Vegan pets?
Posted by oboist69 on Apr 26, 2010 · Member since Mar 2010 · 5 posts
Upon searching some vegan social networking sites and recipe sites, I have found numerous recipies and ads for vegan pet food. I think it is absolutely absurd to force animals to go against their nature of eating meat. The animals don't have minds like we do to make choices, they have instinct (which is to eat meat). What do you think about vegan diets for pets? I'm pretty sure I've made my position lol :)
they're not exactly wild dogs. so why would they need to eat meat?
been there done that... look in the forums no need to start a new thread... this topic has been beaten to death
Randomizr, you might find it more helpful posting in Happy Hour or The Kitchen Sink...
I hope it's okay if I post this here, let me know if not.
I used to be vegan, but over the past couple of years I've reverted back to a more typical American diet. However, I am thinking about going back. I don't feel as healthy as I did when I was vegan, and I hate the environmental impact of producing and eating meat and dairy products.
My problem isn't so much me as my Nigel. He's not very understanding when it comes to these things. He'll eat whatever is put in front of him, but he's not above complaining about my choices argh.
Any advice on transitioning back to a vegan lifestyle and negotiating it with my family life?
There are some good threads about this in 'sweet & sour'...
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=29972.60
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=23340.0
and this from 'food fight'
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=31857.0
My view is that people who are 'not very understanding' about what *I* have put time and effort into need to get off their ass and make their own damn dinner! but that's old news... like the 'vegan pet' thing, it's been heavily explored in other threads, so at least you know you're not alone! a lotta folks deal w/ omni SO's & still manage to be quite happily veg*n!
Re: veg pets... no one here's advocating veg diet for pets who need meat. Dogs eat *anything*, and happily... that's their historical role: traveling garbage disposal units! (as well as, of course, most excellent company!)... they are opportunistic vs obligate carnivores, and can be fine & happy on non-carnie diets... I'd be slow to pre-judge others' choices on this issue, if I were you; happy dogs are happy dogs, and no one here (that I've seen, anyway) has ever in the many threads dealing with this issue advocated veg diets for animals who *need* meat (i.e. cats). If it doesn't seem like something you wanna do, with your own pets... shrug! different strokes. But if it does no harm and the pets in question are happy & healthy... maybe your position about others' choices is a bit... narrow?
I really hate to go there, but since my dogs are vegan I'll just chime in.
My dogs have been vegan for years, actually before I was........since I held out when I ate out, but eventually out of my love for animals I want vegan.
I couldn't reconcile my love of animals and eliminate their torture from my personal life, while saying "it's o.k. for my dogs to eat animals that have been tortured for their benefit" when there are vegan alternatives that meet 100% of their needs.
Am I forcing my values on my dogs? Damn right I am and they gobble it up. I am their caretaker and my values are what matters. I don't let them drink water out of the toilet, I don't let them poop in the house, and all kinds of other values I force on them.
Am I forcing them against their "nature", perhaps because obviously dogs eat meat and love it. But like was said above, they aren't wild dogs in nature, and it's not necessarily in their "nature" to live in a 3 bedroom air conditioned house in a cozy bed either.
They are healthy. My oldest will be 16 in December and just this last year has started to show signs of aging and is slowing down quite a bit. Other than bad teeth as he's aged (vet says it's common with this breed) he's never ever had a health-related issue. My seven year old is robust. Neither has had a health issue since becoming vegan. In fact the young one had a colitis attack, with bloody stools while on a meat diet. It's not recurred since going vegan.
I don't care if people disagree, I just wanted to state my personal views on the subject. I expect the same courtesy that I give others, but if you have questions, not judgement, I'll answer. :)
Check out this new dog food from the Humane Society! They actually donate proceeds to the HS!
http://www.thehumanechoice.com/
I will post this elsewhere too.