Raising Vegan or Vegetarian Pets

I'm vegan, but my pets are not. I made a decision when I became vegan not to impose my ethics on others. Even so, feeding my dogs and cats animal products has been a source of ethical conflict for me. It's possible to have healthy vegan dogs and cats (although vegan cats are more problematic). Integrating vegetal ingredients with my pets' regular food has been my compromise.

The wild relatives of dogs, such as wolves and coyotes, are known to eat plants in the form of berries, grasses, and the predigested vegetal matter in the stomachs of their prey. Wild dogs are known as opportunistic carnivores, obtaining their food from a variety of sources. Wild cats also ingest some plants, but they are considered more carnivorous than wild dogs. So a diet that consists of fresh and raw meat, eggs, bones, and vegetables and fruits for dogs, with a higher percentage of meat and fish for cats, might seem ideal. However, given the high toxicity levels of factory-farmed meat (antibiotics, tranquilizers, synthetic hormones, heavy metals, and pesticides like DDT, dioxin, etc.), and their possible links to cancer, allergies, infections, kidney and liver disease, and behavior problems, maybe we should re-think this issue.

What foods can you feed your pet that lessen the dangers of meat and also consume fewer natural resources? Veterinarian Dr. Richard Pitcairn advises that you avoid beef and pork and opt for poultry, eggs, and dairy. If you can afford it, buy organic chickens and eggs, which have few if any harmful chemicals in them that may be passed on to your pet. According to Dr. Pitcairn, dogs can safely be fed a meatless ovo-lacto vegetarian diet (eggs, dairy, vegetables, and fruits). Cats, he believes, need some meat or fish in their diet, although vegetarian experts such as the U.K. Vegetarian Society offer case histories that cats as well as dogs can thrive without them, as long as a variety of high-protein foods are included. But Pitcairn points out that unlike dogs, cats cannot convert the beta-carotene in vegetables to vitamin A; therefore they need cheese, eggs, or cod-liver oil. Other feline requirements are animal-derived B-12, arachidonic acid (also in cod-liver oil) and the important amino acid taurine, found in heart tissue, seafood, meats, and dairy products. A deficiency of taurine can cause blindness and heart problems in cats. However, taurine supplements are readily available in pet stores.

I tend to agree with Pitcairn's recommendations, except that I hesitate to feed adult dogs and cats dairy products. Many are allergic to milk, particularly cow's milk. It can cause diarrhea and gas, and possibly other long-term physical problems. In humans, consuming dairy products has been implicated in several degenerative disease processes, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. This area needs further study.

Taking all the above facts into consideration, the answer to whether dogs and cats can be vegetarians is a qualified yes. It is, however, more problematic to raise a healthy vegan cat. The nutritional needs of both dogs and cats must be fully understood before putting them on a vegan diet.