What is vegan dog food?

Neither meat nor bones, eggs or dairy products are fed. Instead, there is a menu of rice, potatoes, lentils, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, carrots, zucchini, apples, pears, strawberries, further fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and high-grade oils - as a ready-made food or as a homemade diet this sounds good,. Delicious - from the human eye. But vegetarian food isn't easily transferred from a pair to a four-legged friend. So dogs' protein needs are twice as great as humans', and quadrupeds use calcium worse than us, which means their needs are three times greater than ours.

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What ingredients are important?

It is very difficult or impossible to enter the vegetarian dog bowl recommendations on a raw diet alone. This is due to the individual components themselves - avalanche search dogs require more energy than Sofamops - but also to the composition of the individual ingredients that influence each other. What is important is a good source of protein, which is comparable to animal protein - this contains soybeans. In addition, starch-containing raw materials are used as energy sources such as potatoes or rice. In addition, it requires sufficient minerals, trace elements and vitamins. People who give up animal feed often underestimate the complexity of this need, explains Alan Kinzler, specialist in animal nutrition and dietetics at the Department of Animal Nutrition at Ludwig-Universität Munich. "I strongly recommend that every dog ​​owner keep in order only under the supervision of a professional veterinarian."

What is the health of dogs living as vegetarians?

There has been little research on how a vegetarian diet affects the dog organism. What is sobering is the work of Munich veterinarian Roka Unger. In her 1999 doctoral thesis she studied livestock machinery and 78 dogs and 8 puppies in Rationsverhalten. All puppies and 20 adult dogs are on a vegan diet. According to their research, more than half of the animals were not adequately supplied with protein, and many had significant deficiencies of calcium, phosphorus and sodium. In addition, in the area of ​​trace elements iron, copper, and iodine, zinc-deficient animals need it most, and the same is true for vitamins. Despite the failure in care any defects occur in adult dogs. Not so with vegetarian-fed puppies. They are left to develop on their own and are only half as heavy as they should be at eight weeks of age.

Explanation examples

"Vegan Guarantee" is a complete feed for adult dogs. According to the claim stuck in a 400g tin are organic rice, organic carrot and organic soy pellets, calcium carbonate, sea salt, organic sunflower oil and organic spirulina. Sounds healthy. expert beastMedical doctor Alan Kintzler misses essential vitamin D especially for adequate vitamins: "Spirulina is no source of vitamin D that I know of." One positive is the addition of calcium carbonate. Dogs need three times more calcium as a man, with the mineral found mainly in bones but almost never in plant foods. On a vegetarian diet, so he must be supplemented. What still stands out: Food is not enough for a large dog. "A 12 kg domestic dog needs an average of 612 calories", that is, 500 grams of food, not 400. Experts concluded: due to the inability to accommodate a single feed.

What’s next for malnutrition?

In fact, dogs can be fed bugs for years without any adverse consequences being visible. Dog owners often mention in this context that they have a blood count they like: "Now that everything is great!" But the balance of nutrients cannot be proven by a complete blood count! The reason for this lies in the subject's self Protection: A lack of calcium in the blood can be life-threatening. Therefore, calcium is mobilized from the bones to keep blood levels as stable as possible until it breaks through the bones at some point. This situation is similar with other minerals and trace elements. Skin and hair problems, loss of muscle mass, heart disease, developmental disabilities, and more can be the long-term consequences of malnutrition if it persists for many years.

Is vegan food humane?

Dogs are carnivores, omnivores, by their very nature they are carnivorous, from the previous metabolism of omnivores. If you like eating meat but can't survive. Therefore, it is possible to feed dogs vegan. Whether it is a suitable variety is another matter. "In my opinion, the limits of vegetarian feeding of Artgerechtigkeit are exceeded," says professional veterinarian Alan Kintzler. The dog now even squints at the meat. An animal who needs care, says Kinzler, should also have their needs respected. "Who wants to feed meat, it is better to keep a house pig or a rabbit."