I came looking for ideas for transitioning dogs to a raw vegetarian diet and I found little. I found one nice dog food recipe. Looking at the posts inspired me to begin right away feeding my dogs raw vegetarian, especially after seeing so many using raw meats, and even being very adamant about dogs needing raw meats. I so disagree. Cats are Carnivores, so it is different for them. But for the Omnivorous dog, they can eat as I do. I know raw vegetarian dogs, and my dogs love salad and nuts, and dairy and eggs. So, I'm jumping in. I like the idea of feeding my dog what I eat.

This thread is for others who are already feeding their dogs raw vegetarian diets or even raw vegan diets, or for those who would like to start. Any raw vegetarian dog food recipes and ideas would be great!

Peace to all!

Gwen Qi

I fed my dogs their first raw vegetarian meal, and it was so beautiful I actually sat and watched them eat their entire meal. They devoured it like savages. It was a feast for them: celery, kale, daikon, turnip, yellow squash, egg, and a little olive oil. I gave them the pulp from my juice, plus some larger bits of celery and turnip. They don't like kale, but mixed with egg, they devoured it. My daughter agreed-- they are so going to love this!

i think that it's an excellent goal to feed pets a raw diet. however, just as our optimum diet is one to strive for, so is the optimum diet for animals and for dogs that includes flesh foods. they crave it, they love it, it nourishes their bodies. though dogs can survive without meat, there is a big difference between survive and thrive.

i did try to feed my dogs a veggie diet but after thorough research i changed my mind and they now are fed an organic dog food that includes meat.

Dogs have different digestion to humans and unfortunately like it or not they need meat !

maybe you should purchase a good book on this subject to get a better idea about your pets needs.

peace, Joanne

I am new on this site but wanted to share what I have been feeding my dogs...I have gradually transitioned to a 90% raw vegan diet myself and don't desire to handle meat any more if at all possible...I had been feeding them a commercially available raw meat based product supplemented by lots of raw veggies, yogurt, etc. but now I have gradually transitioned them to a mostly vegan diet instead. It isn't ALL raw because I use some cooked potatoes or non-acid forming grains as a base ie, organic quinoa, millet, amaranth or sometimes brown rice, then I add sunflower seed meal and flax meal (ground fresh from organic seeds in a coffee grinder), chopped or grated organic vegetables, some oil such as olive or apricot kernel, and then add purified water and mix it all up...a little squirt of liquid aminos and a spoonful of a green powder supplement. I also supplement with extra calcium and liquid trace minerals(all these things are very ALKALIZING) to compensate for the lack of bone meal. It's basically pretty similar to what I eat except that I don't usually eat grains, and the nuts and seeds need to be ground up well...if you feed them whole nuts and seeds they don't chew them enough and they pass through basically undigested. One of the reasons PEOPLE crave flesh foods is due to lack of trace minerals and salts so I figure the same is probably true for dogs...as long as the nutritional components that would be in the meat are replaced with DIGESTIBLE plant based products they should do well...they certainly eat it! I also give them some pieces of fresh fruit(apple, plum, melon) in the morning basically following the rule of eating fruits alone on an empty stomach. This way they seem to digest them well, otherwise they can produce gas. My female is a 4 year old shepard mix and needs a bit more food overall than my male who is a 7 year old Chow/Lab. I found it helpful to figure out what their Ayurvedic constitutions are so that I could customize their diets according to their doshas, ie, my female is more Vata/Pitta and needs cooling foods and more calories and grounding, versus my male who is a more Kapha type, slower metabolism very earthy type of dog who puts on weight more easily so I feed him a little lighter. So far they are both doing great , have lots of energy and their demeanors have actually become even more mellow and friendly than they were before...everyone comments on how healthy they look! Even if you are going to continue feeding a meat based diet or any other type of diet for that matter, the addition of the liquid minerals and other alkalizing foods and supplements seems to be of major importance for all of us these days! So of course everyone has to use their own best judgment, but I thought I would share in case this info is helpful for anyone.

It's so sad to see so many vegans who force their chosen eating habits upon their pets. Yes, I WISH all creatures were vegetarian and that no animal ever had to suffer again, but that's not the planet we live on and it's unrealistic to try and force all animals to eat plant food. Wake up people....dogs might can survive on plant food, but they are designed to eat at least some meat to be healthy. There are even vegan recipes out there for cats, which is just downright cruel.

