Should My Dogs Be Vegetarians, Part Trois

There I was, in a house full of Animal People, most of whom have at least one dog (from a shelter, of course), and I was the only loser whose dogs were still eating meat. And whether it was embarrassment that was the final straw, or the very-late realization that dogs are omnivores just like we are, and we thrive on plant-based diets so they should be able to, as well–I finally made the switch.

I was going to cook for them (in my dreams), but since Violet is diabetic and I didn’t want to mess with her blood sugar on a daily basis, I would need a regular diet of food, treats, and teeth-cleaning something-or-others (nothing cleans teeth like raw marrow bones from large mammals).

I chose Avoderm Vegetarian, by Breeder’s Choice, because there’s avocado in it and every recipe I saw for home-cooking for a veggie dog included avocado. Solid Gold’s Holistic food looked fabulous, as well, but there’s some fish meal in it (ingredient #3). In fact, as far as blood sugar goes, Solid Gold’s food is better because it’s oatmeal and rye-based, and they are very low glycemic-index foods, hence great for diabetics.

I transitioned over 2 weeks, to minimize digestive stress. I figured if they weren’t thriving on Avoderm (particularly Violet), I’d switch to Solid Gold. More than 2 weeks later, they both have more energy than before (and that’s difficult to achieve), they don’t have digestive stress, and both have improved breath (Charles’ was definitely funky). Violet needs more insulin, but since she was on a grain-free diet before, that makes perfect sense.

Naturally, the jury is still out because we’re only on month #1, but so far so good. The added bonus is that my refrigerator and freezer aren’t filled with carcasses, and I don’t have to constantly clean bits of flesh and bone from my floors and carpet.

Yum.

As for treats, they eat Sam’s Yams, which are a kind of rawhide made of sweet potato, that are great for their teeth and for their digestion. (And they don’t stink!) And Newman’s Own makes vegetable cookies shaped like little hearts that they LOVE!

Though the links in this post allow you to buy online, all of the products mentioned are available in retail stores, and some in grocery stores (like the Newman’s Own). At each site for the company that makes the product, you can search your area to find a local store that sells them, so you don’t have to pay shipping.

For all of you who are on the fence about transitioning your canine friend to a vegetarian diet, just jump right in. You’ll be glad you did.