fry to get proper nutrition, Meat tastes good to a cat, and is essential to a cat’s survival. Think of their taste buds. You wouldn’t want to eat something that tastes bland to you, so why are you forcing your cat to eat blandly,
I can go on and on about why cats need meat, so let’s just do a recap so I’m not rambling: Cats are obligate carnivores, and like dogs, they have sharp canines, they chop their food up as they chew, they have short digestive tracts, and their anatomy provides them with most nutrients, and the essential nutrients that they need, like Taurine, are found mostly in animal products. Also, other essentials for them, such as protein, are best obtained from animal products. Soy and other protein-rich plant foods are simply not species appropriate. Unlike dogs, they are unable to get most of their dietary needs from plants. To put it simply, they need a meat-based diet.
Are there alternatives?
So now that you realize that your pets simply can’t be fully vegan (or at least I hope you realize). Now what? You don’t want to contribute to the suffering and death of animals. Well, being vegan or vegetarian isn’t about being perfect and eliminating all suffering from the world. You can only do so much.
There are cruelty-free nutritious pet foods out on the market. While they do contain meats, they usually expose their animals to a good quality of life before they are put into pet foods.
Or if that’s not an good option for you, you can make your pets home-cooked meals. You can purchase cage-free chickens and other meats and pair that along with fresh veggies and noodles for your dogs. These provide your dogs with essential nutrients without the vitamin supplements and enzymes that you put into your vegan mush.
For your kitty friends, if you’re not too keen on buying them commercial cat foods, you can by them fish to eat such as canned tuna, salmon, and other fishes. You’re not supporting the suffering and death of land animals and it provides them with vital nutrients. Not to mention that it’s tasty for them to eat.
If you're not willing to do the above....
Then you should not own a carnivorous pet in the first place. If you can't bear to feed you dog or cat another animal, then you shouldn't have taken on the responsibility of caring for one. You're depriving them of proper nutrition. If it's too much to ask of you to feed them properly, then get an animal that can survive solely on plants. Get a flippin' bunny or other rodent. They're cute and cuddly and fit your agenda.
In conclusion...
Please, PLEASE don't try to force your own eating habits onto your pets. Not only is it selfish, but it can end up being very harmful to them. I find it funny that many vegans preach about farm animals not being able to give consent, but the animals that absolutely need some sort of meat in their diet can't consent to being fed tofu and potatoes every day. Please be mindful of the health of your pets and feed them properly. Don't abuse them by imposing your lifestyle onto them. If it's too much to ask of you then you should have thought this through before bringing a meat-eating animal into your life.
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