Dogs are evolving along with their vegan human caregivers. Being metabolically omnivores; they too can eat a vegan diet and live as long, or longer, than their animal-consuming counterparts. This directory is not only proof of that, but is a wealth of information, recipes, and links to guide you to feeding your rescued dogs a diet that is respectful towards ALL animals, not just your own companion. This directory consists of both dogs alive and deceased. Entries are from all over the world; Malaysia, India, Italy, Australia, U.S. and U.K. This encyclopedia of knowledge on vegan dog nutrition - may have to be read in intervals. Please note, the following are reported to be toxic to dogs, according to this vet site and many others: chocolate (the theobromine in it), garlic, onions, macadamia nuts, nutmeg, raisins, grapes, avocado (the persin in it), broccoli exceeding more than 10% of diet, alcohol, caffeine, milk and dairy products, xylitol, seeds or pits of persimmons, peaches, plums, too much sugar or salt, etc. On Facebook: Vegan Dog Nutrition Group - please join if you have questions and need guidance - or if you have knowledge to share!
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Bramble – a Welsh Collie; lived to 25 years old and at the time of her death was the world’s oldest dog. The book documents her care regime and vegan diet. Anne Heritage was Bramble’s person and authored the book. “The book shows that animals are as important as humans with an animal rights message” Anne tells me. She reveals that Bramble’s diet was based around fresh organic home-grown vegetables, brown rice, lentils and plant protein; with yeast extract for B12.
Floyd – “who lived to the age of 20, was a Collie x Spaniel, and she ate the same diet as Bramble; grains, lentils, organic vegetables, plant proteins and B12 source...Floyd was a really clever girl...she understood human language very well and was good at making herself understood also; we had an almost telepathic bond created by both of us being really in tune with each other. Apart from her own humans, she had no time for people at all...just didn't rate them. She had a very good sense of humour too. She was the first dog I ever took care of and she was a bit of a doggy genius; they're all clever, but Floyd was exceptionally intelligent. She died years ago, but I still miss her every day" shares Anne Heritage. Floyd, a forerunner of vegan-eating dogs, lived in the late 70's.
Cassidy - and the other rescued dogs at the St. Martin's sanctuary - are vegan, shares Sky Valencia. “We're the first vegan dog rescue in the USA thanks to Natural Balance donating their veggie kibble. We start with the kibble as a base; then we make our own veggie stew for flavor; anything from squash, carrots, leafy greens, brown rice, yams, apples, or celery. I add a touch of chicken-less chicken broth to make it yummy. My dogs love to eat raw veggies too, I taught them to like it since they were pups. Cassidy eats pretty much what I eat... and I love to cook. And for dogs that fight over food, a vegan diet is perfect; they don't feel as much aggression. They also do great on this diet. Once the veggie stew is room temperature, I add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil or olive oil; per each large dog bowl, and a teaspoon for a small dog bowl. It helps their coat stay shiney and tastes good. My Pit mix; Cassidy, is only two years old, but he thinks he's 3 months old. He out-runs most dogs at the dog park, he's strong and in great shape. We love each other a lot, and I want him around a LONG TIME!! I also feel that there is no need to add to the horrors of the slaughterhouses, when we could all eat plant-based diets ......Go Vegan, And No One Gets Hurt!"
Shelpie (female), Squirt (male) and Tigga (female) (in order as per photo) - are the canine friends of Simone Hewitt in Australia. Simone shares "All 3 of my dogs are on VeganPet dry and tin food. I started this food in October 2010. Their ages are nearly 4 for the brown dog, 4 for the Red Husky and 5 for the Kelpie cross. They love the food and I weaned them off animal protein over a couple of weeks to a full vegan diet. They eat raw carrots which clean their teeth well. My aim is for them all to live longer than average and not get cancer. "
Beautiful – was a member of the Gentle World community. She lived and ate vegan, all but the first year of her life, before she mystically found her way to Gentle World. A woman legally named 'Miracle' (no kidding) phoned and asked us if we would take her or she was headed for 'the pound'. Saffron, who we renamed Beautiful, transformed from a dog that killed a mongoose - to a gentle being who protected our rescued rabbit friends, aided by her new found vegan diet and way of life. She lived to 14-15, which is long for a Golden-Retriever; because of inbreeding. She was healthy until the end of her life. Every day, she went exploring and running free with different people in the community, at different country locations all over Maui. Another beautiful aspect of her, was that she could feel when people needed healing. She singled them out and went to them to offer her love. To know her was to feel gifted for the opportunity of knowing her; she was beautiful inside and out. She ate home-made whole foods; grains, legumes, and vegetables, with supplements and various marketed kibble. She died in her sleep in my arms (Butterflies; the author of this post). She spoke the universal language of LOVE and was a privilege to share life with. She loved Mr. Barkey's!
Valiant – is the present, living rescued canine friend of Gentle World, in Hawaii. He is a Great Dane cross and been eating a vegan diet for about 5-6 years. He is the most gentl dog Gentle World members have known - and he has a lot of competition. He was rescued from the streets and was obviously abused. His ears had big squares cut in them. He was fearful. He is so easy to Love and so sweet and to top that – he rarely barks! He looks like a deer/dog; a beautiful dog in all ways!
Vegan – was a pioneer of the vegan dogs; that shared life with Gentle World. She had a keen sense of understanding. To the best of our knowledge, Vegan was a Royal Blue Tick Deer Hound; and we've never seen another dog that looked like her. Vegan was there when I first came to Gentle World and that was 30 years ago. For me, Vegan is the forerunner of the ‘vegan dog movement’.
Magic – was a stray who found her way into Gentle World’s garage and gave birth to 2 puppies. It was then discovered that she had a uterine infection and thus the puppies were both born with birth defects. They were named Gandhi and Nehru, and then later Nehru became Miracles. Magic was voted “mother of the year” by Gentle World members and was respected by all humans as well as other dogs. When she walked down the road, big dogs treated her with respect. Some dogs bond only with one person; not Magic – she had many close friends and caregivers. She died in her 16th year, and was fed a vegan diet most of her life; home-made whole foods, similar to what the people were eating. (Magic lived when photography was not vegan yet; so there are no photos of Magic, Miracles, and others.) ~ Miracles – was Magic’s son and had so many birth defects that from the onset, he was not given long to live by the vets, however with love and vegan food he managed to survive many years. Miracles proved that there are spiritual realities like “love” that are beyond science.
Baba – was a Collie cross who was vegan more than half of his life. He came to Gentle World, magically, when he was 8 after eating a typical meat-based diet. He was reluctant about the vegan diet; more than other dogs we had known, but then he decided to like it. I guess he realized that’s what was on the menu at Gentle World, but it was worth it for the immense Love he would be receiving. He was particularly handsome, and a very sweet guy. He ate home-made food and commercial vegan dog food; both. He was one of those dogs you hear about with 'separation anxiety' from his people. He had the ultimate separation anxiety; didn't want to leave us; he hung in there until age 17; though he was crippled with arthritis and had “old dog syndrome”. He was attended to 24/7 by every member of the community. He had close bonds with a community of people. To write of him now, brings back wonderful memories of the love we felt for him.
Patch~ouli and Snowy (who is deaf from birth), are two rescued pit bulls who are the vegan dog children of Gill and Mark Gillono. Gill explains “They were both rescued approximately 5 years ago and they are about 6 years old now. They have been completely vegan for about 2 years now and vegetarian prior to that. They love all fruits and veggies, all people and each other. Snowy is deaf and Patch~ouli has become her hearing dog. We feed them V-Dog kibble mixed with their homemade vegan dog food. They’re the sweetest babies ever!” Mark shares “Even at 6+ years old their energy is amazing; especially so for Patchy about whom I was recently asked if he was 6 months old. We always make sure to remind the vet that they are vegan when he states how trim and healthy they are at their annual checkups. Neither of them has been sick the whole time they have stayed with us, and they walk 2-3 hours a day due to the fact that we live in a town home with no yard. They are both very lovable and cuddle with us every night in bed.”
Fonzie is still just a puppy, but he is a wonderful puppy. Sarah May tells us “We have 6 dogs (fed vegan), all of them rescued wither from horrible shelters, or I found them. Sadly in Italy there is a HUGE problem with dog and cat abandonment. People don't fix their dogs and cats and the result is overpopulation and every summer huge amounts of abandonment. Fonzie is a dog that I found abandoned at my house gate. It was the night before I was leaving for a month, but luckily my husband was home. We thought about trying to find him a home but within 5 days my husband was in lovve. Honestly. I knew the minute I picked him up that he was ours. He was only a month old when I got him and was covered in fleas and ticks. I gave him some worm medicine and a tick and flea bath. He is the sweetest dog ever. He is sweet with dogs and cats and all people. He loves fruit. He will totally jump up the table to steal apples. He goes crazy for bananas and oranges. He is just a darling and we love him. He sleeps in bed with us. He is in great health.”
Rapchik – is an Indian Stray/Mongrel Dog, 13 years old explains Monika Mehta Siriya. “We adopted Rapchik (meaning 'awesome' in Indian slang) when she was 12 years young from Indian streets. She had always been staying outside my house and we used to feed her since she was a pup. She always wanted to come into the house but my family wouldn't allow it. So after some months of marriage, I spoke to my husband who immediately made arrangements to get her from Delhi to Mumbai. Thus December 2011 was when Rapchik came to her cozy, full of love, vegan home and she is vegan since that very day! We feed her some vegan dog food - Benevo organic dog food - for breakfast. For lunch she gets Indian flatbread (organic wheat roti) with any vegetable that we cook, in the evening we give her homemade sticks which are made of all assorted veggies, legumes and wheat and baked (because she has had wheat all her life as Indian's eat roti in every meal and also give roti's to dogs). At night, again, its roti and cooked vegetable. For me it wasn't hard to transition my girl to vegan, though it may have been a little hard for her, even though I used to give her at least 3 new dishes every day. But I'm sure it’s much, much harder for the animals who are forced to suffer all their lives and be killed when they wanted to live, so a little inconvenience in taste for my doggy isn't really a big deal. She reversed, as in, cured her heart disease and arthritis after going vegan! We took her reports within 2 months of her coming home and she had an enlarged heart and arthritis, because of which, she limped on one of her hind foot at least once a week. We took her reports in October 2012, lo and behold, no heart enlargement and no arthritis. After going on commercial vegan dog food in July 2012, she stopped limping and her coat improved so much that many people, including a vet's assistant, have complimented us saying - 'this is the best doggy coat we have ever felt!'”.
