It really wasn’t that bad. Truly. I was shocked- it kind of smelled like refried beans, which is what I told myself as I ate it. FWIW the brand was Evanger’s. I did a test run of a different brand of vegetarian dog food earlier this week and
it was quite a bit grosser.
Someone asked me during chat what I thought about vegetarian diets for pets. Obviously I’m glad they exist, because otherwise I would have had to eat something much more horrific, but I have been known to recommend it at times for dogs.
Cats shouldn’t be on a vegetarian food. They are carnivores. They are made to metabolize meat.
Dogs, on the other hand, can do OK with a vegetarian diet. It can be a godsend to people whose dogs have food allergies, depending on what they are allergic to. I used it for Mulan, a senior dog with renal disease and food allergies that precluded use of the prescription renal diets.
I think people who choose to become vegetarian themselves for whatever reason are pretty awesome, but I don’t know that I would recommend that a vegetarian diet be imposed for ethical reasons on a dog who has no ethical concerns whatsoever with their food sources. I don’t think it’s a huge problem if the food is still balanced, but the diets I’ve seen have been lower in protein than other over the counter diets (which is why it was great for a renal failure dog.)
Thoughts?
On November 06, 2009 at 10:22pm, karen said...
Glad to hear the dog food you ate was fairly palatable
I’ve generally eaten a vegetarian diet over the years. However, I’ve always fed my pets whatever diet seemed to best maintain their health. Currently, my cats eat Natural Balance Venison & Pea canned food (due to my maine coon’s food allergies), and my dog eats Wellness Core Ocean dry food. I have always figured spending a bit more on their food paid for itself in maintaining their health.
As someone whose pets are all rescues, thank you for your generosity in benefitting the SD Humane Society with your blogathon.
On November 06, 2009 at 10:25pm, Dr. V said...
My cat is on the same one. He seems to prefer the venison to the duck. I’m so thrilled NB has an OTC limited ingredient line!
On November 06, 2009 at 10:32pm, karen said...
Ah, interesting! My food-allergy cat also prefers the venison to the duck. Totally agree, it’s nice to have multiple options for feeding a limited ingredient diet!
On November 06, 2009 at 10:45pm, Tassia said...
I’m firmly of the belief that we are omnivores, with sharp teeth to tear flesh and flat teeth to chew plants. Our species evolved because we scavenged meat from animal kills, and had the sense to eat insects and fish. We need protein. I prefer to get my protein from poultry and fish, but I do love a good steak from time to time, provided it was ethically raised and slaughtered. Growing up where I did, it was something I learned early on. I don’t support animal cruelty, even for livestock.
People are free to choose what they put into their own bodies, and it’s not my place to tell them otherwise. However, when it comes to animals, if you’re not feeding them the diet they need and imposing your own morals and values on an animal, that is wrong. Animals are predators, and it’s natural for them to eat meat. If your animal has no food allergies and you’re depriving it of much needed protein because you can’t bear the thought of handling meat or meat byproducts, you should buy a bird.
On November 06, 2009 at 11:51pm, @shadowcatsd said...
Tell Tech Support that’s grounds for divorce.