Guest guest Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Hi All, I'm asking some advice on our newest addition Jersey, our boxer. We recently adopted Jersey, and have a pug, Mya. Our pug has been vegetarian all along and now Jersey we've transitioned to veggie as well. When we adopted him, he was on the thin side, but now looks even thinner. Naturally he burns many more calories and has much more energy than mya does. I feed them both Natural Choice Vegetarian Dry food and occationally will make them an egg to mix in. Yesterday I went to Petco and expressed my concern about his weight and was told to feed Jersey Meat/Fish Dry food to gain the extra protein and calcium that Jersey needs. The employee there told me boxers get hip and joint problems once they get older and that although the veggie food is healthy, the fish/meat food would be better. I really contemplated what to do and our house has always stayed meat free. I found a different brand avoderm which makes both veggie dry and can food and had more to offer than natural choice, so i'm now trying this. I'm just really concerned about jerseys weight. He is 66pounds now, but he looks to thin. I have to help him gain more weight. I don't want to give him the fish/meat food, but if I have to...??? I know I'm turning to the right group for answers. Please help. Thanks, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 > I'm just really concerned about jerseys weight. He is 66pounds now, but he looks to thin. I have to help him gain more weight. I don't want to give him the fish/meat food, but if I have to...??? > > I know I'm turning to the right group for answers. Please help. > Thanks, > Lisa > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Hey Lisa: We are are vegetarian/vegan here in my home....except for my dog. I did a lot of research before I got her and finally came to the conclusion that dogs need meat. It's just part of their genetic makeup - they are naturally carnivores and eat very few if any veggies in the wild. It's okay for you to raise your dog vegetarian...until it effects their health. Believe me, I totally understand not wanting to have meat in your home, much less handle it, but if it's for your dog's well-being maybe you should put your personal feelings aside and do it for your dog. I don't personally touch the meat...my husband is in charge of that...he gives our raw dog bones, chicken wings with skin, cheap steaks, liver, etc. (sorry if this makes you sick! ) What does your veterinarian say about this? Best of luck!! , lisa castillo <lisarcastillo wrote: > > Hi All, > > I'm asking some advice on our newest addition Jersey, our boxer. > We recently adopted Jersey, and have a pug, Mya. Our pug has been vegetarian all along and now Jersey we've transitioned to veggie as well. When we adopted him, he was on the thin side, but now looks even thinner. Naturally he burns many more calories and has much more energy than mya does. I feed them both Natural Choice Vegetarian Dry food and occationally will make them an egg to mix in. > Yesterday I went to Petco and expressed my concern about his weight and was told to feed Jersey Meat/Fish Dry food to gain the extra protein and calcium that Jersey needs. The employee there told me boxers get hip and joint problems once they get older and that although the veggie food is healthy, the fish/meat food would be better. I really contemplated what to do and our house has always stayed meat free. I found a different brand avoderm which makes both veggie dry and can food and had more to offer than natural choice, so i'm now trying this. > I'm just really concerned about jerseys weight. He is 66pounds now, but he looks to thin. I have to help him gain more weight. I don't want to give him the fish/meat food, but if I have to...??? > > I know I'm turning to the right group for answers. Please help. > Thanks, > Lisa > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 I have raised 5 dogs. We are vegan, but not the dogs. I give them dry dog food (not vegetarian). No bones or meat or canned food. They have all been very healthy and lived a long life (2 lived 16-17 years, and 3 are alive right now). Also, dogs should be thin. Any fat showing on their body means they have fat on their internal organs. Not good. It's tempting to overfeed our animals but it is not healthy, just like it's not healthy for us! My daughter has taken care of the dog next door. They give the dog hot dogs and hamburger meat every day. She just had surgery for cancer. How they can give her these things is beyond me! Tracy On May 18, 2009, at 5:26 PM, Denise wrote: > > > Hey Lisa: > We are are vegetarian/vegan here in my home....except for my dog. I > did a lot of research before I got her and finally came to the > conclusion that dogs need meat. It's just part of their genetic > makeup - they are naturally carnivores and eat very few if any > veggies in the wild. It's okay for you to raise your dog > vegetarian...until it effects their health. > > Believe me, I