Dhinchak - Spitz, 2 years “This white, furry, three-legged, adopted Spitz is the epitome of 'joy of life'! Her name is also a synonym of Rapchik, just a bit flashier. We adopted her in May 2012, when we went to drop an injured pigeon at an animal shelter. It was love at first sight and we were meant to be hers! She climbs up and down the bed and stairs and runs faster than anyone I know - and all this on just 3 legs. She is also vegan since the moment she arrived. She has commercial Benevo vegan dog food for breakfast, lunch is organic brown rice with mixed veggies, evening snacks are the same homemade sticks, and dinner is rice with veggies. I cook the rice with salt, turmeric, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves, while veggies are peas, carrots, yam, beetroot, pumpkin, sweet potato, which I steam with a pinch of salt and mix the two and give her. Dhinchak also loves raw carrots, peas and coconuts; and we give her either one of these every day. It was easier for her to go vegan compared to Rapchik (above), and both my girls had it easy because my husband and I spoil our girls. Many people have complimented us that our home doesn't have any doggy smell (though we don’t use any perfumes or cleaning liquids and mop our floor with water) and that our dogs also don’t have any doggy odour from their body or mouth. To add on, their poop and pee does not stink as much as other dog's do (I had a non-vegan dog before Rapchik and Dhinchak, who died of cancer, so I know that doggy poop and pee smell is revolting). We try to keep a lot of their food organic. Both of them like homemade coconut milk and we also put extra virgin olive oil on their food if they are not eating it, and then they lap it up! We also have grown organic wheatgrass at our home and both the girls love to munch on it. We also keep the homemade baked sticks for them overnight, to munch on if they like. They also get some commercial treats occasionally, like commercial vegan sticks. I also bake healthy cakes and biscuits full of nuts and seeds, for my girls every two weeks (aren't their lives fun!). They go to an organic farm with us to spend a weekend once a month and Rapchik loves to roll in the mud, while Dhinchak is the happiest ever to prance around in the farm; both munch on all the greens like crazy.”
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Dawn – is the canine friend of a vegan veterinarian; Michael Roth, who continues "She was born May 8, 2002, and has been eating a vegan diet from age 7 weeks. She eats V-dog, (USA product) and takes no supplements. She runs circles around her mother and two brothers when they visit."
Rowan and Amber - are both Chihuahuas who are age 13 and have been on a vegan diet since they were age 1. Their friend John Davis tells us "They came to us as puppies through a Chihuahua rescue group; they were bred to be show dogs but apparently were not considered show quality, though this has never seemed to bother them overmuch. They have been vegan for as long as we have: when we went vegan we gave them a choice of foods to try out, and both went straight to one of the vegan options and tucked in. Up until the age of about ten, they walked for up to an hour or so a day, and could manage eight miles, as long as they had a rest in the middle (lap dogs indeed!). They have slowed down these days, but even one of them having a knee operation hasn't stopped them going for a shorter trot each day, or menacing other dogs ten times their size. Now 13, their favourite thing to do is dozing on the sofa with one eye open for anyone who might make a fuss of them; which is pretty much everyone. What do they eat: a mixture of Ami Dog (small size), and Wafcol Vegetarian (which despite only being labeled vegetarian does not appear to have any non-vegan ingredients in it, though it is made in a factory which also makes non-vegan pet food). (author's note: it contains Vitamin D3; most often sourced from animal exploitation.) Now that they are older, they also have a vegan glucosamine supplement, and a spot of evening primrose oil."
Millie - is a 9 year old Boxer/Beagle mix. She is a Hurricane Katrina survivor, who has been with Leslie Patterson for 7 years. She is a very energetic 44-pound dog who has been vegan since age 3 and has done well on Evolution, Nature's Recipe, Natural Life and V-Dog kibble.
Chyna - "is a 7 year old, 100 pound Boston Great Dane who came to us at age 2 from a shelter in southern Indiana. She is in great health, despite her advanced age for a Dane. She has done well on Evolution, Nature's Recipe, Natural Life, and V-Dog. She has been vegan since age 2." explains her person; Joseph T. Espinosa.
Page - Joseph T. Espinosa says: "This is our puppy Page who was found wandering onto a highway at age 6 weeks. 18 months later, Page had gained 100 pounds (from 25 to 125). He is a high energy clown of an English Mastiff, and has thrived on Evolution, Nature's Recipe, Natural Life and V-Dog marketed dog foods.
Sparky and Pandy – share life with Dave and Linda Middlesworth. David says “we are long-term vegans for over 22 years. In 2006, we started our own line of a vegan dog food called V-dog after we saw that a British Company had sold vegetarian dog food successfully for 30 years. We wanted a healthy, completely nutritious, vegan dog food that was also cruelty-free. We also wanted to have our dogs make a smaller "paw" print on the environment. Our formula is the result of extensive research by our professional pet food nutritionist and several veterinarians. Our primary concern is to ensure that all dogs receive complete, balanced nutrition. No supplements are needed, but you can opt to add veggies, grains or beans, and some fruits. Our dogs love bananas and apples. We know first-hand from observing our dog, Monty, a yellow lab, that a vegan dog can thrive and enjoy a longer life. Our vegan-fed lab lived until 15 years old, and all of his litter mates died four and five years earlier! More and more people are discovering that their dogs can thrive on vegan dog food. Sparky; our white male, pit-bull, is 14 years old. Pandy, the black and white female, pit-bull, is 13 years old. They are both rescue dogs that we discovered when Sparky was approximately 4 months old and Pandy was about 9 months old. They have been on a vegan diet the entire time we have had them, and they are in excellent health.”
Kelly - was Sam Gerard’s first dog. Sam, who owns The Ultimate Life, shares “She was running loose by a freeway in Santa Barbara in 1988. No one claimed her and I eventually found a nice couple to adopt her, who agreed to feed her vegan dog food. She was 1. The couple themselves became vegans almost immediately, and became great friends. I adopted her back, at age 8. This experience literally changed my world. Period. The next 4 years were incredible... She sadly died of lung cancer (genetic) on March 5th, 2000. Kelly ate V-Dog (marketed) kibble, The Ultimate Life or The Ultimate PetMeal, and The Ultimate FloraZyme.”
Maya – came into Sam Gerard’s life when his friend especially picked out Stormy from the Santa Barbara Humane Society and told Sam that she found his soul mate. She was rejected by her original "owners" because "she could jump their 4' fence!" Sam, on the other hand, felt he would be concerned if she couldn't do that! He thought she was perfect! She was about 7-8 months old. Exactly on the one year anniversary of his last beloved canine friend's death, he adopted Stormy and renamed her Maya; exotic, like her. Maya ate V-Dog (marketed) kibble, The Ultimate Meal or The Ultimate PetMeal, and The Ultimate FloraZyme. Sam reveals “I discovered Maya had advanced nasal cancer (common in pure breeds). I decided to give her the best months of her life, registered her as a service dog (she could sit in the cabin with me in the plane) and traveled everywhere her loved ones lived within the U.S., Canada, and yes, even Hawaii (VERY strict). On December 1st, 2008, Maya went to my den while I was in bed (something she'd never done) and passed away peacefully in her sleep.”
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| (Maya; left, Sam Gerard, and Bugsy) |
Bugsy – (at that time; Denis) was abandoned in L.A., and was scheduled to be killed at the animal shelter, when a rescue organization intervened and saved him. Sam Gerard arranged Denis’s adoption by his good friend Chantal, whose Bichon had passed away recently, and who’d found Maya (above) for him. Denis was the reincarnation of her dog, Tobe, so she renamed him Toby. But her work kept her away during the day, and Toby didn't like it and kept barking. Sam, in all fairness to Toby, decided to foster sit and train him until he found the proper home with the following prerequisites: local, smart, and compassionate vegan(s), without another dog. But within 1-2 weeks, Toby fell in love with Sam’s 80 year old neighbor and her daughter (and vice versa), so, not to break up this wonderful love affair, Sam kept him, renamed him Bugsy due to his ears and personality (inspired by Bugs Bunny). Sam tells us that “he was THE MOST loving dog I have ever known. Bugsy was a perfect companion after Maya died. After 19 years of showing virtually NO signs of aging, except severe cataracts, which had taken most the fun out of his life, Bugsy passed away in his sleep. He was 20+!” Sam fed Bugsy V-Dog (marketed) kibble, The Ultimate Meal or The Ultimate PetMeal.
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| Maya with her boyfriend |
Maya 2 –came to Sam Gerard (owner of The Ultimate Life) after being dog-less for the first time since 1997. Sam called the Northern California Weimaraner rescue, and 3 weeks later, in Sam’s words, “they’d found a 4 month old (Daisy), who’d been abandoned at 5 weeks old with her 2 bros (Bo and Luke) in Albuquerque. I didn't want a puppy (there’s a reason why I never had kids), but they told me she was UNUSUALLY gorgeous and smart, and sent her photo. So the 3 siblings were driven to Santa Barbara together.” Sam and Daisy were united and the other siblings went to their new good home. Much to Sam's surprise, Daisy easily made the transition as she immediately took to Sam. A virtual reincarnation of Maya, he renamed her Maya 2. Sam divulges “Since then, (she’s about 1 now) she’s been potty-trained, and has stopped swallowing and chewing on EVERYTHING in sight....at last! She also has a serious boyfriend, Luke, my neighbor’s 7 year old chocolate Lab...and they‘re in LOOOOVE!"
Maya 2 is fed a diet of V-Dog (marketed) kibble, and The Ultimate PetMeal, which is the new dog version of The Ultimate Meal.
Author's note: When one of our dogs got old dog Vestibular disease, and because of which, she could not eat for 6.5 days - I squirted The Ultimate Meal down her mouth (gently) to keep her nourished; and
she healed and survived.
Tila – is lucky enough to have found Jan Allegretti, D.Vet.Hom.; a teacher and consultant in holistic health care for animals. Jan says “I’ve seen numerous cases in which health problems in dogs (and cats—with supplementation, of course) are resolved by switching to a home-prepared vegan diet…to say nothing of the benefits to the cows and chickens and other species too often considered only as “food.” I met Tila Marie in Denver, Colorado, in August 2007. She had been in foster care with Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue for about 3 weeks, and was still about 20 pounds underweight. She had a severe respiratory infection, severe ear infections, and her coat was dull and mottled. (Early on, someone asked me if she was a brindle, when in fact—since she regained her health—her coat is a lustrous, glossy black.) In foster care, Tila had been eating a non-vegan packaged food, and I kept her on that diet for the four days it took to drive her home to California, where we live. Throughout the trip she was indifferent about her meals, and it was difficult to get her to eat as much as she needed. The day we arrived home I made her a dinner of organic brown rice, lentils, and broccoli, and she devoured it with more enthusiasm than I’d seen since we’d met. She continued on a vegetarian diet. At first I included eggs, but ultimately eliminated those as well. Her meals are home-prepared, with lots of fresh and raw vegetables and fruits, and most important lots of variety. Most mornings she and I share a green smoothie (huge handfuls of kale, chard and/or collards, berries, an apple and an orange, a carrot or a beet, flax seed meal, a bit of fresh ginger root, sometimes pineapple or whatever other fruit is handy). Some mornings we have “cereal” instead (raw rolled oats or spelt or kamut, with fresh berries, apples, bananas, and/or other fruit, with flax seed meal and soy milk). Her dinners include some form of carbohydrate (brown rice, barley, quinoa, polenta, sweet potatoes, winter squash, etc.), something different every day or two, and a different fresh vegetable (spinach, broccoli, green beans, bok choy, carrots, beets, cauliflower…you name it), usually raw. If we have lunch it might include whole grain bread with soy milk and fruit or vegetable or spirulina. Often, for any of our meals, I just share whatever I’m eating with her…a very easy way to provide her with healthy, home-prepared meals. (As a side note, Tila does best on less protein than most dogs require. I’d normally include generous amounts of tofu, lentils, beans, etc., in a dog’s diet. However, a “typical” amount of those foods gives her more energy than she can comfortably manage. It appears she gets the protein she needs from the abundant amino acids in her varied diet.) I supplement her meals with a variety of oils (flax, olive, canola, coconut) every day. From time to time she gets probiotics; 3 to 5 times a week she gets carnitine and taurine. In tick season she gets nutritional yeast and garlic to help discourage ticks from biting. We never, ever have a problem with fleas. (I do not give her grapes, raisins, or chocolate, and onions only in very small amounts when she’s sharing a meal I've made for myself, as those foods can be toxic.) Tila loves her vegan food—she’s a real chow hound; couldn't be more enthusiastic about her meals. She considers most any kind of fruit a treat. When I unpack groceries she waits for her apple or carrot or a few strawberries. When we have broccoli for dinner she loves to have the stalks as an appetizer, or maybe a few raw kale leaves. She even loves raw sauer kraut…just plain in her bowl! Tila quickly transformed from a skin-and-bones, sick, unhealthy-looking waif to a stunningly gorgeous, glossy, happy, vibrant girl. Her obvious vitality and energy are a testament to the benefits of a home-prepared vegan diet. She’s now nearly eight years old—often considered “advanced age” for a Great Dane—and people still ask if she’s a puppy. Her muscle tone is excellent, her coat is sleek and shiny, her teeth are sparkling white (no, I don’t brush them), and she exudes joy and good health. Best of all, I have the peace of mind that comes with maintaining a vegan household, and knowing Tila does not need to consume other animals to be vibrant and healthy and happy…and that even the local jackrabbits feel safe enough to play in front of her on the deck while she peacefully watches.”
