what to feed my dogs?
Kind Lifer Kristen Magno recently sent me a message asking me if my dogs are vegan too, and if they are what I feed them. Well, I feed my three dogs, Sweety, Lacy, and Butterfly (we also call Butterfly, (The Pig) a 100% plant-based diet. They are all between 13 and 15 years old and weigh around 70 lbs (they are big guys!). I feed them Dr. Harvey's brand dog food, their Canine Health line, and always give them all of our leftovers so there is no waste of food or money. Dr. Harvey's is a mix of oats, grains, dried veggies and seaweed. It's a little bit of a process to make the food for them, but it's sooooo worth it. And if you set a timer and walk away it's not difficult at all.
You cook it on your stovetop. You combine the Dr. Harvey's with a protein source (we use lentils, mung beans, split peas, kidney beans, pinto beans, tofu, tempeh, etc.) and oil. It's super important to rotate the type of beans so your dogs get different sources of vitamins and minerals. When we use beans, we soak them overnight in water with a piece of kombu (use a 1-inch by 1-inch square of kombu per cup of beans) and use the soaking water to water plants in the morning. Do not cook the beans in the same water that they soaked in. This will make for gassy dogs. Cook the beans along with the kombu. If you forget to soak the beans with the kombu, add it when you start cooking. This helps the beans cook more quickly and helps dogs (and you!) with gas issues.
We cook the beans until they are soft and mash them with a potato masher. If we don't mash them, they come out of the dogs whole in their poo. After mashing, we add the Dr. Harvey's mix along with any leftovers we have, when that is done, we plate up the food, wait for it to cool and add oil. We make a big batch once a day and that's enough for 2 meals for all 3 dogs. If you want, you can make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for a couple days at a time. We just do it daily since we have 3 big dogs and have to make a big pot of food for them.
We also add the supplements, L-Carnatine and Taurine. These are 2 amino acids that are essential to some dogs. They might be added to some commercial dog foods, but in this case with Dr. Harvey's they are not. When dogs are deficient in these nutrients, it can cause diomyopathy, a serious illness where the heart becomes large and flabby and can no longer function properly. This usually happens to middle-aged dogs that have an L-Carnatine or Taurine deficiency due to their breed, size, genetics, or diet. You can buy these supplements at your local health food store, places like Whole Foods or online. Look for supplements with veg-friendly capsules and not the ones that have gelatin in them! And make sure you always check with your dog's vet before starting them on any sort of supplement regimen.
Since our dogs have been eating this way, they have stopped getting fleas, hot spots, and their coats look so nice. They are all super healthy with perfect blood work. People always think they are younger than they really are. Feed your animals grains, beans, and veggies like you would eat and you will absolutely see a difference in their health. Sometimes when we are in between Dr. Harvey's orders, I'll just give them rice, beans, and whatever leftover veggies we have around, and they love it!
And I have to say, their poo is amazing. I'm so proud of them! I see other dogs' poo and it just doesn't compare. It's super healthy, easy to pick-up, and they don't struggle to get it out.
You can order Dr. Harvey's dog food from their website, or you can ask your local store to carry it. Sometimes, if we are in a hurry, we give the dogs Evolution brand, Vegan Kibble. You can get it from www.vegancats.com, or again, ask your local stores to carry it or order it for you. I try to always give them Dr. Harvey's though because it just feels more pure to me and I'd rather them not have dry food, as I feel like it dries them out. But this dry food is great when the Dr. Harvey's can't happen. Natural Balance makes a dry vegetarian dog food too.
Remember that conventional pet food is pretty much junk food for your animals. It's full of animal byproducts (intestines, bones, brains, etc.), preservatives, chemicals, and fillers. Personally I can't justify killing one animal to save or feed another. If you feed meat to your dogs, that's what we are doing...deciding that one life is more worthy than the other. They don't need it and they do better without it, as long as you feed them a healthy, balanced food source like Dr. Harvey's.
A vegan diet works really well because our dogs don't live in the wild. They take a walk every day, maybe follow their humans around a little, and not a lot more, so a plant-based diet is just fine for most dog's energy requirements.
And for doggie treats, here are a few we love:
Boston Baked Bonz
- their cookies look amazing. My assistant actually ate half of one of their ginger snap cookies and said it was really good...
