Can a dog be a vegetarian?
The question ends up arising for people who decide to follow vegetarianism
Many people decide to be vegetarian or vegan for ethical reasons (learn more), but end up having doubts when it comes to feeding their best friend. Dogs and cats, in the wild, always prefer to eat meat, but how far do they need to consume animal proteins? Can cats and dogs be vegetarians?
Well, for cats, the answer is no. Cats are obligatory carnivores and if their food is not meaty, they run the risk of losing their eyesight and developing heart disease.
Now, as for dogs, feeding can be more flexible. The opinion of veterinarians is still very divided.
It was in the 1960s that some groups of vegan people began to think about adapting pets to their lifestyle. Many veterinarians are against this thought to this day, as dogs are animals considered carnivores, but that can adapt to an omnivorous diet. And there are also veterinarians who defend the idea that the food adaptation of dogs is similar to that of man.
When you are going to offer a natural food to your pet, containing or not ingredients of animal origin, it is very important to consult a veterinarian who specializes in nutrition and follow up without fooling around. The protein deficiency in a dog's diet causes it to go into catabolism, that is, it starts to degrade the proteins of its own muscles (including the heart muscle) to supply its needs.
The solutions that people have found to combine their philosophy with the biology of man's best friend are the most varied. O Guinness Book has recorded dogs with unbelievable ages and the third longest recorded was Bramble, a stray dog who lived for 27 years and 11 months on a strict vegetarian diet. Vegan blogger Sandra Guimarães, from the Papa Capim blog, offers her animals natural food, including leftover meat from restaurants. She argues that, as this meat went to waste, changing this destination does not finance the meat industry, it is ecologically correct and gives a greater sense of security in terms of animal nutrition. She takes these raw meat scraps and prepares them at home, because the meat that was ready to be eaten by people is seasoned and is bad for the animals.