Jasmine – “came into our life a little over 4 years ago. She is half Border Collie and half Aussie Shepherd. We got her from the barn that she was born in and took her home. She was almost 8 weeks old” explains James Peden (founder VegeDog). “She is my model for the Vegedog labels. We took the kibble that she was eating, and gradually mixed it with a vegan Vegedog recipe (garbanzo). Soon she was eating just the Vegedog recipes. She always loved her food and had no problem making the transition. I share my frozen banana, almond or soy milk, and berry smoothies with her. I always hope she doesn't get "brain freeze" but so far it seems okay. I don't give her a lot at one time, but she loves them as much as I do. The berries are usually blueberries (frozen in the winter time and fresh in autumn. We have 6 blueberry bushes. The other berries that she gets are blackberries (frozen). When I lived in Oregon I must have ate hundreds of pounds of blackberries since they were everywhere. Not so, here in Montana, so I get them frozen. If I didn't have a VitaMix blender I wouldn't have these smoothies just about every day. I used to burn out a lot of blenders before getting the Vitamix. When it comes to juice I don't share with her. The carrot juice/green combinations tend to give her loose bowels. She seems to know and doesn't really care much for carrot juice. Her favorite chew is dried sweet potato slices. They are organic grown and very healthy. They really satisfy her chewing urge and last a long time. Our company (makers of Vegedog), Harbingers of a New Age, just made them available to order. Jasmine Rose was born in the winter, and she loves to run in the snow. Sometimes she will just tear around in big circles, stirring up the snow, just for pure joy. She chews sticks and loves to play Frisbee. Sometimes one of the cats sits inside looking out, wanting to go out. Jazz will see that and open the door just for the cat, without being told. She is very caring and protective. When it's dinner time she will run and get Ziggy (our 14 year old Yorkie) and bring him downstairs for meal time. Jazz is never far away, usually at my feet. She has a chair in my bedroom that is hers, but in the morning she'll jump on the bed with me. We look forward to many more happy years together". James was a forerunner of feeding dogs and cats a plant-based supplemented diet. He is founder of Harbingers of a New Age ~ Troy, MT. - Phone 406.295.4944
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Millie - "The photo shows my 3 year old Labrador, Millie" shares Sarah Austin from Bournemouth England. "Millie has been on a vegan diet for 18 months, because I had a big issue feeding her chickens and with the knowledge that our companions do not have to be be fed a meat-based diet in order to have a healthy life; a vegan diet can give them all the nutrients they need to be healthy. We began the transition from complete chicken-based food in July 2011 when I fed her V-Dog crunchy nuggets, complete dog food (U.K. version). This was done very slowly over about 8 weeks, rather than days, to give her body a good chance to become accustomed to the new food. I gradually reduced the meat-based food by approximately one ounce each week and added one ounce of V-Dog, so increasing the new food and decreasing the old. During this time I added a gravy (low salt) or water and some basic foods for variety eg. rice, crushed peas, mashed greens, nutritional yeast, and various other mashed vegetables, sometimes the food had more liquid and other times firmer. Any additional food was, and still is, introduced slowly in very small amounts. Adding a small amount of new food also gave me the chance to see if it was digested, ie. to see if it came out the other end, so to speak. She had very occasional soft stools but, in my opinion, nothing to worry about as it wasn't ongoing. During these transition weeks, I continued my research into making homemade vegan dog food and came across 'Vegan Dogs Compassionate Nutrition' by James O Heare, amongst a lot of other information, which is in Vegan Dog Nutrition Facebook Group files. I then made up my own recipe and asked Butterflies Katz what she thought of it. When she positively liked it, we opened the Facebook group after seeing that there were no other suitable groups. I now feed Millie on a combination of complete nuggets, homemade food and some fruit, including apple - no pips, banana, and raw vegetables (recipe link). She gets a greater variety of food than before and seems to be very healthy, full of energy and her weight is constant. According to some, it isn't necessary to supplement the diet, but I have chosen to - so in addition, her meals are supplemented with VegeDog and Keepers Mix. I regularly give hemp protein powder, chia seeds (milled if possible, otherwise I crush them), milled flaxseed and hemp seed oil or coconut oil; all bought from the local health shop. Dental hygiene: Millie's teeth are brushed regularly with a neem toothpaste or powder (fluoride-free) and she also has regular chews eg, carrot, vegetable stalks, Denes wholemeal dog biscuits and homemade ones. We should be aware that there are some human foods which should not be given to dogs as they could be toxic to them if ingested, these include some nuts, grapes, chocolate, fruit pips. For a list, see Facebook Group. Veggie Pets (U.K.):Vegan dog food supplier. Please email if you have any questions or need more info" says Sarah. Email: studio_23@rocketmail.com
Annie – “is a two year old rescued Collie mix. She was found discarded in a cardboard box as a puppy and shows obvious signs of being abused but has adjusted well to her new family. She is a sweet and sensitive dog who loves doggy play dates, swimming, hiking, and sailing. Annie thrives on a plant- based diet and has been eating this way for about a year. At first we were nervous about transitioning her diet but after doing a bunch of research we felt comfortable that she could live a healthy life eating in a way that aligned with our morals and reduced unnecessary suffering. She eats a blend of 2/3 V-dog dry food mixed with 1/3 homemade wet food. Her wet food is a blend of brown rice, lentils, green peas, pumpkin, broccoli (very good; but too much is reportedly toxic), sweet potatoes, nutritional yeast, flax oil, and VegeDog supplement. For treats, she loves anything with peanut butter or seaweed” shares her rescuer and companion; Melissa Andrews.
Belle – Claudy Dwyer says “This is our Belle; who will be 4 years old in March! We feed her a mix of brown rice, black or pinto beans, green beans, and Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Vegan Dry dog food. Her eyes are always sparkly; tail is wagging to beat the band. We love her so for her affectionate nature. Belle's favorite treat is a raw carrot; which she very delicately holds between her paws, and nibbles tiny bites from the end.
Cassie - is the canine companion of Sherry Martin. She is a 5 year old Pomeranian/Yorkie mix. She eats V-Dog dog food with a little wet Natural Balance vegan formula mixed in. Cassie’s been on a vegan diet for the past 18 months and is a happy, healthy girl.
Gus - is 3 1/2 years of age and has been on a vegan diet for about 18 months. Sherry Martin tells us "He eats V-Dog dog food with a little mix of wet Natural Balance. Gus is a Minpin/Dachshund/Chihuahua mix and is the sweetest boy in the world.”
Wiggy - became vegan shortly after I did in 2009, shares Nicole Graziano. Wiggy is an 8 year old rescue dog from Kentucky; who I adopted when she was a year and a half old. In Wiggy's former life, she and her buddy Rocky were abandoned and left tied to a tree in their caretaker's (I'll use that term very loosely) backyard. In Wiggy's current life, she enjoys the following: ample amounts of vegetables from our farm share, frequent walks at our enormous dog park that buts up against a river to swim in, plenty of time lounging about under her favorite pear tree, and plenty of snuggles from a mom and dad who love her like crazy.
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| Wiggy and Oscar playing |
Wiggy shares her home with Oscar, a 9 year old Golden Retriever/Chow mix who also eats vegan. Together, they romp in the open fields of the local dog park and attract attention on their walks on Main Street. Both Wiggy and Oscar also welcome foster dogs into their home about three times yearly. Mom and dad have fostered 13 dogs in 4 years and enjoy doing this work very much.
Isobel – is 13 years old and her mother was a red-nose-pit-bull, says Chris Sanders. "I don't know what the father was but she is not built like a pit bull. She's 50 pounds, long and tall, and very springy and athletic. She has been vegan since I got her at 6 weeks old. She looks, has the energy of, and plays like a 2 or 3 year old. She has never had any kind of weight problems, always lean and very healthy. I used to feed her Natural Balance, but I don't like supporting non vegan-companies if it's not necessary, so I switched to V-Dog when they changed over to their new formula. I feed her that once a day and I feed her homemade food once a day. She really enjoys both types of food.”
Silvio - "Silvio is a pure bred silver poodle I bought from a breeder 7.1/2 years ago (before I knew better). He has been on a vegan diet for about 2.1/2 years. I don't remember having too much trouble transitioning him. He has always had an "I'll have what mommy's having" kind of attitude. I feed him (and his sister, Zelda) half Natural Balance kibble and half homemade. I blend various veggies, yams, whole grains, molasses, oil, flax meal and nutritional yeast. I do not use supplements. His favorite activities are lap, snuggling, gourmet eating, running and playing with his sister in the park. He loves to spin around balletically and also do strange tango moves with his sister Zelda. (He must have been a dancer in his last life.) In the morning when he gets up he likes to wrestle and romp and lick me all over my face. Even though he is only 11 pounds, he is unbelievably strong, and it is actually kind of hard to get the rowdy little masher off me. As far as energy I notice very little difference since he was a year or two. (He can still outrun a typical four year old fan). Also he used to have very itchy skin and runny eyes but his skin and eyes have gotten much clearer since I switched him to a vegan diet" shares Quincy Kirsch.