Sweet Potate'r Chews from Dr. Harvey's
Mr. Barky's Vegetarian Dog Biscuits
- we grab these from Whole Foods - these are our staple treats
What are your thoughts on a veggie diet for your pets? Do you have brands of food that you love? Or treats?
128 comments
-
I have been researching vegan dogs and vegan dog food for many years now. There are hundreds if not thousands of medical articles on the health benefits and longevity of vegan diets for humans AND dogs. Dogs are not carnivores; they are FACULTATIVE CARNIVORES. In other words, they can live very healthfully on a non-meat diet for months. In the wild, wolves and coyotes do not make a kill every single day. They do not eat meat every day unless they live in a zoo! They also eat berries, apples, melons, and some vegetation in between kills.
What's especially fascinating to me is how long raw vegan dogs live! I've read about so many dogs who live to their 20s! There is a great article I want to post if I can find it. The author documents how and why carnivores live shorter lives vs herbivores who live much longer lives (I.e. lions vs tortoises).
I don't see it as a moral argument feeding your dog a vegan diet. It is proven to be healthful for dogs and they adapt well to it. Not sure about cats, though. If something is very healthful and increases the longevity of your loved ones, wouldn't you want to try it?! LOL
You can't really make the argument that a 100% all-meat diet is the natural diet for dogs. Dogs are descended from wolves and wolves DO NOT and CANNOT eat meat every single day. They eat plenty of vegan food when there is no prey to be found, and the rest of the time they fast because food is difficult to come by. Fruits and veggies have been found in the scat of wolves and coyotes for centuries. -
We have been using V-Dog and just bought Dr. Harveys yesterday. I would love to hear some detailed info on amounts of protein per lb of dog weight and the various proteins you all use.
The only thing I have found was the Veg to Bowl, so far no one carries the other Dr. Harveys where we live.
I have mixed Tofu in it so far because I had it on hand but that will be expensive. -
I'm happy that the conversation went back to polite and considerate... I was kind of put off by the more inflammatory posts that started the recently posted thread. Though I know it was intended as a mere exchange of facts, it became a face slapping contest right away.
Nuff said.
I had to shape up about my dogs diet when one of my guys developed a Liver/ Bile condition and the Vet recommended a Plant Based Diet for him because it's easier on the liver. It's over a year now that I'm feeding a mixture of what was described above including some dehydrated Honest Kitchen and Dr. Harvey's in the morning and offer Natural Balance Vegan Formula as kibble all day. My Beanie boy is much, much better and his brother doesn't seem to mind.
One thing though I'd like to bring back into the conversation and Alicia has stressed it before... one has to mash the beans and grains good because they really can't break em down otherwise with their short digestive tracts and they come out on the back end how they went in in the front : )
I notices that Quinoa is utterly unchanged reappearing : )))
Also, how much of the recommended supplements do you give per pound of dog...my guys are small.
-
I put my two dogs on Natural Balance Veg Formula two months ago and have been thrilled so far! The chronic allergies and ear infections are completely gone. I have one dog that is apparently allergic to all forms of animal protein. I had tried grain free and raw, all different formulas, all for an appropriate amount of time.
I initially toyed with the idea of dogs' natural diet, but whether you're feeding low or high quality kibble, organic free range ground raw meat, organs and other parts, or chicken thighs... NONE of these things are natural! Most are products of factory farming - loaded with chemicals, hormones, pain, fear, and torture. And they're all processed to some point and taken apart into bits so that you have to add back in the bone, organ meat, and vitaims to make sure you're feeding a complete diet.
If you want natural, let your dog eat the rabbits, groundhogs, moles, and raccoons in the backyard. Dogs were domesticated and practically turned into garbage pickers and scavengers whenever they first began cohabitating with humans.
Since I'm not about to put my pet dogs on that kind of natural diet, I feel this is the very best I can do for them! I hope one day to move on to something like Dr. Harvey's but I've been through so many changes of food for him and the allergies have been so allusive up until now that I'm reluctant to mess with what's working! I'll probably start by adding some xtra fresh veggies and oils to the Natural Balance Kibble just to ease in.
-
shortyrin....THANK YOU, I am glad you said it....I was debating whether to go there....my dogs are vegan as well- they lately had a few carnivorous treats- but I gotta say they weren't at their best, then again- after years of being vegan- their bodies are used to all the good foods. They are athletes, well retired now- they are 12-13- and 13- years old, but still get comments on how young they look and act! People are shocked they are as old as they are.....the PROOF IS IN THE PICTURE as they say!
