Can You Safely Feed Your Dog a Vegetarian Diet?

If you are a pet owner, you want to do the very best you can to feed your animal properly.  If you have a canine companion, you surely want to feed your dog the healthiest foods possible from the pet store or by making dog food by yourself.  While there are many people who swear that a vegetarian diet is the best thing for humans, does the same apply to pet dogs?

While feeding your dog vegetarian products to supplement its regular diet is okay every once in a while, it is important to realize that not all dogs will tolerate it long term.  For instance, some dogs cannot handle any amount of soy, just as some people can’t tolerate the lactose in dairy.  Your dog may lose appetite, lose hair, develop nausea and vomiting, or become ill on a vegetarian diet that includes soy products.  Ensuring that you offer all of the right nutrients and proteins can help, but again there are many dogs that you simply cannot offer a vegetarian diet without making them very sick indeed.

Another thing you should know is that feeding your dog an exclusively vegan diet will cause chronic malnutrition and disrupt the normal functioning of their digestive organs – just as if you yourself were fed a 100% meat diet.  Their bodies are simply not built to handle large amounts of vegetable products. When you take away all animal based products, including eggs, you significantly reduce the level of nutrients and protein that your dog receives, and even supplements cannot offer the proper nutrition as dogs lack the necessary enzymes to digest plant-based products.  So you are essentially feeding your pet empty calories that do not contribute to your pet’s growth, bone and tooth development, or immune system health. 

If you are going to feed your dog a meatless diet, ensuring that there are at least animal byproducts in its diet is essential, in the form of dry formula dog kibble (soaked in warm water or gravy) and varied table scraps.

Feeding your dog requires a great deal of care and consideration.  Take the time to ensure that you are offering all of the right foods and nutrients, especially if you are cutting out meat.  When you feed your dog properly, you will both be much happier and your pet will live a longer and healthier life.