Dog food to avoid stones

[Guest guest]

I have been feeding my chihuahua Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula. My dog

developed stones in his eurethra, and I think I almost lost him. They removed

the stones, but now the vet says he needs to be on a special diet to avoid

getting the stones again. He gave me Eukanuba Kidney formula, but it has chicken

in it. Does anyone know of a special food like this to avoid stones that is

vegetarian?

Thanks!

 

- Danielle

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

You could try cooking some of his food. Cranberries are supposed to be great for

urinary problems, so even if you put some of those through the blender and added

them to his food that would probably be great for him. My girls get a mix of the

Nature's Recipe vegetarian and Natural Life vegetarian, with lots of cooked

beans and grains. There's a called Veggie Pets you could join, there

are some people there who know a whole lot about stuff like that. I've only been

feeding my girls a veg diet for a few months.

Plus Eukanuba doesn't have the greatest quality ingredients, whether vegetarian

or not. Nature's Recipe's ingredients are a lot better, and it's not really

practical to switch him to a diet with lower-quality ingredients just for a few

supplements you could add into his food yourself.

 

Danielle <daniellej wrote: I have

been feeding my chihuahua Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula. My dog developed

stones in his eurethra, and I think I almost lost him. They removed the stones,

but now the vet says he needs to be on a special diet to avoid getting the

stones again. He gave me Eukanuba Kidney formula, but it has chicken in it. Does

anyone know of a special food like this to avoid stones that is vegetarian?

Thanks!

 

- Danielle

 

[Guest guest]

Danielle,

 

Dogs bodies are made in a way that they cannot properly function without

meat. Its just the way it is. One of the most selfless parts of being a

loving, caring and responsible pet owner is feeding your dog a proper diet.

I myself am a complete vegan, but my dogs can't make that choice for

themselves and I have to feed them what they need. Kind of like feeding a

newborn baby water instead of milk - it just won't work, and it's just not

right. I urge you to research more into this and find out WHY dogs need

certain things to survive - then perhaps you will understand that your

personal beliefs are yours and not right for your dog, and for his health.

You have already been shown; he was not getting the proper nutrients and his

body started shutting down. That is sad, and I hope everything is well with

him. But please feed your dog some meat. You can buy kosher meat or

something like that, where they bless the animals before, um, they

um...there are many options but turning a carnivorous animal into a

vegetarian should not be one of them. You cannot possibly think all animals

should not eat meat then? That is just the way of the world! Tigers,

cougars, bears, wolves, dogs - they are canivores. We as humans can see the

distinction, make that choice, and still be able to know what to eat to keep

us healthy, and the fact that we can eat so many different things helps as

well. Please think about it.

 

Nicole

 

 

> " Danielle " <daniellej

>

>

> Dog food to avoid stones

>Tue, 26 Dec 2006 21:56:40 -0500

>

>I have been feeding my chihuahua Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula. My dog

>developed stones in his eurethra, and I think I almost lost him. They

>removed the stones, but now the vet says he needs to be on a special diet

>to avoid getting the stones again. He gave me Eukanuba Kidney formula, but

>it has chicken in it. Does anyone know of a special food like this to avoid

>stones that is vegetarian?

>Thanks!

>

> - Danielle

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Can I ask a question? Why are you making your dog a vegetarian? His body,

unlike a human body, is designed to digest meat. His intestines are short and

his teeth are sharp. He sweats through his tongue and his jaw moves only up and

down, not side to side like a herbivore. So, I think that to make him eat only

vegetarian is unnatural for his body. I don't understand this.

 

Danielle <daniellej wrote: I have

been feeding my chihuahua Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula. My dog developed

stones in his eurethra, and I think I almost lost him. They removed the stones,

but now the vet says he needs to be on a special diet to avoid getting the

stones again. He gave me Eukanuba Kidney formula, but it has chicken in it. Does

anyone know of a special food like this to avoid stones that is vegetarian?

Thanks!