-
Dogs are NOT carnivores, but cats are. Dogs thrive on vegan diets just like people. My three big dogs (Siberian Husky, Yellow Lab and Choc Lab mix) all live on homemade vegan dog food and are much healthier eating this food than they were eating traditional dog food or meat. I make their food twice a week and portion it out in containers in the fridge. I rotate through different proteins like lentils, every bean imaginable, tofu, TVP, etc and also rotate through brown rice, oats, barely etc. I buy all in bulk to keep cost down. Each batch is unique and i make all the beans, rice etc in my rice cookers so i dont have to watch the stove. I literally dump a batch of rice in one, beans in the other, hit start and walk away till the timers go off. I buy TONS of veggies and chop them and refrigerate until the meal its needed. Clearance last day veggies at the supermarket are great for feeding dogs, and i also am a CSA member so i love all the random veggies i get each week in my pick-up. Its great because it helps me rotate through veggies for myself and my dogs for optimal nutition. I stock up on frozen veggie sales at the grocery store in case im low on fresh produce some days, and i have a garden a few months of the year. I add the vitamins above that Alicia recommends and also add ground flax, flax oil, olive oil, brewers yeast, and nutrtional yeast flakes, which i buy for very cheap in bulk at my local health store. it sounds like a lot of work for 3 large dogs but its really not. Plus i buy all these foods for myself anyway. I may invest about 30 minutes a week into making their food. My dogs stand in the kitchen at meal time, tails wagging all excited to get a big bowlful of beans, rice, zucchini, squash, green beans and kale. My dogs eat better than most people.. and it costs less than low quality kibble.
-
Well, I'm not even going to start on the bible... (but I have to say that's a crazy place to determine what is best for your pets!)... that aside - dogs are CARNIVORES - (and I guess we could get into a discussion on Evolution if we all cared to) - the point being that dogs were meant to AND DO eat meat in the real world when humans are not guiding them. I dont' think I can explain it better than here: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/01/19/vegetarianism-for-pets.aspx
Now - as for humans we can choose what we do and do not wish to eat, and we can add supplements when necessary - but how silly to NOT feed your dogs & cats what THEIR bodies need!
Call me crazy - but I just was at the grocery store buying fruit, veggies & whole grains for myself - and tons of veggies to make my own vegan dog food "stew" - AND whole chicken thighs for my dogs. They deserve what is best for them, even if it DOES gross me out to watch them munching on raw meat and chomping on bones - otherwise I have no business owning them.
-
When people get nasty about my dogs being on a vegan diet and act all knowing, I throw the bible and them and quote Genisis when God was telling Adam (and creation) that they could eat any plants, nuts, and seeds and that would be their meat. God created animals and man to be vegetarians in the beginning of creation. That for me is proof enough. If man had not sinned, the animals would still to this day be vegetarian. So I trust God to feed my pets what they were meant to eat from the beginning of creation. Go Vegan!
-
Hi Alicia,
I think it's awesome that you're vegan, but it's completely unnatural to feed dogs a that way. Dogs are NOT meant to eat grains. It is hard for their bodies to digest, and as a result will not live the same quality of life as a dog who eats what nature intended him to. We feed our dog Cubby what he would eat in the wild - raw meat, bones and blended leafy greens. I know you've been to Dr. McCutcheon's office in Toronto and he is all for the raw diet. Remember, we are our dogs mouthpiece.
-
my dogs - sigh - are not vegan, but I've read quite a lot on the subject.
I reccomend this: http://www.behavetech.com/vegandogs.html
you can download for free a book about vegan dogs nutrition, join a yahoo group and find other useful links.
hope it helps!
-
These recommendations are great, thank you. I've considered a vegan, or at least vegetarian, diet for my dogs, as I realize that the dog food industry has a part in factory farming. I, just as everyone else, also want to make sure they're getting the proper nutrients. I had posted a question about this to a holistic vet on FB with very negative results...no response from her and pure nastiness from a few, and one in particular, followers. It was very disconcerting, but I s'pose, sadly, that sometimes that kind of reaction simply comes along with bringing up the idea of veganism.
-
-
We just switched our dogs to a plant-based diet. Within a week I noticed a change in their coats and overall appearance.