totally understand not wanting to have meat in your > home, much less handle it, but if it's for your dog's well-being > maybe you should put your personal feelings aside and do it for > your dog. > > I don't personally touch the meat...my husband is in charge of > that...he gives our raw dog bones, chicken wings with skin, cheap > steaks, liver, etc. (sorry if this makes you sick! ) > > What does your veterinarian say about this? > > Best of luck!! > > , lisa castillo > <lisarcastillo wrote: > > > > Hi All, > > > > I'm asking some advice on our newest addition Jersey, our boxer. > > We recently adopted Jersey, and have a pug, Mya. Our pug has been > vegetarian all along and now Jersey we've transitioned to veggie as > well. When we adopted him, he was on the thin side, but now looks > even thinner. Naturally he burns many more calories and has much > more energy than mya does. I feed them both Natural Choice > Vegetarian Dry food and occationally will make them an egg to mix in. > > Yesterday I went to Petco and expressed my concern about his > weight and was told to feed Jersey Meat/Fish Dry food to gain the > extra protein and calcium that Jersey needs. The employee there > told me boxers get hip and joint problems once they get older and > that although the veggie food is healthy, the fish/meat food would > be better. I really contemplated what to do and our house has > always stayed meat free. I found a different brand avoderm which > makes both veggie dry and can food and had more to offer than > natural choice, so i'm now trying this. > > I'm just really concerned about jerseys weight. He is 66pounds > now, but he looks to thin. I have to help him gain more weight. I > don't want to give him the fish/meat food, but if I have to...??? > > > > I know I'm turning to the right group for answers. Please help. > > Thanks, > > Lisa > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Hi Lisa, We use Vegepet supplements (www.vegepet.com) for our cat, and did with our previous cat, too. Their research found (they’re biologists/scientists who are vegetarians/vegans, too) that it’s quite easy to have a healthy dog on a vegetarian diet, even one very similar to what we eat. You might want to contact the owner, James Peden, via the contact info on the website – he has been infinitely helpful to us through the years and has even done further research for us a couple times to help us address normal cat stuff holistically and nutritionally. Wonderful man!!! Tell him hi for me if you talk to him! ☺ And as far as the advice at Petco -- no offense meant to any of the wonderful people at Petco or any other pet store, but I'd consult a vet or an expert in the field of animal nutrition before I'd go solely on that advice. Best of luck! Lorraine On Behalf Of lisa castillo Sunday, May 17, 2009 6:42 PM Vegetarian Pets Hi All, I'm asking some advice on our newest addition Jersey, our boxer. We recently adopted Jersey, and have a pug, Mya. Our pug has been vegetarian all along and now Jersey we've transitioned to veggie as well. When we adopted him, he was on the thin side, but now looks even thinner. Naturally he burns many more calories and has much more energy than mya does. I feed them both Natural Choice Vegetarian Dry food and occationally will make them an egg to mix in. Yesterday I went to Petco and expressed my concern about his weight and was told to feed Jersey Meat/Fish Dry food to gain the extra protein and calcium that Jersey needs. The employee there told me boxers get hip and joint problems once they get older and that although the veggie food is healthy, the fish/meat food would be better. I really contemplated what to do and our house has always stayed meat free. I found a different brand avoderm which makes both veggie dry and can food and had more to offer than natural choice, so i'm now trying this. I'm just really concerned about jerseys weight. He is 66pounds now, but he looks to thin. I have to help him gain more weight. I don't want to give him the fish/meat food, but if I have to...??? I know I'm turning to the right group for answers. Please help. Thanks, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 It sounds like you may just not have the right food for this pup. Try some other veggie foods to see how that works. Also supplement his diet. It sounds like you're ok with dairy and eggs so add full fat yogurt, avocados, flax or olive oil, etc. The oil really helps with larger breeds prone to hip problems. I understand people thinking that dogs need meat but when you are feeding a dog or cat a diet of commercial pet foods it really doesn't matter. They are all packed with grains and supplements anyway. As long as your food has all the basics, you can add to it to make it what Jersey's body needs. Just like all humans need different foods to stay healthy, so do dogs. (And just to remark on someone else's comment... dogs are not natural carnivores. They are omnivores. Cats are the true carnivores.) I also strongly recommend reading " Obligate