Sometimes, when I am scrolling on social media and I watch a pet eating a vegan diet I want to SCREAM! I don’t think that people realize the damage that they are causing to their pet’s body, and some pets will never get past it. They deteriorate so quickly that there is not much that can be done after a certain point.
I had a customer interaction about 8 years ago where the couple had just adopted a dog, and they themselves were vegan. They had come into the store searching for a vegan diet for their dog. This was a common occurrence that happened weekly, where customers were asking for vegan diets because we are considered a pet specialty store, and we carry different types of diets that were not common in other pet stores. To say the least, they were disappointed with my explanation when I told them, ‘No, we don’t, and we will never carry vegan diets for cats or dogs, and here is why. Unlike you and me, who could potentially thrive on a well-balanced vegan diet, our animals are not built to do so. Our pets, although domesticated, have thrived off of hunting and scavenging for centuries before we got involved in feeding them. They have specific teeth designed to rip, tear, and to chew through tough muscle and cartilage, and they require specific nutrients that are found readily available in fresh meat! Cats and dogs thrive when they are fed a raw meat diet.’
Here I am talking with a vegan couple about switching their pet to raw meat based food, which, I didn’t expect to work. I was correct. As an advocate for species appropriate foods, I was disappointed, but I moved on and discussed with them some other high quality kibble options, and then they walked out of the store and I didn’t see them again for a long while.
Fast forward approximately 6 months later, and the customers were back in my store, with a not so great looking dog. Dull coat, underweight, and ravenous! To paint you a picture, my store had dehydrated bulk meat treats everywhere, and most dogs can’t handle all of the smells, this dog was losing it! Pulling at the leash, choking itself, and attempting to get to the open snacks on the counter. We remembered each other, and they had asked for help, so I started the conversation again with them. Sadly, they broke down crying, maybe partly ashamed of the original decision, and partly desperate to not have to feed meat to their pet, because their beliefs were so strong! My job is not to make people feel bad for their choices but to educate them, which is why they came back! They didn’t feel judged or shamed for wanting to feed a certain diet for their dogs. They felt heard and were given alternative options. When they saw their dog deteriorating they wanted help for her, and I was more than happy to help them. We discussed options, and ultimately they felt the most comfortable going with Open Farm kibble because of their commitment to source only Humanely Raised animals for their food. They continued to purchase Open Farm kibble for the remainder of the time I was at the store, and I feel certain that they are still using a meat-based diet for their pet today.
We have and will continue to be advocates for feeding all animals species appropriate diets! For us, this means that any cat or dog that comes into our store will be suggested to try a raw food diet first, as this form of feeding suits these animals’ biology to a tee. What goes so terribly wrong when cats and dogs are fed vegan diets?
Dogs are different from cats in the sense that they can eat and thrive off a diet of plant and animal sources. Note that I said AND, not or. Dogs do eat both, however meat should be the primary food source. Dogs are descended from wolves, who more than often hunt in a pack. These packs may have only hunted and succeeded once or twice a month, split the meat between the whole pack and then scavenge regularly, eating berries, grasses and other available vegetation. Cats on the other hand are obligate carnivores, they hunt alone and very rarely will eat vegetation. If they do, it would be grass which has been known to aid in digestion. Due to the essential amino acids that are readily available in meats, animals who are fed vegan diets are lacking many nutrients that make the body function. Amino acid deficiency can lead to many issues including decreased immunity, digestive problems, organ failure, depression, slow healing, lack of nutrient absorption, and most importantly, protein synthesis may halt. Protein synthesis is essential for maintaining cells in the body and if it shuts down, then animals may die. This is serious stuff.
Commercial pet food companies that create vegan diets may do a good job at mimicking what is necessary in a pet’s food by using artificial versions of amino acids and other essential nutrients found in meats, but these foods will never compete with feeding your pet the real thing. Most of us would never consider putting alcohol in our car instead of gasoline. Your car would run for a short time but eventually break down because it is not the right kind of fuel for the car. Everything on this planet has a correct fuel for it to function properly. At Tail Blazers we believe most aliments start with a breakdown when feeding incorrect fuel to our bodies.
Feeding your pet a species appropriate diet will always win over highly processed vegan foods, as well as homemade vegan foods – there really is no comparison. If you shop at Tail Blazers know that this is one of our most important beliefs: dogs and cats need meat to survive and thrive! You will never find a vegan diet on our shelves or in our product lineup for cats and dogs.