 

- Danielle

 

[Guest guest]

I've read that cranberries are toxic to dogs, so I'd do some research before

trying that.

 

Kadee M <abbey_road3012 wrote:

You could try cooking some of his food. Cranberries are supposed to be

great for urinary problems, so even if you put some of those through the blender

and added them to his food that would probably be great for him. My girls get a

mix of the Nature's Recipe vegetarian and Natural Life vegetarian, with lots of

cooked beans and grains. There's a called Veggie Pets you could

join, there are some people there who know a whole lot about stuff like that.

I've only been feeding my girls a veg diet for a few months.

Plus Eukanuba doesn't have the greatest quality ingredients, whether vegetarian

or not. Nature's Recipe's ingredients are a lot better, and it's not really

practical to switch him to a diet with lower-quality ingredients just for a few

supplements you could add into his food yourself.

 

Danielle <daniellej wrote: I have been feeding my chihuahua Nature's

Recipe Vegetarian formula. My dog developed stones in his eurethra, and I think

I almost lost him. They removed the stones, but now the vet says he needs to be

on a special diet to avoid getting the stones again. He gave me Eukanuba Kidney

formula, but it has chicken in it. Does anyone know of a special food like this

to avoid stones that is vegetarian?

Thanks!

 

- Danielle

 

 

[Guest guest]

Okay, here goes: This subject has come up now on three different groups I'm on,

and it always turns into a big argument. So let's not let that happen!!! I spent

my Christmas Eve very upset over this, and I ended up leaving those groups

because of it because so many people e-mailed me on and off list telling me what

to feed my dogs.

Dogs can be vegetarians if their diet is supplemented properly. They can't get

everything they need from plant foods, but there are veg supplements that add in

what plant foods lack. Commercial vegetarian dog food is required to meet the

same standards as all other dog food. It contains the same number of amino

acids, sometimes even higher protein than dog food with meat in it (Nature's

Recipe veg has 23%, which is pretty high). It has supplements already added in

that make it nutritionally adequate. I make most of my girls' food and I take a

lot of time making sure it's got everything it needs in it. My girls' vet

supports this diet after I let her know what supplements I add to it. She is a

holistic vet, trained in nutrition much more than an average vet. Both my girls

are doing wonderfully on a veg diet. The only problems are ones that were there

before we ever got my older girl, and even then her lupus used to be in a

constant state of upset, always scabbed over, and on

this new diet she hasn't had a flare up in months. Plus she used to be

overweight and is now the perfect weight. A veg diet must be done properly, but

it is possible. And I used to feed my girls meat, but my stomach couldn't handle

it. I'd throw up while I was getting it ready for them, I was constantly worried

that they'd get it on their paws or something and give the kids salmonella or

e.coli or something like that, and I had no appetite. Since the switch we're all

happy. They go in twice a year for vet checkups and bloodwork, and all is fine.

A veg diet is safe for dogs and cats if it's done properly. Now let's please not

turn this into an argument!! It's happened on other groups and it's always

turned ugly, so I hate bringing this up but I also hate thinking someone might

be discouraged from feeding their pets the way that they're comfortable with

even when it's perfectly fine for the pet.

 

nicole phillips <Nicole-Syris wrote:

Danielle,

 

Dogs bodies are made in a way that they cannot properly function without

meat. Its just the way it is. One of the most selfless parts of being a

loving, caring and responsible pet owner is feeding your dog a proper diet.

I myself am a complete vegan, but my dogs can't make that choice for

themselves and I have to feed them what they need. Kind of like feeding a

newborn baby water instead of milk - it just won't work, and it's just not

right. I urge you to research more into this and find out WHY dogs need

certain things to survive - then perhaps you will understand that your

personal beliefs are yours and not right for your dog, and for his health.

