aris Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 Was at the Osteopaths today and was chatting to him about his dog. Lovely little thing - a labradoodle or something like that. Anyhow, the Osteopath is a vegetarian - and surprisingly he told me his dog is too. I was a bit taken aback - sure dogs are omnivores (unlike cats which are carnivores) - but are they suited to a vegetarian diet? He says the dog is healthy and happy - can't argue with that, but being an omnivore, is it not better for the animal to have a mixed diet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 They need meat protein I think you can be prosecuted if you don't feed any? if I am wrong then you BW should be iMO. Dog has a shorter tract than man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbird Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) I think it's a vegan diet that dogs would really struggle to process, as long as say, eggs were included I *suppose* it wouldn't be so bad. Why any caring pet owner would try to impose an unnatural diet on their dogs beats me, though. Anthropomorphism, I suppose? Thinking on, I suppose that by feeding my dogs mainly kibble that's exactly what I'm doing, too, for convenience, though Edited August 30, 2014 by bigbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RED BEARD Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 My dog has meat, fish and vegetables and I'd say his favourite is fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les*1066 Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 I think the Osteopath needs to read some literature about dogs - he obviously hasn't got a clue. He says the dog is 'healthy and happy'. Really? How does he know? Does the dog talk, and say "I really enjoyed that veggie burger, thank you". I think not. I feel sorry for the poor mutt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 Technically a dog can survive on a vegetarian diet. I wouldn't recommend it. Cats absolutely need meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted August 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 I think the Osteopath needs to read some literature about dogs - he obviously hasn't got a clue. He says the dog is 'healthy and happy'. Really? How does he know? Does the dog talk, and say "I really enjoyed that veggie burger, thank you". I think not. I feel sorry for the poor mutt. I wasn't going to argue with him as he was about to manipulate my vertebrae. He is a veggie himself - so that probably prompted it. I agree - dogs are omnivores, not herbivores. Yes, they can survive, but like humans do better on a mixed diet. I'll ask my sister in law who is a vet and see what gear opinion is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Technically a dog can survive on a vegetarian diet. I wouldn't recommend it. Cats absolutely need meat. My sphinx who we got at 14mths won't eat meat at all. Fortunately will eat a good quality cat biscuit. She adores ginger biscuits though and I get meowed at over morning coffee till she gets some. Tried all sorts of different tinned and pouch cat meats. She won't even taste them. I have tried chicken, best steak, fish fresh and tinned, pork, lamb all gets her sniff and then disaproval as she walks off. Was hopeful when she showed interest in a pork pie, but she would only eat the pastry. Loves porridge and any form of breakfast cereal. Have even tried her with pigeon and rabbit, fresh and cooked. Darwin our old male cat even brought her a fresh killed mouse which she played with until we removed it before it started to smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Technically a dog can survive on a vegetarian diet. I wouldn't recommend it. Cats absolutely need meat. I am informed man can survive on only eating baked beans (one of those rare foods that gives us just enough of everything) Nor right though is it ? Also who might wish to sit next to that guy at church? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 My sphinx who we got at 14mths won't eat meat at all. Fortunately will eat a good quality cat biscuit. The limit for survivability is amino-acids, they are the building blacks for proteins. Some are essential in the diet and others can be made in the body. Cats MUST obtain some from meat - cat biscuit has meat in there. Dogs can obtain all the building blocks from a vegetarian diet (as can we) so may survive on such a diet. I don't know about man living on beans alone. I have also heard you can survive on Guinness and if I had to try one or the other, I'd pick the liquid diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted August 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 I have also heard you can survive on Guinness and if I had to try one or the other, I'd pick the liquid diet. I'm sure there are living examples of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 my springer goes nuts for a tin of tuna mixed with his dried food,,i,m sure he thinks he,s a cat lol atb Evo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 The limit for survivability is amino-acids, they are the building blacks for proteins. Some are essential in the diet and others can be made in the body. Cats MUST obtain some from meat - cat biscuit has meat in there. Dogs can obtain all the building blocks from a vegetarian diet (as can we) so may survive on such a diet. I don't know about man living on beans alone. I have also heard you can survive on Guinness and if I had to try one or the other, I'd pick the liquid diet. Nah, not having that a man cannot live on guiness alone - he needs a whisky chaser! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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