Zelda - just turned 6 and has been on a vegan diet about 2.5 years. Quincy Kirsch continues "Since she switched, her eyes have become much clearer and she used to get terrible hot spots, but they are now history. Her favorite activities are SQUEAKY, ball, fetch, shredding tissues, stealing and hiding (or burying) women's underwear, high fives, walks and running like a maniac. I adopted her when she was 9 weeks old. She came from a backyard breeder in Georgia (U.S). Her mother died when she was a few days old and then the breeder took the puppies to a high kill shelter. She was raised by humans so she is a little screwy. She is very emotional and will throw a welcome party for someone she hasn't seen in a week, a month, a year or a day, complete with vocalizing, sobbing, shrieking and lots of full facial wet kisses. She is supposed to be a purebred poodle but is definitely a Cockapoo (with maybe a dash of terrier). Recently she was at the vet and he got oddly excited, almost giddy, and exclaimed 'I can not believe this dog is six years old and she has muscles like this!' Then he gave me a funny suspicious look like he thought I might be doping her or something. (He didn't know about her diet). She can still outrun nearly all the dogs at the park, including puppies and racing type dogs. She has so much energy that honestly I almost wish she was a little less robust. I am waiting for her to mellow with age, but no such signs yet."
Henry - “This is my dog Henry. I named him Henry Bo, then my daughter decided to call him Bobo. He has many other nicknames. He was in a shelter in a neighboring county about 6 years ago when he was transported to our local SPCA. Most likely he was nearing the end of his time at the first shelter. At the time, I was a volunteer dog walker at the shelter and met Henry there. We already had 3 dogs at home, but I fell in love with this big guy. My husband, of course, said no when I asked to bring him home. I made Henry's photo the screensaver on our computer and after weeks of harassment my husband gave in, and we brought Henry home. He didn't have many teeth when we brought him home and he only has a few left. He is on a variety of medications and is getting old. We guess he is probably about 10 years old. But he has been a joy to have in our family. We love him and he is enjoying his V-Dog!” says Henry’s anonymous person.
Lainee (left) and Jubilee (right) are the canine companions of Jillian Mills, who tells us “The little white dog on the left is Lainee, who is a Miniature Schnauzer, 6 years old and 1 year vegan. She eats Natural Balance Vegetarian formula (which is actually vegan). The puppy on the right is Jubilee, who is a Wire Hair Fox Terrier, 9 months old and I moved her to vegan food when I got her at around 9 weeks old. She eats Evolution Diet because it has the higher amounts of protein. When she turns one, I will move her over to the Natural Balance.”
Gizmo - Liz Whitaker shares with us about her vegan-raised dogs “I have 3 vegan dogs who are so fantastically strange and adorable in so many ways. They all eat Natural Balance Vegan Formula combined with a homemade "wet mix" that varies from week to week. It typically always includes sweet potatoes, rice, beans, pureed greens (I get scared of my Chihuahua choking so I blend them!) and whatever other produce I have either left over or think they might like. For treats they typically get dehydrated sweet potato chews, dried pineapple rings, or homemade vegan dog bones. Gizmo is my little princess. She is a 3-4 year old Chihuahua mutt who came into my life 2.5 years ago as a stray that a co-worker found. She couldn't find her parent, had no microchip and after a few months could no longer keep her. As soon as I saw her amazing under-bite, I knew she was going to be my daughter. I started her on a vegan diet about a week or two into her living with me, and she took pretty quickly to it; her favorite vegetables are beets and sweet potatoes. She literally goes nuts when she smells either of them cooking! She is a total momma's girl and has been since the day I adopted her. I taught her how to give hugs and commands in both English and Spanish!
Daine - is my 14 year old bloodhound/lab mutt. He has been our family dog for his entire life but this past spring when my parents were getting ready to sell their house, dealing with some medical issues, etc, he and their other dog (his own son!) started fighting constantly. The last fight put my poor Daineypie in the doggy hospital. Because of everything else going on at my parents’ home and me living in Boston, medical boarding while he healed was the best and only choice. There was talk of trying to put him in a shelter but with his age, medical and physical history, we knew it would ultimately lead to him being euthanized. He was considered "unadoptable." Before my parents made a decision, my siblings and I all came together to discuss it and demanded no decision be made until we saw him in medical boarding. After seeing him and knowing he still had a few good years left, I couldn't let him go anywhere. He came to live with me a few days later and was transitioned to a vegan diet. He used to have constant oily skin with dandruff combined with old joints and a bad case of pancreatitis a few years prior. That combined with all of the times he has been attacked by other dogs, he should be an absolute mess, or dead. Other than the occasional stiff joints on cold days, his skin looks so much better and people constantly compliment me on how much energy he has! Nobody believes he is 14.
Hero - is about 1 or 2 and came to me from Thailand this past August. She was destined to become dinner in Vietnam or Cambodia, before she was saved from the Dog Meat Trade. I initially decided to adopt a 3rd dog for Gizmo to have a playmate and while she and Daine adore each other, he prefers playing with people than other dogs. A friend of mine was adopting a dog who was saved from the DMT and posted pictures of Hero on her facebook page, saying that Hero was ready to come to the U.S. and needed a forever home. The second I saw the photos and videos of this little ragamuffin, I knew I needed to adopt her. Not just for Gizmo, but for myself. After everything she has been through she is the most gentle, loving and playful dog. She and Giz quickly became inseparable. Getting Hero interested in vegetables wasn't quite as easy as it was with the other two. She used to eat the kibble around the veggies until she realized if she didn't eat what was given to her, the other two would eat it. Now she goes just as crazy as Gizmo when she sees me bust out the bag of sweet potato chews!”
Jingles – is introduced to us by Stephanie Pollice: “Meet Jingles, he is one of my two babies who are both 8 year old VEGAN basset hounds. Both of my dogs have been vegan since June 2011. Jingles is VERY special because I believe he is a miracle dog.” The short of a long story in Stephanie’s words “I’ll never be able to prove that Jingles is a cancer survivor for sure, but I truly believe he is one. I believe it is because he is vegan.” Stephanie continues “I'll NEVER feed dogs a carnivorous dog food EVER again. I've read and seen way too many things that are more disturbing than I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams about dog food. I thought human food was REALLY bad when I first became enlightened about what's really in the food. Carnivorous dog food is about 1000 times worse. Just check out this article written by Dr. Andrew Knight, a practicing vegan veterinarian. ~ Jingles is still alive and vibrant. He is such a champion and a true inspiration." Here Stephanie offers a detailed recipe of what she feeds her vegan dogs: “My dogs weigh approximately 60 pounds each. This is what I feed them every day. Depending on your dogs’ size, you may have to tweak the amounts. But this is the basic idea. These amounts are for BOTH of my dogs together daily. For example, if you have one 60 pound basset hound then you would want to feed your dog about half these amounts daily. Every day, I cook the veggies below to make a red-green mush. I cover and bring to a boil, and then keep covered and simmer for about 20 minutes.
~ 1 cup chopped beets, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and/or carrots
~ 1 cup chopped broccoli, green string beans, Brussel sprouts, green cabbage
~ 4 cups mixed leafy greens (any kind--- examples are kale, collard, parsley, dandelion, mustard, spinach, chard, etc. ---see notes below for more information)
~ 1 cup water (enough water to get the veggies cooking)
After the mix is done cooking, I dump it into a colander in the sink and rinse thoroughly with cold water. I used to skip this step, but I have learned that rinsing helps get rid of some oxalates in the leafy greens that dogs have a little trouble digesting. Also, I have noticed that they tend not get as much gas when I rinse the cooked veggies so it seems to be settling better with them. Next, I add approximately 0.75 cups of cooked and cooled pinto or black beans to the cooked and rinsed veggies and mix it all together. Then, I puree it in a food processor, until it is mush. Once I have the red-green mush, I separate it in half and put each half of the mixture in to separate airtight containers and refrigerate both halves. Each half of the mixture (approximately two cups per half and approximately four cups total) is for one meal for both of my dogs, and they eat twice daily. For each meal (twice daily), I do the following steps: *I take the red-green mush (above recipe), and put one cup of the mixture in each of my two dog dishes (so half of the total four cup mixture since I save the other half of the mixture in the refrigerator for the second feeding of the day because my dogs eat twice daily).*Next, I add a half tablespoon of “Green Mush” powder, about 2-3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to each dog dish, and mix it thoroughly with the red-green mush. *Then, to each of the dog bowls, I add two capsules of Parasite Dr., half tablespoon of Vegedog supplement, half teaspoon of Prozyme Plus, half tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast, one teaspoon very berry Cranimals, and half tablespoon of organic cold pressed coconut oil to the red-green mixture and mix thoroughly. Finally, to each of the dog bowls, I add one cup of V-Dog dog food to the red-green mixture and once again mix thoroughly. Serve! Notes: *There is importance of variety in leafy greens. *I always use organic ingredients in my recipe above. One tip is that I often cook up a HUGE batch of black beans and/or pinto beans. Then, I individually wrap 0.75 cup servings, put them in airtight containers, and freeze them. When I want to use them, I simply take one of the individually wrapped servings out of the freezer, put in a colander and run it under hot water. Then they are ready to be ground up with the freshly cooked veggies. *I don't feed my dogs typical dog treats either. For treats, I give them fresh raw organic carrot slices, chopped broccoli, chopped bananas and/or chopped apples)...On occasion, I like to get
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| Mosley and Jingles |
advice from a vegan veterinarian, Dr. Armaiti May, via email or telephone. Her fees are EXTREMELY reasonable. *For a GREAT resource of information from a group of people across the world raising vegan dogs, join the “Vegan Dog Nutrition” Facebook group
Usagi - "is about 15-16, though she could be older" shares Veronica Noechel. "She's our little tank, or as we like to call her, "The White Buffalo" since she doesn't like to walk around anything, she plows right through. She was our inspiration to veganize the dogs' diet. When we adopted her (about a year after Revco; see below) the foster family warned us that she was prone to incredibly smelly gas. Being vegans, ourselves, I had been reading book after book after book on canine nutrition and feeding options and I'd already been considering starting a home cooked vegan diet for Revco, but hadn't yet taken the jump. One thing I had read was that dogs prone to gas and similar digestion problems sometimes have issues with meat, since it's such a heavy, rich food and that they may do better on a fish or plant-based diet. That was the push I needed to get started. I switched them to a diet of half vegan kibble, half home cooked vegan food. I've had some health problems due to a genetic spine disease, so sometimes I rely on vegan canned food in place of the home cooked, but I try to do fresh cooked as much as possible. Mixes like Dr. Harvey's that can be prepared with a veg protein source (usually lentils are recommended, though I've also used tofu, tvp, mung beans, and the like) have been helpful when I don't feel well enough to go all out. Usagi's digestion improved greatly. About 10 years ago, we were visiting my dad and he let her eat some of his dog's meat-based kibble while my back was turned. I warned him that that was a bad idea, but he didn't listen. Well, my husband and I went out for a few hours and when we came back, my dad told us he was going to have to move out of the house, the smell was so bad, and promised that he'd never give her animal products again. :) ~
Revco is 16. People always think he is *much* younger. I've had the vet do a double take when she saw the age on his records because she couldn't believe it was right. He had an injury lately that he's recovering from, but he's healing well and making great progress. I was at an event, rewarding him with itty bitty bits of peanut butter sandwich (one of his favorites) and another trainer came up with this greasy, nasty chunk of some sort of cow muscle, announcing, "You can't get him to work for *that*. He wants some of *this*!" and I had to laugh when Revco turned his nose up at it completely. I wasn't sure how he was going to react, but it was pretty darn humorous. He's a funny little dog. I hope my dog friends live to a healthy 25! That would be wonderful!” shares Veronica.