You have already been shown; he was not getting the proper nutrients and his

body started shutting down. That is sad, and I hope everything is well with

him. But please feed your dog some meat. You can buy kosher meat or

something like that, where they bless the animals before, um, they

um...there are many options but turning a carnivorous animal into a

vegetarian should not be one of them. You cannot possibly think all animals

should not eat meat then? That is just the way of the world! Tigers,

cougars, bears, wolves, dogs - they are canivores. We as humans can see the

distinction, make that choice, and still be able to know what to eat to keep

us healthy, and the fact that we can eat so many different things helps as

well. Please think about it.

 

Nicole

 

> " Danielle " <daniellej

>

>

> Dog food to avoid stones

>Tue, 26 Dec 2006 21:56:40 -0500

>

>I have been feeding my chihuahua Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula. My dog

>developed stones in his eurethra, and I think I almost lost him. They

>removed the stones, but now the vet says he needs to be on a special diet

>to avoid getting the stones again. He gave me Eukanuba Kidney formula, but

>it has chicken in it. Does anyone know of a special food like this to avoid

>stones that is vegetarian?

>Thanks!

>

> - Danielle

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My dogs have eaten them with no problems, but I will look it up.

 

 

 

" Cindy P. " <cpfeff1 wrote: I've read

that cranberries are toxic to dogs, so I'd do some research before trying that.

 

Kadee M <abbey_road3012 wrote:

You could try cooking some of his food. Cranberries are supposed to

be great for urinary problems, so even if you put some of those through the

blender and added them to his food that would probably be great for him. My

girls get a mix of the Nature's Recipe vegetarian and Natural Life vegetarian,

with lots of cooked beans and grains. There's a called Veggie Pets

you could join, there are some people there who know a whole lot about stuff

like that. I've only been feeding my girls a veg diet for a few months.

Plus Eukanuba doesn't have the greatest quality ingredients, whether vegetarian

or not. Nature's Recipe's ingredients are a lot better, and it's not really

practical to switch him to a diet with lower-quality ingredients just for a few

supplements you could add into his food yourself.

 

Danielle <daniellej wrote: I have been feeding my chihuahua

Nature's Recipe Vegetarian formula. My dog developed stones in his eurethra, and

I think I almost lost him. They removed the stones, but now the vet says he

needs to be on a special diet to avoid getting the stones again. He gave me

Eukanuba Kidney formula, but it has chicken in it. Does anyone know of a special

food like this to avoid stones that is vegetarian?

Thanks!

 

- Danielle

 

[Guest guest]

cranberries are great for urinary issues in humans, not dogs. give

cranberries to a dog and say goodbye to your carpet.

 

what to feed our rescue dogs and cats has always been a big dilemma for us

too. while it is true that dogs are carnivorous (actually omnivorous), they

actually can live quite well on a veg diet, with the proper supplements to

replace key nutrients with veg equivalents. in recent years many veg dog

foods have been put on the market, with good results. it is important to be

very careful about what they eat; some dogs do well on a veg diet and some

just don't. cats are another story. cats are naturaly carnivorous. in the

past when someone wanted their cat to be veg, they still had to supplement

their diet with taurine from cows. cats cannot live without this essential

nutrient. and most cats will be unwiling to forgo meet. if you try to make

a cat veg, they will start looking for meat elsewhere. however, i've read

recently, i don't know where, that they have finally created a veg

substitute for taurine, and you can now buy veg cat food.

 

whether or not it's ok to feed a diet like that to cats and dogs is a big

question. most of us vegans don't like supporting the meat industry in any

form - not just in what we eat. of course it's impossible to avoid

everything, but we try. the sad thing is that giving your dog or cat

standard dog or cat food is supporting the meat industry in a direct way.

standard dog and cat foods are made from leftover offal, unless you buy a

very high-quality food, in which case it's made directly from cows, lambs,

chickens, etc. that have been factory-farmed for that purpose. most dog and

cat foods are made from animal parts considered ill-fit for humans to eat.

this means that they are eating snouts, feet, tails, rectums, etc., as well

as ground-up euthanized cats and dogs - things that any self-respecting dog

or cat would not eat unless he was starving (and even then a dog or cat

would be unlikely to eat his own kind). most dog and cat foods also contain

animals that are one of the three Ds - dead (at time of shipment), diseased,

or downed (i'm sure we all remember what a " downer " is). again, a canine

would only eat an animal like that if he was starving. and if you want to

debate the " natural diet " question, we must truthfully consider what is so

very natural about an animal sitting in a heated or air-conditioned home

awaiting his food in ground-up, processed pellet form to be placed before

him in a plastic dish twice a day.