zakiah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am new on this site but wanted to share what I
> have been feeding my dogs...I have gradually
> transitioned to a 90% raw vegan diet myself and
> don't desire to handle meat any more if at all
> possible...I had been feeding them a commercially
> available raw meat based product supplemented by
> lots of raw veggies, yogurt, etc. but now I have
> gradually transitioned them to a mostly vegan diet
> instead. It isn't ALL raw because I use some
> cooked potatoes or non-acid forming grains as a
> base ie, organic quinoa, millet, amaranth or
> sometimes brown rice, then I add sunflower seed
> meal and flax meal (ground fresh from organic
> seeds in a coffee grinder), chopped or grated
> organic vegetables, some oil such as olive or
> apricot kernel, and then add purified water and
> mix it all up...a little squirt of liquid aminos
> and a spoonful of a green powder supplement. I
> also supplement with extra calcium and liquid
> trace minerals(all these things are very
> ALKALIZING) to compensate for the lack of bone
> meal. It's basically pretty similar to what I eat
> except that I don't usually eat grains, and the
> nuts and seeds need to be ground up well...if you
> feed them whole nuts and seeds they don't chew
> them enough and they pass through basically
> undigested. One of the reasons PEOPLE crave flesh
> foods is due to lack of trace minerals and salts
> so I figure the same is probably true for
> dogs...as long as the nutritional components that
> would be in the meat are replaced with DIGESTIBLE
> plant based products they should do well...they
> certainly eat it! I also give them some pieces of
> fresh fruit(apple, plum, melon) in the morning
> basically following the rule of eating fruits
> alone on an empty stomach. This way they seem to
> digest them well, otherwise they can produce gas.
> My female is a 4 year old shepard mix and needs a
> bit more food overall than my male who is a 7 year
> old Chow/Lab. I found it helpful to figure out
> what their Ayurvedic constitutions are so that I
> could customize their diets according to their
> doshas, ie, my female is more Vata/Pitta and needs
> cooling foods and more calories and grounding,
> versus my male who is a more Kapha type, slower
> metabolism very earthy type of dog who puts on
> weight more easily so I feed him a little lighter.
> So far they are both doing great , have lots of
> energy and their demeanors have actually become
> even more mellow and friendly than they were
> before...everyone comments on how healthy they
> look! Even if you are going to continue feeding a
> meat based diet or any other type of diet for that
> matter, the addition of the liquid minerals and
> other alkalizing foods and supplements seems to be
> of major importance for all of us these days! So
> of course everyone has to use their own best
> judgment, but I thought I would share in case this
> info is helpful for anyone.

This all makes sense to me. Thanks!

Cheers

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I have always thought k 9s needs meat, they love it. I just had friends over `from`India and they tell me they make their bread everyday, a corn based flat `tortia
type bread, and always make extra for the dogs everyday, it is broken into small `chunks then feed to them. they also get a small
bowl of cows milk or buttermilk. but never meat eggs. they tell me the dogs are
very healthy strong dogs, thats the diet of the dogs in New Delhi

on veg for dogs my friend dehydrated some boc choy added a little seseme and my `dogs loved it

I agree!

Dogs are suppose to eat meat,
I sort of feel sad that your not letting your dog eat what he or she wants.
It is an animal, just as we and it has needs..

My "pitbull" LOVES fruits and, she eats watermelon meat and leave the shell behind, bananas, carrots, salads. But when she sees a fish, or raw meat, her eyes light up with excitement.


I dunno, there are consiquences to every action, and maybe to not give a none-human animal there natural and needed diet beucase your uncomfortable handling meat raw, you probably shouldnt live with another animal.

I was wondering if anyone else saw changes in the dog's temperament after being fed without meat...do they get mellow-er like some people I know ?? I had a pitbull that was crazy about carrots and ate mostly vegetarien and was a very mellow girl who lived to 16 yrs old.

dogs can't digest fiber. they have a different digestive system then humans. it was made to digest meats.

dogs have an acidic system vs our alkaline system. They NEED the acidity of animal foods. Your dogs on totally vegan diets will suffer with bladder stones!!! Its a great idea but unfortunately it will end up hurting them. anne

Hey people! I'm new to this site and I really would love to become more of a raw food eater. Anyway, I'm sure I'll talk and meet some really cool people that will help me through my journey.

This subject however is really interesting to me. I'm a certified dog trainer and I have 4 dogs. Dogs are a huge part of my life and I 100% think that what they eat will determine what kind of dogs they're going to be. Many of you have very good and valid points about making a dog a vegetarian vs. keeping them a meat based diet. Here's my opinion. I tend to agree with the fact that dogs digestive system are different then humans. If you think back in time before dogs were domesticated and they roamed the free earth what would they eat? Well where did dogs even come from? Most people know that they are ancestors of wolves. And wolves absolutely ate raw meat. So I'm kind of agreeing that dogs should have meat in their diet. However it is a fact that our dog food today is filled with the worst kind of meat you can ever give a dog. These meats are pumped with chemicals and steroids just like most human meat, but it's the crap of the crap ground up and made into dog food meat. I definitely think that you should give your dog meat and it should be raw and organic. You should also load your dogs diet with veggies and even greens supplement like someone above mentioned. If the dogs are getting the proper nutrients they too can become moody or aggressive or develop behavioral problems as well as disease. I really don't think there is a wrong way to feed a dog. I mean if you really think about it, dogs primarily live 15 or so years. And us as really healthy people as well as a standard American who eats a standard American diet would tend to agree with dogs living that long. My point is most Americans feed their dog, dog food from the grocery store and some of those dogs live normal lives and die around the same age. Give or take a couple of years. However those couple of years can be the difference in our diet vs. their diet. Also, it might make our dogs feel overall better and we would see less behavioral problems and vet bills... Well there's my opinion. Sorry if it was long and boring! :O)

Joey I

I can not argue this point.
My dog is 6 and eats a vegetarian diet.