Bobby and Daisy – are our two vegan dogs, shares Penny Veitch: “Bobby, on the left of the picture, is a Border Terrier cross Jack Russell Terrier, and Daisy is a rough-coated Jack Russell. In the photo they are jammed together onto a chair, so that a ray of sunshine can hit them! They eat Benevo Vegan Dog food and, when they come back from a walk, and last thing at night, they get a treat of a piece of chewy strip. I buy their food from Veggiepets. Bobby and Daisy love raw vegetables, especially carrots. As soon as Daisy hears me preparing them (and she always knows when I start on the carrots!) she comes rushing through to the kitchen and waits beside me until I give her a chunk. When she heads back through to the sitting room with it, Bobby will notice and then HE'll come through for a chunk. And then Daisy comes back for another one... They also enjoy Brussels sprouts. Bobby and Daisy aren't too keen on any other cats coming into 'their' garden, but they love our own four cats and will happily sleep beside them on the couch or our bed. They're both VERY loving dogs and very obedient. I clicker trained them as pups, using vegan dog treats!”
Red - "is a 12 year old Australian Cattle Dog (possibly with dingo mixed on) and has been on a vegan diet since a few months of age" shares Amanda Benham. Usually has Weet Bix with ground flax seeds and fortified soy milk for breakfast and commercial dry vegan dog food (Biopet) for dinner. He has a raw carrot most days and cooked vegetables (peas, pumpkin) a couple of times a week. Also likes rice and lentils with nutritional yeast mixed in.
Sheba - is a 10 year old Border Collie (X ?) who is fed the same as Red. She has been on a vegan diet since she was about 6 months old. If it's a new food she looks at Red first and if Red eats it she will too. Both Red and Sheba were abused by their previous owners, and witnessing this, I offered to adopt them. (I don't really support the idea of going out and acquiring a pet). Both Red and Sheba are healthy active dogs and the only time either has been sick was Red got pancreatitis after a neighbour fed her eggs, and once after she ate a pair of undies. At their yearly checkup the vet is always impressed by their good health and good teeth and how fit and healthy they are for their age. (I am a nutritionist so do plan their diet to meet their nutritional needs.) Red loves to chase balls and Sheba loves to chase Red when Red has the ball. They both love swimming and Sheba likes to take an early morning dip in the dam, even in winter. Both doggies sleep on my bed at night and love to snuggle."
Ruby - eats vegan says Corinne Leach: “She is 3 years old and has been vegan since she was around 3 months old. Her diet consists of VeganPet dry food, as well as a mix I make myself that contains brown rice, red lentils, mixed vegetables, crushed garlic and nutritional yeast flakes. She also likes raw vegetables such as cauliflower and some broccoli. She is perfectly healthy and rarely sees a vet. I treat her for worms with an herbal solution and remove fleas when they appear manually or by bathing.”
Lucy, (on the left), is a foster dog waiting for a new home. She is 2 yrs. old and has been with me for just over a year, explains Jenny McCracken. “She is very high energy, and high intelligence too. She does catch birds occasionally, so she's not completely vegan, and less than once a year someone will give them bones or meat, but the rest of the time she and Dapper, my other dog, are completely vegan. Dapper (on the right) is 9 or 10. He has been with me since about the age of 2 and came to me as a skeletal, abused street dog. He has been vegetarian ever since he's been with me, and vegan for 6 years. He is fit and healthy and a very happy vegan dog. He doesn't chase or hunt anyone, and is calm, confident and loving to all. I generally feed them a blend of lentils, barley, quinoa, and buckwheat, mixed with fresh chopped celery, carrot, leafy greens, sometimes chopped up bread, spirulina, chia seeds, savoury yeast flakes and whatever left overs are ready to leave the fridge. I also feed them VeganPet dried food regularly, though not every day, and the veggie pigs ears. They love fried faux meat of all sorts, veggie sausages and veggie hamburgers. They also love green smoothy ice cream. They eat better than 90% of the humans on the planet.”
Ace – “We rescued Him in May 2012 and he became vegan June 2012. Ace is around 2 years old and I'm not exactly positive about what breeds he is. My guess would be Pomeranian x Border Collie? When we first got him he had been mistreated and neglected, but he was still a very loving playful puppy. Ace came to us with absolutely no training, it's amazing how much he has learned and changed just through our love and attention! He loves chewing things, he loves fetch, he loves cuddles and kisses and he acts like a cat! I don't know how he picked up the habit, but he's always kicked his back legs after going to the toilet and he loves to get up really high and jump on things! If you lean over there is a good chance he will jump on your back and want to go for a ride :p ~ I noticed MAJOR changes in Ace when we switched him to a vegan diet! His coat got smoother, and shinier. He had more energy, he smelled better (and yes I mean even his waste smelled better.) He loves vegan food, and he is a FIEND for fruit and vegetables; loves broccoli (there’s reports of too much broccoli being toxic to dogs, but some is good.) and carrot! We feed him a mix of home cooked food (mainly rice, lentils, beans and vegetables) along with Augustine approved vegan superfood, Vegepet super premium, Veganpet, Biopet vegan, Vegan pigs ears and Biopet organic dog bones! For any Australians looking to try their pets on vegan food, vegepooch offer free trials of their foods and also so do VeganPet. Ace has a best friend named Zelda (who I will write about below) They are double trouble and love destroying things together!" as shared by Kady Errington.
Zelda - "is a beagle. She was the result of backyard breeders and was adopted by my housemates. She has never eaten meat, she went straight from her mother’s milk to vegan food. Zelda is about 4 months old and boy, can she eat! She is very sweet natured; she loves cuddles and kisses, she loves snuggling and playing with Ace. She digs at her water bowl when it's empty to let us know she needs more, and she'll howl at food when it's too hot to eat :p ~ She's still learning but she is very smart! Zelda eats the same food as Ace, except she eats 3 times as much! She is already bigger than him, and when they play fight, she sometimes lets him win :p She's an amazing swimmer (must be her big feet) and she loves water (not as much as she loves food) and she loves going for walks and playing with other dogs! Beagles are the most used dogs for animal testing, and it absolutely breaks my heart. ~ She inspires me even more to put a stop to and raise awareness about animal testing" says Kady Errington.
Xiong (lil teddy) – lives in Malaysia with Martin Loh, who tells us “The name was given by people from China - since he looks like a panda when he was small (guess it's the colour). He eats rice, all kind of fruits and veggies; cooked or raw. Also he eats kibbles from Natural Balance, Addiction Zen Vegetarian and Lively doggie from loving Hut, and some dried crispy soy seitan (in small pieces). Xiong receives some olive oil, flaxeed/flaxseed oil, and chlorella. Treats: some potato chips (not highly processed) and this veggie bone) Xiong is super active and has amazing stamina!!! Other non-veggie dog simply can't beat him!!!”
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Lily and Luna – canine friends of Lis V Wolf in Bend, Oregon, who tells us “I have 2 vegan canine babies who thrive on a vegan diet of just Natural Balance Vegetarian (vegan) kibble and lots of radical feminist veganarchist loving! Lily is a 4.5 year old female, mini Dachshund –and- Luna's a 1.5 year old Lab/Hound mix. Both are soft, silky, smooth and shiny, perfectly happy, healthy and spunky.”
Miss Marple - is Harry (Star)'s little Vegan dog. She has been vegan since 5 weeks old and from birth ate lots of raw carrots. Charlotte Moncrieff continues “She came to us via a friend whose little dog ran off and became pregnant. She has never been to the vet and is the fastest dog in the neighbourhood. She is almost entirely muscle as she is very energetic and runs miles each day. She is fed a base of organic vegan biscuits with additions of what we are eating. She is especially fond of brown rice. She has a most gentle nature and does not attack cats or other dogs”.
Faith - is 4 years old, begins Caitlin Campbell: “She has been vegan since 6 months old, when she moved in with my husband and me. We found out early on that she has a soy-allergy and gluten-sensitivity. She eats sweet potato, celery, carrots, broccoli, turnips, millet, Quinoa, mung beans, pinto beans, lentils, flax seeds, and sometimes spirulina. Once a week, we make a batch of steamed veggies, a grain, and a bean of some sort. She gets about a half a cup of kibble with each meal, too. We've used Ami and Natural Balance Vegetarian. Faith is incredibly active and healthy. She is also very sweet toward our 5 month old vegan baby. What a joy to have her in our family!”
Eugene – and his story shared by Bridget Walsh (Kiwi based in East London): “Our handsome little man Eugene (often called 'Buddy') is a Jack Russell, crossed with something (we think!). He's about 2 1/2 years old… but this is all speculation as he was a stray pup before we got him. The vet guessed him at being between 1-2 when we took him in, and he certainly still has the energy and curiosity of a young sprite! Eugene turned up on our friend's doorstep after a storm in about June 2011. They tried to find his humans, we tried too, but after about 6 weeks (with no chip, no collar and no 'missing dog' leads) we knew he'd found a new home with us! Both of us humans are vegans, have been for 3 years, so it was only natural that we would see if Eugene could thrive on a predominantly vegan diet, which he definitely does! I say 'predominantly' vegan because, while the food we buy and make for him at home is vegan, he sometimes gets given sneaky treats from friends and locals, and sometimes he picks them up for himself too, which we generally don't mind on the odd occasion. We are often curious about Eugene's background prior to finding us - he was toilet-trained, but didn't know how to sit. He doesn't like getting his claws trimmed (at ALL!), and we think his tail might have been clipped too. When we're out at the park, his recall is pretty average, though better with my partner than with me - he's clearly the Alpha! He's so loving and friendly and loyal... and nosy! He's got bundles of personality, and he's very clever and great with kids and other dogs too (though he's not so good at being submissive!). ~ Eugene eats Benevo vegan biscuits, and we make him a casserole at home, usually with rice, lentils, veg and sometimes peanut butter! He LOVES fresh fruit and veges for treats (carrots, apple, clementine, etc.), and will often get a nibble at our leftovers too, if they are 'buddy-friendly'.”
Bonnie and Clyde - Neet from Australia shares with us "My dog companions are almost 4 years of age. They have been vegan-fed for 2 years. They are full of energy, their coats are so soft and silky, their demeanor is gentle, though highly excitable, and love running at the park, and don't tire quickly. I feed them twice a day, with a mixture of grated raw veggies, such as, cabbage, carrot, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, or if I make vegetable juice, I also use the pulp, which I rehydrate with water, chia seed gel, or coconut jelly (from drinking coconuts). They also get rice and VeganPet kibble, which I mix up with water, so it's all very hydrating for them. They enjoy Biopet biscuits after meals, to clean their teeth, along with carrots or pieces of apples. They love to share fruit smoothies and fruit puddings that I make. They eat mostly raw vegan food, as I feel it is much healthier for them. I don't give them any supplements. They love drinking lots of water too. Bonnie and Clyde, really are the loves of my life."
