Vegetarian dog food? yes or no?
Feeding our dogs a vegetarian diet is a debate that has always divided a large portion of owners and veterinarians. Can we feed our dog vegetarian food? The answer is not simple. Nowadays, vegetarian diets for dogs are becoming very popular in places like Great Britain or the United States of America. And if there is demand, supply inevitably appears, which is why there are many manufacturers who have decided to put on the market food for dogs vegetarian. In Spain, balanced food for vegetarian dogs is also something that is becoming fashionable among dog owners. It is increasingly common for dog owners to ask veterinarians if they can make their dogs veterinarians since they are veterinarians. Obviously everyone is free to eat what they want and feed their dog according to their thoughts. You always have to respect others. But if we imagine a dog or a wolf in the middle of nature, it is much more likely to see them eat an animal such as rabbits or deer than to “graze” grass. Thousands of ranchers can attest to this. It is true that fiber is part of the diet of wolves; they usually eat seeds, but its percentage is very small compared to the amount of animal protein they ingest. Therefore, the question is very simple, if what the dog or wolf eats in nature is mainly meat, why would I give my dog vegetables or corn? Of course, there are some dogs that may have allergies or intolerance to meat products and in that case a vegetarian diet is justified under the supervision of a veterinarian and taking care that the dog does not have mineral or vitamin deficiencies. But these cases are very rare, it is much more common to find dogs intolerant to grains. There are several things that must be taken into account to know if a vegetarian diet is healthier and more natural for our dog than a diet based on animal protein: It may seem very obvious, but the dog descends from the wolf and, as we said before, is a carnivorous animal. It is true that over time dogs have become omnivorous animals. In general, a dog's diet is divided into 40% proteins and 40% carbohydrates. But in the wild, a dog or wolf does not eat corn kernels, soybeans or brussels sprouts. Surely you have never seen a pack of wolves enter a corn field to eat the grains (livestock farmers cannot say the same with their cows or lambs). 
I can agree with the opinion of many owners that dog food is often made from low-quality raw materials: many cheap brands of feed use animal by-products such as beaks, feathers, bones, etc. But not all brands make their feed with poor quality raw materials. There are brands such as Acana, Lobo Azul or Taste of the Wild (to name just a few) that use high quality ingredients in all their feed. Many brands sell vegetarian dog food and grain-free dog food. Furthermore, if we do not want to use dog food, because we believe that it is full of additives and other chemicals, we always have the option of cooking meat, pasta and vegetables for our dogs. Dog food was born as a matter of convenience, but if the dog does not have specific health problems that require special diets and we have the time, money and knowledge to give it a “homemade” food, welcome! Of course, it must be a balanced meal, free of fat and seasonings. Making your dog's food yourself does not mean that he can eat meat with barbecue sauce like you.
Another issue that must be taken into account is the concept of “natural”. Dog life as we know it today is very unnatural, is it natural for an animal to live at home? Well, if we were talking about wolves, of course, I would say no, but we know that the dog was the first animal to be domesticated, so it seems logical that the dog lives with humans. Another thing that proponents of vegetarian dog food argue is that vegetables and fruits provide the same nutrients as animal products. In my opinion, this is not true, however, even if this statement were true, if you stop to read the labels of vegetarian feed, you can see that to avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies, many supplements are included. It stands to reason that a complete and balanced food should not need so many supplements. This is because this type of food lacks certain nutrients necessary for the dog. Therefore it is not natural. These are just some of the questions that vegetarian nutrition raises for a dog. For my part, I maintain that in most cases you cannot avoid giving animal protein to the dog, except in specific cases of proven serious intolerances and allergies, but this must be determined by the veterinarian. The important thing is to avoid giving our dogs a vegetarian diet without first consulting a veterinarian. We have to make sure that what we feed our dog is good for him. Other articles that may be of interest:
I can agree with the opinion of many owners that dog food is often made from low-quality raw materials: many cheap brands of feed use animal by-products such as beaks, feathers, bones, etc. But not all brands make their feed with poor quality raw materials. There are brands such as Acana, Lobo Azul or Taste of the Wild (to name just a few) that use high quality ingredients in all their feed. Many brands sell vegetarian dog food and grain-free dog food. Furthermore, if we do not want to use dog food, because we believe that it is full of additives and other chemicals, we always have the option of cooking meat, pasta and vegetables for our dogs. Dog food was born as a matter of convenience, but if the dog does not have specific health problems that require special diets and we have the time, money and knowledge to give it a “homemade” food, welcome! Of course, it must be a balanced meal, free of fat and seasonings. Making your dog's food yourself does not mean that he can eat meat with barbecue sauce like you.
Another issue that must be taken into account is the concept of “natural”. Dog life as we know it today is very unnatural, is it natural for an animal to live at home? Well, if we were talking about wolves, of course, I would say no, but we know that the dog was the first animal to be domesticated, so it seems logical that the dog lives with humans. Another thing that proponents of vegetarian dog food argue is that vegetables and fruits provide the same nutrients as animal products. In my opinion, this is not true, however, even if this statement were true, if you stop to read the labels of vegetarian feed, you can see that to avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies, many supplements are included. It stands to reason that a complete and balanced food should not need so many supplements. This is because this type of food lacks certain nutrients necessary for the dog. Therefore it is not natural. These are just some of the questions that vegetarian nutrition raises for a dog. For my part, I maintain that in most cases you cannot avoid giving animal protein to the dog, except in specific cases of proven serious intolerances and allergies, but this must be determined by the veterinarian. The important thing is to avoid giving our dogs a vegetarian diet without first consulting a veterinarian. We have to make sure that what we feed our dog is good for him. Other articles that may be of interest:
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