My house is vegan friendly so no animal products allowed in here.

All of my pets to live allot longer than normal house pets.
Averaging in around 20y.o.

A breeder of Nefoundland dogs in vermont told me after they went to organic feeds, the dogs started living at least a third longer, K9s the four legged cannaries? in the mines????

Please, please be careful. You can make a dog really ill by feeding it an alkaline diet. Their short digestive tract is created for an acidic environment unlike ours. Particularly female dogs will suffer from forming painful stones. I feel very little meat or fish but I do include it. Some of you might like thehonestkitchen.com foods as they are freezedried, balanced and low in meats and were recommended to me by the raw food guru Paul Nison.

If it is true that dogs need meat for true health, how come the oldest dog at 29 that made the guiness book of records was vegan. I saw a picture of it as it lived not far from where I live and it was really healthy looking

[dogsinthenews.com]

Also carnivores animals have the shortest life spans

quality of life vs quantity of life. that dog is in a book of unusual things because it is an unusual dog, not because it is the norm. give a dog a choice, carrots or meat, you will see very quickly which he or she is most attracted to. wanting our pets to be vegetarians just because we are is like them wanting us to eat meat because they do. it isn't very balanced or honouring of true nature either way.

You are lucky your dogs are omnivores like this. Many dogs only want to eat meat or things that taste really good, (Not usually vegetables) :p

[www.healthyfoodrawdiet.com]

Just as vegans claim that humans were not created to eat meat, dogs were created to be meat eaters. Most of the veggies and fruits that wild dogs get is in the stomachs of the creatures that they kill to eat.

If you decide to feed your dog a mixture of meat, veggies, etc., do NOT at the same time feed cooked food with raw. A dog produces different enzymes when it digests raw v. cooked. You could give raw at one feeding and cooked at another, or all raw, just don't combine them at the same feeding.

dogs do not produce the enzymes needed to break down plant materials (cellulase). i feed my dog an all raw meat diet. he gets meat (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and soon moose and rabbit) and fish (mackerel). i know that a lot of people do not like to handle meat but if you cannot feed your pet the things that it needs to THRIVE then maybe you should not have pets. sorry if this makes people angry, but imho it is abuse to feed a dog something that he cannot digest just because of your ideals. you can't force a dog to digest vegetables. my dog doesn't get a single plant material other than the occasional baby carrot because he likes those (but they do come out like they went in...)

My dog gets the enzymes needed to break down plant materials via green tripe or supplements.

Regards,

flash

Dogs are descendants of wolves and although wolves eat mostly meat, they are know to eat berries and some vegetation (especially in winter, when meat is harder to come by). From what I read on the web, there are some fruit/vegetables foods that are not good for canines, such as grapes and high sulfur vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and garlic. There are A vegan diet is not good for canines either. I believe that anyone saying that a dog averages 20 years on a vegan diet is BS. How do you even average that?

I've pretty much always cooked for my dogs, using commercial dry food only rarely-- a base of cooked starches (potato, sweet potato, a variety of grains), beans, and raw or cooked veg, fruit, and nuts/seeds sometimes adding non-vegan foods.

The first few years I gave them salmon, mackerel, and sardines. The next five years they were mainly vegan with occasional egg and dairy. The next year they got a little bit of chicken. Now it's back to alternating days of egg and fish.

Dogs are omnivores, they can be perfectly healthy as vegans provided their needs are all met, and that takes supplements and some knowledge.

But yes, they relish their meat and dairy. I try to keep it minimal, only as a flavoring agent. Currently my 60-lb boy is averaging about 2 oz of fish and one egg per day.

I have home cooked my dogs food for the past 20 something years. My yorkie lived 18 years eating meat and veggies. I now have a shih tzu and have researched raw for a couple of years. I now feed raw meaty bones diet and feel this is the best thing for our wolf ancestor pets. dogs are opportunists, which means they will eat anything. but that does not mean it is good for their optimum health.i honestly don't think veggies will kill our pets, i just don't think their system needs it.

the longest living dog in England some one mentioned before was vegan. i thought that story was very encouraging, yet since then, i read that the dogs history was largely unknown. it was from a shelter and the adopted owners fed it a vegan diet.

either way, if you are diligent with your ingredients and make sure all nutrients are present, i don't see how the pet will suffer. yet i would not want to find out by feeding an all vegan diet.