 

beyond a question of " natural " is a question of health. standard dog and

cat foods are NOT healthy for dogs or cats. their bodies are not designed

to digest food like that. those of us with dogs have heard the adage that

dogs do not need or even benefit from variety, that their stomachs can't

handle it. but a canine in the wild eats a great variety of fruits, veggies

and meats. a domesticated dog indeed cannot handle a wide variety of foods,

but that can be blamed mostly on the standard foods they eat. people who

make their own dog food with fresh meats, veggies and fruits notice that

their dogs crave variety, and they must provide variety for their dogs to

get the proper nutrients - just like us.

 

all of this rambling is just to say that there are important arguments on

both sides of the aisle. i will give my experience. we have two rescue

dogs, one with severe stomach issues, and two rescue cats. we love our

animals and want them to be healthy. but we feed them purina, the most

basic crap you can find on the market. we know that our dollars are going

to supporting a really disgusting industry that is everything we are opposed

to. and we know that our companions aren't on the best diet for their

health. why do we feed them this way nonetheless? because we're poor.

it's really that simple. we can't even afford high-quality dog and cat

food, much less the vegetarian stuff, much less make their food ourselves.

someday we hope this will change. someday we plan to homestead and at that

time we will be in a position where we can feed our animals food that we

have grown ourselves, and if we feel that they need meat, we can get it from

local farmers who humanely raise their cows. this isn't a perfect answer,

of course (like it really grosses me out to think of feeding my cats meat

directly - i haven't handled meat in years). whether or not it's " natural "

for a dog or cat to eat that way is not a big question for us, because

nothing about a dog or cat's life is natural. we do what is best for them,

including vaccinations, check-ups, treatments if they are sick - all very

unnatural elements of a companion animal's life that can be called anything

but natural. it really, really bugs me that we feed our animals the way we

do. i really, really hate what our dollars are supporting. and i've had a

couple of members of the " vegan police " accuse me of hypocrisy because of it

- they've said that if we can't afford to give them a better, veg diet then

we shouldn't have them at all. but i've worked in rescue efforts all my

life, and i know that these animals, creedence in particular because of her

many problems, would be dead if we hadn't adopted them. we have good

intentions and as soon as it's feasible for us we'll make changes. we are

all doing the best we can. my husband and i and our two kids are the

strictest vegans i know, except in what we feed our animals. we love them

and even if they are getting crappy food, we know that they have a great

life with us. sometimes we have to make compromises - sad but true.

 

chandelle'

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

There are vegetarian taurine and l-carnitine supplements, we give them to our

dogs.

 

 

 

earthmother <earthmother213 wrote:

cranberries are great for urinary issues in humans, not dogs. give

cranberries to a dog and say goodbye to your carpet.

 

what to feed our rescue dogs and cats has always been a big dilemma for us

too. while it is true that dogs are carnivorous (actually omnivorous), they

actually can live quite well on a veg diet, with the proper supplements to

replace key nutrients with veg equivalents. in recent years many veg dog

foods have been put on the market, with good results. it is important to be

very careful about what they eat; some dogs do well on a veg diet and some

just don't. cats are another story. cats are naturaly carnivorous. in the

past when someone wanted their cat to be veg, they still had to supplement

their diet with taurine from cows. cats cannot live without this essential

nutrient. and most cats will be unwiling to forgo meet. if you try to make

a cat veg, they will start looking for meat elsewhere. however, i've read

recently, i don't know where, that they have finally created a veg

substitute for taurine, and you can now buy veg cat food.