Spencer- is Golden Retriever, age 12. "Spencer and Winnie have been vegan for about 2 years" shares Nadia Dominguez. Spencer suffered from chronic ear infections and skin allergies his whole life. Once I decided to go vegan, I did some research on the benefits of a vegan diet for my pups as well. It turns out that many allergies in dogs are diet related. Since going vegan, Spencer no longer suffers from skin allergies or ear infections. Their meals consist of V-dog kibble mixed with Natural Balance vegan canned food. I also rotate between cooked yams and carrots, brown rice or quinoa, tempeh, chickpeas, or lentils. I also add Barlean's flax seed oil for pets, and sprinkle in some chia seeds along with Vegedog supplement, Health Force Nutritionals Green Mush, and Prescription 2000 Glucosamine powder for Spencer's arthritis.
Winnie - "is a Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix - Age 10. As a snack, they both get whole carrots to munch on, which are great because they also help clean their teeth. They LOVE their food and their poops are so healthy they make me feel like a proud mama! They both have so much more energy since going vegan. Spencer still acts and plays like a puppy and Winnie runs to the fridge as soon as she hears me open the veggie drawer. The photos (left) are from a month long vegan adventure road trip from California to Washington!"
Shanti - means "peace" in my language Samskritam (sanskrit)” shares Bhavadiiya H, Joy Vyloppully. “She will be 10 years of age at the end of this month. Shanti has been vegetarian for the first couple of months as a puppy and has been a vegan since then.”
Coco - is nearly 3 years old. Lisa Levis shares “she has been vegan for the majority of her life with us. She came to us when she was just 14 weeks old. We feed her vegan dog biscuits though she mainly eats what we eat. Coco is very small, only weighing about 2.5 kg, so she doesn't need a huge amount of food. Her favourite food is pasta with lentils and tomato sauce. She also loves seaweed and cooked oats. She is very healthy and ALWAYS happy!!”
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Chewie – “is our rescued Pom. He is 7 years old. He’s been eating vegan for about 1 year now” explains Richa Hingle. “He eats 1-2 helpings of Natural balance vegan kibble, and 1 helping of home cooked lentil/bean/oat+veggies+greens mixture. Treats are carrots, peas, cauliflower or home- made nut butter biscuits or chickpea flour crackers. No supplementation. He loves to fetch and will do anything for rice or freshly baked bread.”
Fred, Lola, and Carus – “are all eating Benevo food, from veggiepets.com - my cats are on the feline version (the taurine comes from seaweed I believe). All my dogs are vegan. I have had Lola; the Jack Russell, for 7 years, since she was 8 weeks old. She is a very bouncy little thing and fiercely protective of her home and her pack! Fred is the older Jack Russell. He was rescued by the RSPCA and came to me via one of their centres about 5 years ago. They said that he was about 11. He was very traumatised from his previous life but is now like a different dog; he was put on a vegan diet straight away and is now about 16 years old. He hates wearing his winter coat! Carus; the Rottweiler is another rescued dog who arrived about a year ago – the most beautiful animal you could ever meet. He has always eaten what the others eat and all are young, fit, healthy and full of beans!” shared Inogen Mackenzie.
Boo –“is 8 months old, and he is a Staffie/Jack Russel/Pug cross. He’s been vegan since we got him at 5 weeks old. He has never had any health problems. On an average day he eats Benevo puppy dog food or Ami small dog food mixed with fresh fruit and vegetables. His favourites are carrots, apples and kale, but he likes pretty much everything. He loves his kong filled with peanut butter and rice bones (and other vegan chews). I think it’s great that you are raising awareness about vegan dogs. I get nothing but abuse when I try to tell people about Boo’s diet” shares Dorota Nocun.
Wiley (Chihuahua/Terrier) and Gracie (Lab/Pit) are the canine companions of Heather Michael Leughmyer. Both dogs have been thriving on a vegan diet for 10-11 years. Wiley is 13 and Gracie is 11. They eat mostly commercially produced vegan dog food with added vegetables and treats.
Honey, Rudigrrr, Minnie and Imp; (from the bottom left up to the top right). They are undergoing the transition to a vegan diet at the moment. Rudigrrr is not adjusting well to this diet at all, which could be to do with him being a recent rescue who was Lyme disease positive, and has some Lyme still even though the treatment is considered effective. The 3 other dogs are doing well with the transition and should be all the way soon. We are reducing their SACD (Standard American Canine Diet) content by ~5% weekly and are currently getting ~10% SACD. They should be fully vegan by mid January. As for Rudigrrr, our vet (who is supportive of our move to veganize our dogs) says not to try Rudigrrr again until spring. Unfortunately he became so sick that he had to be vetted every time we added a small % of vegan food” explains Laura Moreland.
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Isis – is age 6 and was rescued from the Seabrook Greyhound race track after she broke 4 bones in her left hind foot during her last race. Her rescuer; Tumeria Langlois, shares “Isis is gentle, sweet and a little people-shy. She Loves other dogs and cats. She has a talent for singing and still loves to run like the wind (on her terms). Isis has a knack for winning raffles and costume contests. She eats V-Dog kibble, Pet Guard Vegetarian Feast canned, and/or Natural Balance vegan formula canned. Loves her V-Dog and the Pet Guard but is now bored with the Natural Balance (been adding pumpkin which she likes). She made the transition to vegan by eating one can of vegan food per day/one can meat based food per day along with the V-Dog. She’s only been vegan for about 8 months. Health: excellent and weight maintained fine. Lots of energy and playful (which is relative since greyhounds are couch potatoes.)”
Armand – is the canine friend of Ann Marie Sunderland; who tells us “Armand is 14 years old and has enjoyed many, many veggies all his life, and he is on a vegan diet as of 2 years ago. He is a rescue who has been with me since he was 9 weeks old. He eats V-dog kibble, canned Petguard Organic Vegan Entrée, and home-made food including beans, some rice and pasta, cooked and fresh veggies, fruit, ground flax seed and his treats are carrots, apples, Sam's Yams Big Boyz, and sometimes a dog safe human treat that I'm eating. I also make him dishes from The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book. He loves Satsuma pieces. Armand recently had his annual visit to the vet and he is very healthy" shares Annie.
Boris – “was vegetarian and then vegan for most of his life”, explains Marian Silvester. “He was a 'take it or leave it' sort of dog when it came to food. Even when he was offered meat by other people, (other people being what they are) he would normally ignore it, he was not a very food-focused dog. We started him off with Happi-pup, and then Happi-dog, and over the years we tried all kinds of commercial veggie and vegan dog food. During his lifetime the availability of these increased. In his middle years he ate mostly Yarrah products and then Benevo, and as he got older we switched to Ami (made in Italy and exported all over the world). I then began to look more closely at the ingredients of these products . . . and then I started to experiment with home-made vegan dog food, in particular treats and biscuits. I found this little book really good fun. - And I also began to make this 'meatloaf' that I found online: ~ And Boris was also fed braised tofu and other vegan tit-bits. He died when he was 16. The photo I attach was taken when he was 15 years old, and is a favourite of mine . . . we moved to Portugal from Scotland when Boris was 15, and he lived here for just over a year, before he died. We did have some difficulties with Boris eating in the later months, and we did what I never thought we would, which was to feed him meat-based dog food. It was one of those no-win decisions born of desperation. I am glad though that for most of his life, the food we fed him was vegan, and that for most of his life he was a very healthy, happy and tough little dog. I have been vegan for 26 years." says Marian.
Ariadne (Ari for short) - is fed a totally vegan diet. She is very healthy and full of energy and everyone always comments on her coat and clean teeth. She gets lot's of 'treats' in the form of fruits and vegetables. Poor girl loves spinach and kale, but can't manage to chew it properly, lol. I included a photo- she is a rescue dog of course:)
Zoe and Jasz - are the vegan dog friends of Laura Sauvé and Chad Flagel. Laura tells "They eat ‘Dick VanPatten’s’ Vegetarian dog food, but it’s actually vegan with a small sticker on the bag indicating such. It’s sold at Global Pet Food’s. Their treats are dates or dehydrated yam slices. Since switching them to a Vegan dog food over two years ago, we've noticed a great deal of improvement with their coats and energy levels. They are both senior Dobermans and certainly don’t act like it."
Lilly and Molly - Ruth Sanderson shares "We (Ruth and Marcus) live with two rescue dogs, Lilly and Molly, a mother and daughter pair, they're fantastic and we absolutely adore them. They have more energy than we have,in fact we wouldn't be surprised to find that Lilly (the mother) has more energy than any dog in the world. They first came to live with us as the animal sanctuary at which I volunteered (will go back soon) found out that they were about to be put down having been in a private kennel for eight weeks. They were dumped there by their previous guardians who not only had obviously abused them (Molly is scared of strangers, especially men until she knows them) but then deserted them in a flooded house! The neighbours called the RSPCA who contacted the "owners" who then took them to these kennels and abandoned them. When they arrived they were dirty, had very matted hair (they have long coats that need brushing and trimming) and Lilly had a corneal ulcer on her left eye which was long overdue treatment lest the entire eye be removed. Extra medical costs for a pair of black (unpopular fur colour in re-homing) dogs unlikely to be re-homed aren't taken lightly. The animal sanctuary didn't really have room for them as the woman who runs it does it all on her own, has over 23 dogs, 20+ horses, geese, rabbits, cats, etc. So we agreed to foster them. I have rescued/fostered/snuck into my bathroom- nonhuman animals since I can remember. It is probably pertinent at this point to mention that 1) Marcus is allergic to excessive dog fur 2) Lilly and Molly have two of the worst coats for shedding I've ever seen being Belgium Shepherd Collie crosses with big undercoats. Anyway despite this issue, we fell in love with them within seconds, despite all they had been through, they very quickly came to trust us, they never left our sides. Molly now hides behind Marcus whenever she's nervous (an impressive achievement for a dog who wouldn't come out from under the table if he was in the room for the first week). Before we agreed to even foster them though we had a conversation about what they would eat. We knew that as vegans we couldn't pay for one set of animals (those made into food) to be used and abused so another (the girls) could eat. I'm very fortunate in that my degree included units on animal nutrition as well as access to professors to discuss dog nutritional needs with. We both did a lot of research including reading this free ebook on vegan dogs. We saw no reason that they shouldn't be healthy and happy on a vegan diet so that's exactly what they've been fed for the last 22 months. We tried them on v-dog flakes initially which they didn't like then tried v-dog nuggets which they love. They also get some extra cooked food now and again which could be anything from potatoes, kidney beans and olive oil to whatever we had the night before (no onions, dogs are allergic). They also adore carrots, seriously, we can't peel one or say the word without them being at our heels! Not only that but they took to nicking cabbage out the pots where we were growing them, cute initially but much more destructive than cabbage fly!
