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laconrad

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  • in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #83943 Report Abuse
    laconrad
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    All of my dogs eat a vegan diet. They love it and it has never been forced upon them. They are all rescues. My first rescue was 90 pounds and lived to age 17. Converted to people years this is well over 100 years old. I have a 15 year old dog who was so abused and riddled with infections they almost put him down 2.5 years ago. I still have him today, that’s about age 90 converted to people years, he has been on a vegan diet since I got him and he is in glorious health. I have an 8 year old Jack Russel also vegan age 57 in people years and a mix (all of my dogs are rescues) who is 40 in people years. They are 100% healthy, never had one thing wrong with them unless they came with something wrong but now that is in the past. I guess my point is that if you don’t need to harm another animal for your own animal to be healthy why would you? A dog is an omnivore and while that means they can eat either, it also means they are healthy on either. My four dogs are proof. I certainly wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t true. But since it is, and since I love animals. I don’t see the point of harming God knows how many animals to feed my own animals when there is 100% the choice not to. People get very defensive because they want to be right. I’m sure your dogs are healthy that may be true but the animals they are eating were slaughtered and that wasn’t healthy for those animals and the worst part is their slaughter was 100% not necessary. If it’s not necessary for me to harm an animal then I’m not going to do it.

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #83942 Report Abuse
    laconrad
    Participant

    Somehow the notion that dogs are pure carnivores has permeated through internet chat forums, among some non-medically trained people working in the pet industry (groomers, trainers, etc.), and those that take their information seriously. This notion is based by in large on the multiply erroneous notion that dogs are essentially wolves, and since wolves are pure carnivores, then dogs necessarily should be fed as wolves would eat.

    I stated multiply erroneous notion because the true fact is that EVEN WOLVES ARE NOT PURE CARNIVORES! While it is true that wolves generally require and eat a high level of protein in comparison to dogs, they also consume a significant amount of vegetable matters instinctively, as doing so is necessary for optimal physiological balance and gastrointestinal health in the species. Wolves consume vegetation from routine grazing on grasses and by tearing open the stomachs of their herbivorous prey and eating the contents.

    The other true fact is that dogs are not wolves, but differ from the wolf in DNA structure by about 0.8 %. That may not seem like much, but only a 1.2% difference in DNA separates us from the chimpanzee. Few would suggest that we should model our diet around that of a chimpanzee.

    Thousands of generations and selective breeding that made domestic dogs more adaptable to life with humans was responsible for the evolution that today differentiates dogs from their ancient ancestor. Among the most prevalent difference between dogs and wolves that resulted is gastrointestinal physiology and how it impacts overall gastrointestinal and other organ health. In the process of canine domestication, humans essentially their early more wolf-like canine companions what they ate, and over successive generations, the species adapted to a more omnivorous diet.

    Dog owners jumping on board with feeding their dogs nothing but meat, essentially a pure protein diet, is fraught with potentially serious health consequences. All one has to do is understand protein metabolism to see the problem.

    Before protein can be absorbed into body’s cells and tissues for metabolic and physiological purposes, it must first be broken down into small chains of proteins called peptides, and in some cases broken down to the individual molecular protein building blocks, amino acids. Once absorbed by the gut, amino acids and peptides are then repackaged and utilized by the body.

    It all sounds lovely, but protein metabolism does not come without a price, as it generates a toxic waste product called ammonia. In fact, many common meat protein sources are as low as 78% utilized by the body with the rest represented as waste. Luckily, like us, canines have a liver that converts ammonia into a less harmful molecule called urea, which is then excreted by the kidneys in urine.

    However, the liver and kidneys over time become overwhelmed with a diet heavily laden with protein, because these organs are constantly burdened with detoxification. Over time, if excessively taxed in this manner through diet, these organs become compromised, leading to degenerative disease, chronic renal failure in the case of the kidneys, and cirrhosis in the case of the liver.