Carnivore " by Jed Gillen. It really explains dog and cat dietary needs and why using commercial pet foods is so different than feeding a true natural diet. You'll feel much better equipped to keep Jersey healthy on a vegetarian diet. Also go to www.vegancats.com for some other veg pet foods. Lots of options including a mix to make your own food. (I've had 2 very healthy vegan cats for 7 years and highly recommend it.) , lisa castillo <lisarcastillo wrote: > > Hi All, > > I'm asking some advice on our newest addition Jersey, our boxer. > We recently adopted Jersey, and have a pug, Mya. Our pug has been vegetarian all along and now Jersey we've transitioned to veggie as well. When we adopted him, he was on the thin side, but now looks even thinner. Naturally he burns many more calories and has much more energy than mya does. I feed them both Natural Choice Vegetarian Dry food and occationally will make them an egg to mix in. > Yesterday I went to Petco and expressed my concern about his weight and was told to feed Jersey Meat/Fish Dry food to gain the extra protein and calcium that Jersey needs. The employee there told me boxers get hip and joint problems once they get older and that although the veggie food is healthy, the fish/meat food would be better. I really contemplated what to do and our house has always stayed meat free. I found a different brand avoderm which makes both veggie dry and can food and had more to offer than natural choice, so i'm now trying this. > I'm just really concerned about jerseys weight. He is 66pounds now, but he looks to thin. I have to help him gain more weight. I don't want to give him the fish/meat food, but if I have to...??? > > I know I'm turning to the right group for answers. Please help. > Thanks, > Lisa > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 I fed my dog Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula from the time we adopted him and he did great. We did supplement with vegan things we were eating and cheese. My vet approved completely of his diet and he maintained his weight perfectly. Dogs do not need meat to be healthy. Jill --- On Tue, 5/19/09, food4u1575 <dana.sommers wrote: food4u1575 <dana.sommers Re: Vegetarian Pets Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 10:55 AM It sounds like you may just not have the right food for this pup. Try some other veggie foods to see how that works. Also supplement his diet. It sounds like you're ok with dairy and eggs so add full fat yogurt, avocados, flax or olive oil, etc. The oil really helps with larger breeds prone to hip problems. I understand people thinking that dogs need meat but when you are feeding a dog or cat a diet of commercial pet foods it really doesn't matter. They are all packed with grains and supplements anyway. As long as your food has all the basics, you can add to it to make it what Jersey's body needs. Just like all humans need different foods to stay healthy, so do dogs. (And just to remark on someone else's comment... dogs are not natural carnivores. They are omnivores. Cats are the true carnivores.) I also strongly recommend reading " Obligate Carnivore " by Jed Gillen. It really explains dog and cat dietary needs and why using commercial pet foods is so different than feeding a true natural diet. You'll feel much better equipped to keep Jersey healthy on a vegetarian diet. Also go to www.vegancats. com for some other veg pet foods. Lots of options including a mix to make your own food. (I've had 2 very healthy vegan cats for 7 years and highly recommend it.) @gro ups.com, lisa castillo <lisarcastillo@ ...> wrote: > > Hi All, > > I'm asking some advice on our newest addition Jersey, our boxer. > We recently adopted Jersey, and have a pug, Mya. Our pug has been vegetarian all along and now Jersey we've transitioned to veggie as well. When we adopted him, he was on the thin side, but now looks even thinner. Naturally he burns many more calories and has much more energy than mya does. I feed them both Natural Choice Vegetarian Dry food and occationally will make them an egg to mix in. > Yesterday I went to Petco and expressed my concern about his weight and was told to feed Jersey Meat/Fish Dry food to gain the extra protein and calcium that Jersey needs. The employee there told me boxers get hip and joint problems once they get older and that although the veggie food is healthy, the fish/meat food would be better. I really contemplated what to do and our house has always stayed meat free. I found a different brand avoderm which makes both veggie dry and can food and had more to offer than natural choice, so i'm now trying this. > I'm just really concerned about jerseys weight. He is 66pounds now, but he looks to thin. I have to help him gain more weight. I don't want to give him the fish/meat food, but if I have to...??? > > I know I'm turning to the right group for answers. Please help. > Thanks, > Lisa > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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