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| Molly |
It's not just our opinion that they're healthy, according to the vet at their last check up about 6 weeks ago, she said "They're in fantastic shape, the right weight and are very healthy. Keep doing what you're doing!". Now that's high praise from someone who peddles Iams. We knew that it was vital to us that the dogs were vegan, we couldn't justify the speciesism of feeding them other animals, so we were willing to try everything and I think that is very important. Try lots of different foods. In the UK alone there's V-dog flakes,V-dog nuggets, Ami dog (hypoallergenic), Benevo, Yarah, and vegedog; which is a supplement powder to put on cooked food if you choose to go that way. What we're trying to say is there's so many options to try that with a bit of patience you will find the one that suits your companion/s. We know there are those reading this who will think we're very odd and that dogs aren't vegan in the wild so shouldn't be fed vegan. You're right, dogs are natural omnivores (not carnivore as many believe) and scavengers. However post-domestication they eat whatever humans choose to give to them and the fact is that every essential nutrients required in a dog's diet can be met without any animal product whatsoever. Every single essential amino acid, fatty acid, carbohydrate, vitamin, and mineral can be provided properly and so it can be absorbed. Therefore feeding dogs a traditional dog food with other animals and/or animal derived ingredients is certainly causing unnecessary suffering. Finally it is vital that the dogs you rescue are spayed/neutered, there are already 120,000 dogs a year abandoned in the U.K. and 7551 are put down for no reason other than a lack of a home. With so many unwanted animals already, bringing more into existence increases competition for the few homes there are."
Darwin - "is the beagle; a beautiful soul who shared his life with us for around 13 years", explains Amanda Mitchell. "We lost him just 2 months ago (November 2012). As a beagle, Darwin was always a good eater, practically inhaling his food every day, and the transition to a vegan diet was not a challenge to him at all. He became a plant-powered pooch in around 2008 and, for the first couple of years, ate a commercial vegan diet - Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula, which is actually vegan. During his last year, we changed him over to V-Dog food which is an awesome product and he liked it very much. When he was diagnosed with lymphoma around 3 years ago, in addition to following a total of four chemotherapy protocols over a multi-year period, we also consulted an alternative veterinary practitioner who recommended acupuncture, Chinese herbal medical and nutritional therapy too. So, in addition to his kibble, we supplemented his food with a daily full spectrum multi-vitamin, maitake extract, and home-cooked items such as beans, lentils, quinoa and raw fresh fruits and vegetables. He especially liked crunchy things like peppers, radishes, cucumber slices, watermelon rinds, beets and sweet potato. To keep him excited by his food, we rotated these items in and out of his diet constantly so that there'd always be something new and interesting to tempt him. He was also a fiend for berries - strawberries were his absolute favorite, but he'd tolerate blueberries too and push the occasional raspberry around with his nose until it broke apart and then he'd lick it up with gusto. Only at the very end of his life did his incredible appetite desert him. We have no doubt that the nutrient-dense diet that he enjoyed contributed to him being able to withstand the ravages of chemotherapy and to achieve remission as often and for such prolonged periods of time as he did. Darwin was a star: to have met him was to love him. He brought an energy into the world that lifted the spirits of all who knew him. And even folks who didn't. When he died, we were deluged by people sending their condolences and memorial gifts for him. Even people we'd never been fortunate enough to meet in person but with whom we are friends with via Facebook. That was the power of Darwin. That was what he inspired in others."
Shelby - "was rescued from the El Paso Humane society. She was being used as a breeder. She was only 2 and had already had 2 litters of pups and heart-worm. She has responded so well to her Evolution Diet and homemade doggie treats. She LOVES vegetables and her family. She is now almost 5" says Valerie McCullam.
Gracie - "is a 7 year old boxer. I have had her since she was 7 weeks. She is a loving accepting dog who became a vegan in 2011. She loves her Evolution food. Everyone comments on how beautiful and young she looks when we go on walks" shares Valerie McCullam.
Rainy - "was rescued from the roadside with her mother and two sisters, Sunny and Windy, when she was 6 weeks old" shares Barbara Huning. "Sunny and Rainy were adopted by my sister Ellie and I; Sunny's name became Chelsea. Rainy has lived in North Carolina, and Phoenix Arizona, and Caledonia, Minnesota, and now La Crosse, Wisconsin. She is a typical Border Collie: brilliant, sensitive, intense and deeply sweet. In the time it takes for her brother Joey to say, "Ball! Play!", she's calculated the square root of the hypotenuse, run beyond the ball, doubled back, done a flip and caught the ball in mid-air. She's 11 years old now, and she's been vegan for 2 1/2 years. Rainy loves apples and nori sea vegetable!
Joey - I found Joey at a 'no-kill shelter adoption day' at in Scottsdale, Arizona. I wanted to find a brother or sister for Rainy, who was very lonely while I was at work during the day. Joey and I fell in love at first sight, and home he came. When I took him for his first doctor appointment, the vet looked at Joey, and looked at his ASPCA record, and said, "This is a Hurricane Katrina puppy." She told me that Joey came into the ASPCA the same week that they received about 200 orphaned dogs from the hurricane. He would have been born just after the storm; his mother would have been pregnant through the ordeal. She said that his mix of breeds would be rare in the Phoenix area, but very common down on the bayou. Joey is not a complicated fellow. He loves food, interesting smells, and cuddling. I thought Joey would grow to be about the same size as his sister Rainy, who is 60 lb...but he kept growing, and growing, and growing. Now he is a 125 lb. lap dog. Joey has been vegan, along with his sister, for 2 1/2 years. He loves peanut butter and squash!" as told by Barbara Huning.
2 cups cooked brown rice and/or steel-cut oats
2 cups cooked lentils and/or other legumes
1 medium sweet potato, baked, or a similar amount of squash or carrots, cooked
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon nutritional/brewer’s yeast
1 tablespoon Now Foods powdered calcium citrate (no phosphorus or Vitamin D included (1260 mg)
1.5 teaspoons Now Foods powdered L-Carnitine (6 g)
1 teaspoon Prozyme enzyme supplement
¾ teaspoon Now Foods powdered Taurine (3 g)
1 capsule Now Foods Methionine (500 mg)
1 tablet Freeda Zinc Gluconate (15 mg)
1 tablet Freeda Children Multivitamin Chewable
Angalyn - "This is our new baby, Angalyn. She is a 3 1/2 month old Black Shepherd. I've been feeding her V-Dog for the past 3 weeks as I wanted to slowly adjust her new food" explains Dayle. She is a smart young lady, and already knows, sit, down, come and no; in German of course! Her treats are currently banana and carrot. My children and I are vegan and wanted to extend that compassion to our new family member. Angalyn's coat is beautiful and she's been doing wonderful on her new forever diet, which I hope to add more raw foods to soon." The Coutu Family, from Connecticut, U.S.
Penny – is “my happy vegan dog” says Belinda Barnes . "She has been vegan over a year now and she and my other two dogs run with me regularly about 4-6 miles regularly on the beach here in Hawaii.” Their names are Patches (springer mix; left), Penny (red lab mix; below), and Roxy (black lab; no photo).
Stitch - "This is Stitch! He is a gremlin, lives in Salt Lake City, has been vegan for at least 4 years and loves to ride on scooters!" shares David Berg.
34 comments:
The post is really as lengthy as interesting. All dogs have their own uniqueness and pretty look. I was looking for such informative discussion.
[ Smiles ] Well, if we humans can survive and remain healthy on a vegan diet, it is possible for dogs to do the same.
Awesome post. As per my knowledge, most dog owners are thinking about their dogs, they eat a healthy vegan diet. And it’s really good. You define very different kind of dog images, it's look like very good.
dog nutritional supplements
My dog(a rescue Staffy) HATES dogfood (wont eat it when hungry) and loves vegan food! She eats raw oats if i pour it into the bowl, but not dogfood, I cut up bits of tofu and put it with her dogfood but she ate the bits of tofu with her tongue and left the rest. She is a very clean dog! She likes to chew on licorice root (natural sticks) but we only give this to her now and then to clean her mouth. Dogs seem to eat steamed vegetables.My dog likes even pineapple!
It is cleaner as the scraps of meat given to dogfood is awful and processed. Plus my dog seems to be an animal lover and wouldn't want to hurt any other animals!
Oh! Great information shared. Even personally I feel why can’t our pets eat vegan food? Your post is very helpful. Advantix for Dogs
sorry - gotta disagree with this post. sure, people can find healthy vegan dogs and cats, but to find out what diet is the best one for our companions, one needn't look much further than their bodies. unlike humans, who have teeth and saliva designed to grind plant matter and digest starches, dogs have chomping and tearing teeth - designed specifically to tear and break down meat. their saliva isn't designed to break down starches or plant matter. dogs also have much shorter digestive tracts than humans, which indicates that their bodies are designed to eliminate animal matter much more efficiently than humans - whose intestines are up to 3 or 4x the length of our bodies. so while one could say that dogs are omnivorous, their anatomy tells us they have a clear carnivorous bias. not so with people - of course - but that's why humans thrive on vegan diets without much (if any) supplementation. not so for dogs, and especially not so for cats - who are obligate carnivores, through and through. as a vegan, I myself have struggled with the question of whether to impose my ethos on my pets, and have decided that it would be wrong - and potentially disastrous for their health - to do so. so my only advice to a vegan that would refuse to feed their dog or cat meat or animal ingredients - which is most beneficial for THEM as opposed to US HUMANS - is that they should just forgo the joys of having a dog or a cat, and get a vegetarian rabbit instead. for humans, veganism is totally species-appropriate. but for dogs and cats, not so.
HAHAH very long and amazing blog with a lot beautiful dogs...
This blog well providing the interesting information and full details regarding An encyclopedia of Vegan Dog Nutrition.I really like each and every information of this blog.
We got a puppy a few days ago. And she has a hard time to eat her puppy dry food. She hardly eats. I read this yesterday and gave her a carrot. She was busy chewing the carrot down with no break. She loved it. It made her appetite for her dog food later she ate 1\2cup of it. Even I won't force her to be vegan I will try some food you have suggested. I am a raw vegan since a few weeks because of health issues. Never thought a dog can be vegan too. Thanks for sharing.
These were all beautiful stories, but I think I'm in love with Floyd.
quite a wonderful list you got here. lovely pics of cute dogs too. thanks forthe wonderful information. will share with others
I buy these when I can, but I primarily focus on the Vdog dog food which is simply amazing! The only downside to these bones is that older dogs can finish these bones real quick. This entertains my young one for hours though. The ingredients are top notch! There is nothing on the market like these!
Since this is made from real food, remember to store in the fridge!
Dogs, are carnivores. Try feeding a wolf a bowl of tofu (wolves are the direct ancestors of dogs, who share around 99% of their DNA). It'll avoid the tofu completely, while gazing and drooling at the sight of its human meal.
Please do not force your dietary choices onto dogs, they have evolved to consume animal protein (meat) as their primary food source.
It's utterly obvious to all but the most imbecilic amongst us.
Sheesh.