    Physiologically, dietary protein for the average adult canine should not exceed 25% of the total daily nutrient intake. In high performance dogs, such as those that participate in in field or agility competition, that requirement may be increased to 27%. Beyond this level of protein the dog suffers deficiencies in other key nutrients, such as soluble and insoluble fiber and anti-oxidants to name a few, while unnecessarily taxing his liver and kidneys with excessive protein metabolic waste.

    Canine owners that feed raw are the biggest offenders with regard to overloading their dogs with protein, many feeding nothing but a raw meat diet. For these pet owners that are committed to raw feeding, if they are feeding their dogs nothing but meat, I would urge them to integrate fresh or cooked vegetables to represent at least 50% of total dietary intake. Green beans, carrots, broccoli, celery, and spinach are all healthy vegetable sources for dogs. It is also a good idea to integrate complex carbohydrate sources, such as brown rice and sweet potato, as well as some canine safe fruits like cantaloupe, apples, and pears.

    What is most troublesome to me is that some commercial pet food companies are taking advantage of the canine pure carnivore hype and creating diets that are heavily laden with protein, even going further to validate this false notion in their promotional tactics. I was actually inspired to write this post after having seen a TV commercial two nights ago from a large, well known pet food company touting its newest diet as having one of the highest protein percentages in the industry.

    I caution all canine owners to not buy into the hype, not listen to non-medically trained people that recommend a dietary regimen without understanding that over time it does damage to the liver and kidneys while denying the canine other essential nutrients; and reject pet food companies touting false claims, who clearly value sales far more than the well-being of their canine consumers. If in doubt, talk to your veterinarian to help you sift through what is best to feed your dog.

    Dr. Roger Welton is the President of Maybeck Animal Hospital and CEO/Chief Editor of the veterinary information and blog online community, Web-DVM.

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #41502 Report Abuse
    laconrad
    Participant

    There is no doubt that animals and people can live long lives that are quality living despite what they eat. But there is also no doubt that an animal suffers tremendously to become dog food. I love my animals, my dogs and I would not want to end the life of another animal or to cause it any pain or suffering if I didn’t have to in order to feed my dogs. And since I don’t have to I don’t. Vegan is never about health but that frequently comes up because it is a myth that people tend to believe, that it’s not healthy. Vegan is about having a choice and choosing the one that causes the least amount of suffering as much as you can. So when I found out I could buy a dog food that was healthy and didn’t directly take the lives of other animals I chose that over the other. My dogs love it. They did from the very first time I offered it so I never had to force anything. I think it’s great that there is a choice like this and what makes it such a great choice is that dogs both love to eat it and they are healthy eating it. It’s a win win win.

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #27781 Report Abuse
    laconrad
    Participant

    No I would never force my dog to eat vegetables. When I put out kibble, bought before I knew what was in there, and I put out other food they would snub the kibble every time. It was never forced. I believe they can make their own decisions. They each prefer different foods. I would never force anything on any animal. I don’t think that’s right.my dogs are healthy but yeah they are really happy too. I want to emphasize that my vet says they are 100% healthy. But they are super happy too so there is no harm and lots of joy.

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #26080 Report Abuse
    laconrad
    Participant

    A dog is not an obligate carnivore. If they were, my healthy dog would not have lived to 17 years old. She is still thriving.

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #26055 Report Abuse
    laconrad
    Participant

    I am speaking of shelter dogs. From what I have gathered, many are rendered into protein. The word ‘meat’ on dog food can mean any flesh from any animal. I am glad yours doesn’t contain that – blessings to you! I saw a video about this, plus did other research. I am still reeling from what I saw in the video sadly 🙁 I mean, it was not an article, of which I have read many, but a video which detailed the process 🙁

    in reply to: Thoughts on Vegan dogs #26053 Report Abuse
    laconrad
    Participant

    I have a vegan dog named Marley. She weighs 82 pounds. She is 17 years old. She is so healthy the vet could not believe her age.

    If you have a choice, choose cruelty free. My dog is the perfect example of choosing cruelty free – for both the animals I am not feeding my dog as well as my dog. Look into it. Or at least look into how the dog food you feed your dog is made.

    Just what does happen to all those dogs that are euthanized every day?

    For me that was one of the catalysts for change.

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