 

whether or not it's ok to feed a diet like that to cats and dogs is a big

question. most of us vegans don't like supporting the meat industry in any

form - not just in what we eat. of course it's impossible to avoid

everything, but we try. the sad thing is that giving your dog or cat

standard dog or cat food is supporting the meat industry in a direct way.

standard dog and cat foods are made from leftover offal, unless you buy a

very high-quality food, in which case it's made directly from cows, lambs,

chickens, etc. that have been factory-farmed for that purpose. most dog and

cat foods are made from animal parts considered ill-fit for humans to eat.

this means that they are eating snouts, feet, tails, rectums, etc., as well

as ground-up euthanized cats and dogs - things that any self-respecting dog

or cat would not eat unless he was starving (and even then a dog or cat

would be unlikely to eat his own kind). most dog and cat foods also contain

animals that are one of the three Ds - dead (at time of shipment), diseased,

or downed (i'm sure we all remember what a " downer " is). again, a canine

would only eat an animal like that if he was starving. and if you want to

debate the " natural diet " question, we must truthfully consider what is so

very natural about an animal sitting in a heated or air-conditioned home

awaiting his food in ground-up, processed pellet form to be placed before

him in a plastic dish twice a day.

 

beyond a question of " natural " is a question of health. standard dog and

cat foods are NOT healthy for dogs or cats. their bodies are not designed

to digest food like that. those of us with dogs have heard the adage that

dogs do not need or even benefit from variety, that their stomachs can't

handle it. but a canine in the wild eats a great variety of fruits, veggies

and meats. a domesticated dog indeed cannot handle a wide variety of foods,

but that can be blamed mostly on the standard foods they eat. people who

make their own dog food with fresh meats, veggies and fruits notice that

their dogs crave variety, and they must provide variety for their dogs to

get the proper nutrients - just like us.

 

all of this rambling is just to say that there are important arguments on

both sides of the aisle. i will give my experience. we have two rescue

dogs, one with severe stomach issues, and two rescue cats. we love our

animals and want them to be healthy. but we feed them purina, the most

basic crap you can find on the market. we know that our dollars are going

to supporting a really disgusting industry that is everything we are opposed

to. and we know that our companions aren't on the best diet for their

health. why do we feed them this way nonetheless? because we're poor.

it's really that simple. we can't even afford high-quality dog and cat

food, much less the vegetarian stuff, much less make their food ourselves.

someday we hope this will change. someday we plan to homestead and at that

time we will be in a position where we can feed our animals food that we

have grown ourselves, and if we feel that they need meat, we can get it from

local farmers who humanely raise their cows. this isn't a perfect answer,

of course (like it really grosses me out to think of feeding my cats meat

directly - i haven't handled meat in years). whether or not it's " natural "

for a dog or cat to eat that way is not a big question for us, because

nothing about a dog or cat's life is natural. we do what is best for them,

including vaccinations, check-ups, treatments if they are sick - all very

unnatural elements of a companion animal's life that can be called anything

but natural. it really, really bugs me that we feed our animals the way we

do. i really, really hate what our dollars are supporting. and i've had a

couple of members of the " vegan police " accuse me of hypocrisy because of it

- they've said that if we can't afford to give them a better, veg diet then

we shouldn't have them at all. but i've worked in rescue efforts all my

life, and i know that these animals, creedence in particular because of her

many problems, would be dead if we hadn't adopted them. we have good

intentions and as soon as it's feasible for us we'll make changes. we are

all doing the best we can. my husband and i and our two kids are the

strictest vegans i know, except in what we feed our animals. we love them

and even if they are getting crappy food, we know that they have a great

life with us. sometimes we have to make compromises - sad but true.

 

chandelle'

 

[Guest guest]

Thank You Kadee & everyone for your words of wisdom! I will not

willingly feed meat to my dog, so hope to find a substitute dog food or

supplement soon.

 

I really appreciate your caring thoughts.

Danielle