Guest guest Posted May 31, 2003 Report Share Posted May 31, 2003 What nonsense. How can a vegetarian diet cause an animal to go blind? lol Theyr'e mammals, folks, same as us. You don't go blind from not eating meat! On Saturday, May 31, 2003, at 03:25 AM, wrote: > I've wondered about this myself. When I lived in Jamaica it was > customary to feed the dogs plain cornmeal, and our dogs lived long and > healthy lives. However, I remember an episode of Animal Precinct on > Animal Planet when a woman fed her cats a vegetarian diet (granted, not a > very balanced one) and several of her cats went blind. > It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen. -Aristotle, philosopher (384-322 BCE) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2003 Report Share Posted May 31, 2003 Maybe the cats had a disease that caused them to go blind. Janice ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused. - The Stewarts Saturday, May 31, 2003 9:07 AM VisionBurger What nonsense. How can a vegetarian diet cause an animal to go blind? lol Theyr'e mammals, folks, same as us. You don't go blind from not eating meat! On Saturday, May 31, 2003, at 03:25 AM, wrote: > I've wondered about this myself. When I lived in Jamaica it was > customary to feed the dogs plain cornmeal, and our dogs lived long and > healthy lives. However, I remember an episode of Animal Precinct on > Animal Planet when a woman fed her cats a vegetarian diet (granted, not a > very balanced one) and several of her cats went blind. > It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen. -Aristotle, philosopher (384-322 BCE) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2003 Report Share Posted May 31, 2003 It seems that, unlike other mammals, cats require an amino acid called taurine, available in suitable amounts for them only from animal protein - meat - not even enough in eggs or dairy. Prolonged lack of it can result in something called Central Retinal Degeneration - and sometimes blindness. Vegetarian cats need to have taurine (and some other supplements, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B12, but that's another story) added to their diets. I understand that a plant-derived taurine has been developed and can be concentrated so as to duplicate the effect of the taurine from meat. So you're right: they don't go blind from lack of protein or *meat* but from lack of that particular amino acid *in* the protein - something that doesn't affect us or dogs or other mammals, thank goodness ;=) And these supplements (above) especially made for vegan or vegetarian cats are obtainable even over the internet from, say, VegPet. While there are those people who say that the veg diet doesn't work and isn't safe for cats, even with the supplements, there is considerable evidence otherwise. It's just more difficult, that's all - especially since many cats are finicky eaters ;=) If anyone would like to look into it, I can dust off some old web addresses and send them along. Or you could find yourself a vegetarian companion animal email list. As I say, I know of and belong to two of them, and one of them also had on it members who are guardians of vegan cats. Please understand, I am not trying to convert anyone to feeding either their cats or dogs - or even their pet cows - a vegetarian diet. I am simply responding to discussion, okay? Best, Pat > > What nonsense. How can a vegetarian diet cause an animal to go blind? lol > > Theyr'e mammals, folks, same as us. You don't go blind from not eating > meat! > -- SANTBROWN townhounds/ http://www.angelfire.com/art/pendragon/ ---------- * " He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. " - Immanuel Kant * " I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being. " - Abraham Lincoln * " There are too many idiots in this world. And having said it, I have the burden of proving it. " - Franz Fanon ---------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2003 Report Share Posted May 31, 2003 Okay, the info I sent along just now regarding cats, blindness, and lack of taurine was on a print-out without any note to say where I'd found it. This site appears to be the source: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/catfood.html It gives a pretty bleak outlook, the worst you are likely to find - but it also says where one can find the supplements. This one, more upbeat, talks about veg diets for both cats and dogs - including supplements needed and where to get them: http://www.helpinganimals.com/h-vegcat-meals.html And this one specializes again in cats: http://www.vegancats.com/ http://www.helpinganimals.com/h-vegcat-meals.html And here are a couple about vegetarian dogs, for anyone else tuning in: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/dogfood1.html http://www.vegetariandogs.com/ Does that help anyone's understanding - I would hope, anyway. There are other sites, I am sure, but these are the ones I had bookmarked. Best, Pat -- SANTBROWN townhounds/ http://www.angelfire.com/art/pendragon/ ---------- * " He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. " - Immanuel Kant * " I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being. " - Abraham Lincoln * " There are too many idiots in this world. And having said it, I have the burden of proving it. " - Franz Fanon ---------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 > Maybe the cats had a disease that caused them to go blind. One such disease is called Central Retina Degeneration and is caused, I read, by lack of taurine in the diet. Best, Pat -- SANTBROWN townhounds/ http://www.angelfire.com/art/pendragon/ ---------- * " He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. " - Immanuel Kant * " I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being. " - Abraham Lincoln * " There are too many idiots in this world. And having said it, I have the burden of proving it. " - Franz Fanon ---------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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