In response to Gary Pearce's comment. When I first took Kisses to the vet and they knew she was fed vegan, they all made faces at me. By the time of her death, they all had changed their mind in the vet office and the vet had called me for advice even several times. Vets don't know. It's new unchartered territory. I have cared for about 10 dogs fed vegan their whole lives. They were not suffering. They lived as long or longer than their meat-eating counterparts, much happier too! Tail wagging, very loved dogs. I was quite careful to ensure they got all their nutrients - and yes I did give them supplements.
to the last anonymous comment: You are speaking from what you read, but I am speaking from what I KNOW! I have cared for 10 dogs fed vegan their whole lives who lived as long and perhaps longer than their meat-eating counterparts...all of them lived to age 15-17. They were not sick til the last year of their life. Even the vets I had changed their mind completely after caring for our dogs their whole lives. The proof is in the pudding...dogs and humans (and some cats) can live perfectly fine without intentionally murdering and torturing other species of animals. You are simply a specieisist. I am not. I don't think cows, pigs, chickens, fish should suffer to feed my dog friend. By the way, my dog friends are not my "pets" - I am not a part of the "pet trade" (breeding, buying and selling animals; slavery) - my dogs were all rescues that came to me. Kisses didn't have to be a vegan, she could have run away at any point and live freely in the surrounding forest with rivers everywhere; she chose to stick with me; smart girl! She was well taken care of and loved and her food was nutritionally complete. They make formulations now that are approved by the standard committee for dog and cat food products.
I just had to publish the last (nonvegan) person's comment to show that he is the one who is just what he calls vegans. First of all, vegans are not alike; they come in all walks of life and perceptions.
your comment just shows how ignorant you are. And also how nasty you are.
the rescued animals I have shared life with have had the best lives.
If you're not feeding your dogs meat, you're slowly killing them - literally.
Wtf? This is retarded. I hate ignorant people, especially those who REFUSE to acknowledge that their pets NEED meat to live the best life that they can. Ask my doggies. They ate raw food and absolutely loved it. Only one was a wolfdog. My other two were doggy dogs.
Dogs and cats need to eat meat, they are not omnivorous or herbivorous, they are carnivores. If you want to eat vegan then do it, humans are omnivorous which means that with supplements we can do just fine that way.
Further, anecdotal stories are great, but they do not trump science and science says you need to feed your dogs and cats animal proteins.
If you want a pet that you can share your vegan food with then please get an animal that naturally eats plants.
As for the science, dogs are classified by the genus carnivore. They are metabolically omnivore; they, like us humans -are omnivores - one characteristic is that an omnivore can convert beta carotene to Vitamin A. We vegan humans do that, and so do dogs. So both science and our own conscience tells us that dogs also can eat vegan.
To this barrage of people leaving a comment about how wrong we are to feed dogs vegan. One commenter up above mentioned we are "retarded" - I don't think it is socially acceptable to use that term any more. You need to get with the times, that is derogatory towards people who are mentally handicapped.
The new plant based formulations for dogs do meet or exceed AAFCO adult dog food nutritional standards. Some are veterinarian approved.
You say I am slowly killing my dog, but why does my dogs (10 of them) live longer than my neighbor's flesh eating dogs? How do you explain that? Animal eating dogs that I meet get old quicker than my dogs did. They die younger too. If I am killing them slowly, why do they outlive nonvegan eating dogs? Why is Bramble in the Guinness book of world records as one of the longest lived dogs (who ate an organic - vegan - simple) diet?
I don't really care what you all say. I could never feed a tortured murdered animal to another animal...I live vegan...I live ethically. AND - my dogs are seriously happy and loved beyond the beyond.
Arran Stoner - I don't cause any animal stress and harm, especially my beloved dogs. I can tell you that if you are feeding your dog friend standard dog food - you are harming them more - literally, unquestionably. Read up about the diseased and cancerous animals, the "downers" and all sorts of crap that goes into dog food.
My dog friends eat top of the line! They are healthy, in shape and full of life. Their coat is healthy and beautiful. Like all beings, they have a few flaws, who doesn't? We all have a flaw or two. But overall, they are very healthy. I can't swear by all people attempting to feed their dogs vegan, and I do sometimes worry about that...but I did my homework, both for them and myself...and we're fine. I have been vegan for 37 years, no meat in 46 years. When I stopped eating animals - EVERYONE - teachers, doctor, parents, friend said "you will die; where will you get your protein?" - but I'm still here and hardly sick at all, 46 years later. People say a lot of things that simply are not true. You can't believe everything you read online or anywhere.
Where there is a will to not participate in animal exploitation and violence, there is a way to eat vegan and live vegan, for us and our friends of other species. I would not live with a snake. I don't live with cats, they are real hunters. But dogs can eat vegan and live healthy happy lives. Just have to ensure they are getting all their nutrients.
Give a dog or cat a the choice between a steak and a carrot and see what happens. I've had cats that killed and ate all sorts of other animals, but never once did they raid the garden.
Bradley - you are probably right about that. I don't just give them a carrot, though. I might grate some carrot and put it in the meal. They seem to go for the vegan food and enjoy it. The last dog I lived with her whole life, Kisses, she was a scavenger who was dropped in the surrounding forest. She chose to leave that and live with me and eat vegan. She had no leash or color - she could have run away, but she didn't. So it was her choice, really. She would eat a dead animal body if she saw it, I have to admit - but I kept her from doing that when I could - it would not be healthy for her anyway since they poison the animals.
I take exception to the statement that dogs are "...evolving along with vegan human caregivers."
There is a reason humans have larger brains allowing self-awareness and intelligence - proteins.
There's also a reason our appendix is no longer used - we evolved AWAY from eating solely plants.
The reason we're upright instead of on all fours? We began hunting meat instead of foraging.
If you're basing a dog's metabolism on a human's adaptability, I suggest you look at the differences in apes and lower mammals again.
I feel sorry for dogs at the hands of humans anyway - breeds created for specific purposes regardless of how that affects their physiology, interbreeding for desired mutations and now forcing a vegan diet on a carnivore.
Humans are (currently) the top predator on the planet. We should use our intelligence to protect the lesser animals and be stewards for them and our shared habitat, Earth.
All of these entries of dogs being "happy" and living out "happy lives" are assumptions. Dogs are loyal and will do whatever they can for their masters regardless of how unhappy they are or how much pain they are in. If they've been in pain their whole life due to a protein deficient diet, they don't know any better or what a pain-free life feels like.
Sure some of these dogs lived long lives. Is that solely due to a vegan diet? I not only doubt that, but I suspect not all factors of the environment are known or noted. A dog fed a normal healthy diet may live a shorter life. These are anomalies and can go either way, shorter or longer lives.
I personally feel vegan/vegetarians will evolve to a different sort of human - eyes towards the side of the head, a smaller brain, an enlarged appendix to help digest all the cellulose and eventually a failed sub-species. Thankfully nature will handle this, kill off the weak who prey only on plants and strengthen the overall gene pool.
I'd like to point out the "chinks" in your armor of vegan diet.
To cite the specific example of Kisses. She was a scavenger. If she would eat a dead animal that tells you she was lacking something in her diet. How often was she out of your sight where you were not able to stop her from eating meat from a carcass?
The other red flag that something is wrong is the looooong list of supplements you shared on Kisses' entry. Do you seriously think it is normal to have that many supplements if the diet is healthy? I'm guessing your list of supplements is likely as long or longer because you and your dogs are NOT getting everything you need in your food.
Yes, there are certain minerals and enzymes that humans cannot reproduce or get in any sort of food, but those are few and far between. What you're doing is compensating for what you should be getting in your food. That isn't natural or healthy. Actually it's a tricky balance of chemistry that can easily throw your body out of balance and eventually (maybe not in 30 years) cause a complication that will lead to death.
You have a choice to live and die how you want; dogs are under our protection and need us to be the more intelligent, wiser pack leader.
In response to Darren McDonald
Kisses would eat anything! Maggots, just anything, the epitome of a scavenger. Does not mean she was missing nutrients. She survived that way for some time before we magically met - and it was ingrained.
Everyone is missing nutrients as soils are depleted. If you look at nonvegan food on grocery shelves - they are seriously fortified and supplemented. The cows nonvegans eat are supplemented with B12. You guys keep repeating what you think you know from reading stuff online, but I'm telling you what I truly know from life experience.
Even if I am missing nutrients and have to supplement...I'd rather take a supplement made in a sterile laboratory than exploit, harm and abuse animals - as you do.
I have been vegan for 37 years Only after age 50 - did I start to supplement. I believe in supplementation and especially for dogs since they are not natural herbivores. But they are getting all they need and they are healthy - and they are not demanding the torture of other animals. These dogs of mine can be an example for you!
Maybe what is "natural" is disgusting and needs to be changed and evolved because it is unjust to exploit and be violent to sentient beings; all animals; including humans - when we humans can live fine without intentionally harming animals. And I've learned through experience that my dog friends were able to evolve themselves...yes it was somewhat forced on them and not by choice...but also they could run away or let me know that they are not happy with the food...and then I could make other arrangements. Once I did rescue a dog that didn't seem to like the vegan food, she ran away...I rescued her from the pound the day she went on the kill list (I had just found her) and then we re-homed her with nonvegans. If my dog friends were unhealthy or unhappy with eating vegan, I would find them another home. But that did not happen too much. Dogs are omnivores when it comes to eating. They are classified by genus as carnivore - but have the metabolic functions of an omnivore.
Darren - when I speak of evolution, it is not only physical adaptation, but a change of the whole being for a more gentle and less violent self. I believe vegans are evolved humans; to a less violent and more harmonious and more just and fair human beings.
We do agree on some points. I don't believe in breeding dogs or selling them or buying them or buying them from anyone who breeds dogs. I don't believe in the "pet trade". I think we should stop it; stop the domestication of animals to use them for human purposes. I believe in NO Animal Use/Exploitation. I do however believe in helping anyone who comes across my path and is in need. I have had many rescued dog friends, who just came to me in person or by a phone call - in need of me or death/abandonment. I didn't go get myself a "pet". I am no dog's "master" and I don't believe in owning anyone or slavery...but anyone who lives with me; dog or human; of any age - will be living and eating as a vegan; one who lives peacefully without demanding someone else's torture/death. We can live vegan. So can dogs. Therefore - we should. It's healthy. It's fine. Stop with your science - because everything changes and evolves; what use to me thought of as fact and normal, does and will change. We are the pioneers of a better way - stop arguing with a better way. Surely it is better to live healthy and happy without killing and being violent to those with feelings and who can suffer!
Great Page and list of details of so many dogs. Must add this to my vegan dog blog ! I have 2 healthy high energy vegan dogs. Stomac ulcers of my bitch cleared on going vegan that medications were not sorting. http://vegan-information.com/Vegan_Dogs_and_Cats.html
Global Expert talks coming up starting 12th March 2019 by 17 world experts on Dog Nutrition...register to join in and listen for free and option for further details...http://www.vegan-information.com/Vegan_Plant_Powered_Veggie_Food_Dogs_Petfood_Experts_Summit.htm
It appears their big breeds are living longer.That's what I find interesting.
From my experience, which is 35 years of living with vegan dogs, they all lived to about 14-17. The one who made it to 17 was really not healthy, though. The smaller one lived to 16. The Golden Retriever lived to nearly 15...which is apparently long for that breed.I think the larger dogs lived a little less time, actually. The average age, I'd say was age 15.
How can I pick out the best product from those listed on this site?
Hi We also have a Vegan Dog name Jarwish, we want to list him in this, but unfortunately we are unable to do so. Please help
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