-
Alicia, would you be willing to make out a very clear ingrediant list. You did list it all here, but something we could print out and take to the store? I'm thinking that'd be helpful for those willing to try to diet for their dogs, and be quite specific about how much is needed,...sorry so many posts today!!
-
also a consistant wet food is bad for their teeth, but if you're supplementing with hard treats, like a baked hard bone like treat every single day (carrots and such do not count) they may work for cleaning in between vet visits for teeth cleaning.
-
hmmm...while this sounds okay, i'm not comfortable feeding my dogs something that is completely unnatural for them, and they have no choice in the matter. i do NOT feed my dogs any gross corn based, animal by-product weirdo dog food either, but they are not forced into vegetarianism.
i'm unsure i could ever switch to this...have to think about it a lot.
-
-
Surprised me, I thought Dogs were always going to be meat eaters.
Good to know they can handle alternatives as well.
-
My 3 big dogs have been eating vegan for years. They look great, have zero health problems, and are full of energy. The vet says their weight if perfect. Plus, they love their food!
I used to have V-dog delivered to my house. I now buy the vegan Natural Balance because it is available at a local store. Also, you get a free bag after purchasing 10 bags. I usually mix this dry food with beans, organic rice cereal with no sugar and few calories, a bit of oil, and some canned food by PetGuard (they offer an organic vegan or vegetarian; the vegetarian is also vegan). Sometimes I make a nice "gravy" of organic pumpkin (not pumpkin pie stuff!) or sweet potato with rice milk. My dogs also eat my leftover rice and vegetables. They eat two meals per day and limited snacks. Walks or runs (adventures) every day!
Like Alicia, I go for PetGuard vegetarian biscuits. My guys also love the peanut butter ones. It seems most dog treats are made with eggs or something, but these PetGuard ones are vegan. Sometimes I make them little peanut butter sandwiches with the biscuits. That is their favorite. Not too much peanut butter, because of the fat. My dogs love chewing on carrots.
My dogs have a couple of the huge Nylabones to chew on. They love those! I think these Nylabones may last forever!
Someone here mentioned the Simple Little Vegan Dog Book. I also recommend it. Great recipes! And, it includes what not to feed dogs due to potential dangers.
Anyone know of a treatment for joints that is vegan?
-
Patti, I too had a problem like this with my cat. I have resorted to giving her the special food that they recommend because I can't bear to put her through surgery again. The stones will come back without a proper diet, I have talked to people who have had reoccurances. If yours were calcium oxalate stones there is no way to get rid of them other than surgery. My cat had the other kind that can be treated with food if necessary, but they didn't know that until she went through surgery! Ugh! It was so traumatizing for both of us! I had been feeding her good holistic food (non-vegan) with no preservatives or additives or byproducts and they failed me. Now I am stuck feeding her crap and it makes me feel bad, but I don't want her to suffer with UTIs and bladder pain anymore. A huge thing is to keep the animals hydrated so that the urine will be dilute and the stones will be less likely to form. It sounds like your dog had a severe case and this could even lead to blockage. I would take the vet's advice, but that's just me.
-
our dog recently underwent surgery for bladder stones - they found literally hundreds of them - and now she needs to be on a special low calcium diet. i'd love to move her to a vegan diet but hesitant to do so given the need for the special food as prescribed by her vet. thoughts anyone?
-
Vegan food is very alkaline and may cause very alkaline urine and possibly struvite crystals in some dogs. It depends on the food you're feeding as well.
-
-
I create a pumpkin stew for my dog with canned pumpkin, peas, carrots, green beans and chickpeas. He loves it.
While he mostly eats this- I still am feeding him a chick pea protein based kibble that still has chicken in it {a small 1/3 cup per day} mostly for the vitamin blend. I am considering changing the kibble to a vegan brand. Maybe V- dog?
-
I realize this is an old post, but I am just making the transition to a vegan dogfood. I cannot find a good supplement for L-Carnatine and Taurine. PLEASE provide recommendations if possible!
Thanks
-
I feed like Alicia in the morning and then offer dry Natural Balance kibble all day.
I also bought the L- Carnitin and the L- Taurine. My dogs are small so I can't just give the capsule ( the Taurine is a tablet ) how does one figure out how much they need ? And I too wonder about B12.
Maybe somebody knows another great source for this things ?
Thanks
Uli
-
you can use this program
you choose the ingredients : vegetables, meat and the program calculates the quantity to give to your dog.
Available at:
Available at:
Join the Discussion!