What To Feed Your Vegan Dog

If you're a vegan, odds are people have tried to "catch you" cheating on your veganism by feeding your dog animal products or a food that was tested on animals. Here are the issues to consider when choosing kibble. (Canned food is cost prohibitive when you have 160 pounds of greyhound, like I do.)

If you're a mail-order person, many vegans swear by Evolution, V-dog and Wow-Bow. If you want to stay away from wheat, soy, and corn, your option is Natural Balance Vegetarian. PetGuard's Organic Vegetarian seems like it might be perfect, until you read the fine print: it contains eggs. But if you know someone who insists on feeding their dogs meaty foodstuffs, tell them to at least choose a food that wasn't tested on animals.

Finally, if you don't already have a holistic vet, find one (and some work by phone, but don't ask me how) to help you through any bumps on the road to a thriving vegan dog.

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• 1.

  Comment by Jason Das [www] on March 9, 2007 4:40pm:

  Thanks, Mary! I wish I had a dog to feed vegan.
  
  While they aren't listed as members of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, I'd like to post a shout out for Brooklyn's Hope Vet. They're great people and have no problem with vegan companion animals.
  
  Also, for the truly dedicated, preparing food from scratch is the way to go (no, I'm not that dedicated either). It's by no means specifically vegan or vegetarian, but Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats is a great resource
• 2.

  Comment by dustinbuster on March 9, 2007 5:09pm:

  I have tried several of these foods, and my two dogs PREFER (actually LOVE) V-Dog, which contains all of the offending ingredients---corn, soy, wheat. Pardon my ignorance, but WHY are those ingredients bad for dogs? My dogs have only been eating V-Dog for a few months, but both of them have enjoyed some serious and obvious benefits: extra shiny coat, better dog breath, etc. I am worried about all of this anti-soy and wheat talk; but no one has effectively explained the rationale behind banning them.
• 3.

  Comment by mary martin [www] on March 14, 2007 1:03pm:

  dustinbuster,
  
  First, one of my hounds is diabetic, and that opens up a colossal can of worms. Every food has a glycemic index, which basically tells you how much it affects blood sugar and how quickly. Corn not only isn't jammin' in nutrients, it affects blood sugar more than, say, broccoli (it is also most likely genetically modified). Soy, wheat, and corn are the most common allergens for dogs, and one of my dogs (not the diabetic) has every allergy in the book.
  
  Furthermore, I happen to shy away from corn, and there's some great stuff in The Omnivore's Dilemma as to why that's a good idea. And much of soy is genetically modified AND we still don't know about long term effects of a diet based on soy (this isn't the soy product like the folks in Okinawa eat). Wheat is highly mucuous forming, so I stay away from that, too (for my family--dogs included).
  
  Because there are options, such as quinoa, barley, millet, oatmeal, peas and sweet potatoes, there is no need to throw the dice with ingredients that are suspect (for me).
  
  With that said, if it's not broke, you might not want to fix it.
• 4.

  Comment by rich on January 12, 2009 10:33pm:

  It is fine to have your own convictions and choose what you eat. However, it is inappropriate to feed your dog a diet so low in nutritional protein they can easily adsorb and assimilate. By feeding your canine a vegan diet, you are essentially depriving a helpless animal of essential nutrients. Find a source of animal based protein you are comfortable giving your dog and use it. I read a couple of the posted responses and was amazed at the blissful ignorance. Many of the food components (e.g corn) are used my cheap dog food manufacturers as fillers. Soy products, in some animals, especially those that are sensitive to food allergy, can induce seizure. Sure dogs are omnivores and can benefit from a robust diet including carrots and apples etc... but omnivore means the inclusion of animal based proteins. So remove your bias and educate yourself with personal research and in depth knowledge. Be careful, you may unintentionally hurt your best friend
• 5.

  Comment by doggydogworld [www] on June 30, 2009 3:37am:

  I guess I was wrong about feeding rice to my dog. I read this interesting article on http://www.englishbulldogpuppyblog.com/uncategorized/are-you-feeding-your-english-bulldog-the-right-kind-of-foods
• 6.

  Comment by mellony on July 29, 2009 5:10pm:

  I am researching Vegan today due to our new neighbor who has a little girl that play's with my kids and she is vegan! Her Mom got upset, for what I don't know and now will not allow her little one over in the yard to play. I did put sunscreen on her once, and my daughter had applied makeup on her in which she got in trouble by me for. So I thought, hmm, I wonder about animal testing and such, did look those brands up and thankfully they are vegan friendly products. Anyhow, I am currious though as to how vegans can honestly feed their dogs which are a carnivor species, if they were left in nature they would eat both animals and vegetation. I live in the forest and trust me, this is what dogs/cats eat by nature. And for "Soy", my sons teacher thought eating a diet rich in Soy would be healthy, well it didn't prolong her life rather risked it. A young Mom of two and she is now fighting a battle of cancer, according to her Doctor's it is due to the abundance of Soy in her diet. So hopefully that can answer your questions in regards to soy being harmfull. If you want a good meal for your dogs, make it yourself. I have done this! Rice, and beans makes a whole protein, then add several fresh vegies dogs love them. Many dogs also like apples and other fresh fruits. Make a batch of this, then measure it out in single servings, wrap up and freeze. Take out two meals per dog each nite before heading to bed they will be thawed by morning. Good luck if you plan to feed your dog Vegan style. Don't get madd at your poor dog if they do come home with a bone, remember it is them by nature!!! They can't help it!!!
• 7.

  Comment by Rick Diamond [www] on October 28, 2009 5:28pm:

  Some dogs thrive on vegan diets and others do not. The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book by Michelle Rivera (2009, Book Publishing Company, Summertown, Tennessee) contains veterinarian approved guidelines for placing a dog on a vegan diet and yummy recipes using healthy ingredients. http://www.bookpubco.com/products/simple-little-vegan-dog-book