# Vegetarian Diet options for a 5-6 week old puppy



## rohitvidwan (May 9, 2013)

I am a vegetarian, and won't be able to feed the dog non-vegetarian food.

However, egg is fine. I can feed it egg...

I bought a packet of Pedigree puppy food, but if I feed the dog only that, it would be too costly for me.


Kindly help. I don't know what to feed the dog.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

I am really hoping this is a joke....because:

1) If Pedigree is too expensive...that doesn't leave much else for you to consider (and Pedigree is a pretty awful food...)
2) You are a vegetarian. Your dog is not. You should not be imposing your personal beliefs on an animal that was created to eat mostly meat.


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## rohitvidwan (May 9, 2013)

There would be a substitute for everything, that's what I think. That's the reason I posted this thread. If I wanted answers like yours, I wouldn't have posted this in the first place.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I understand that you don't want to handle raw or cooked meat that actually looks like meat. But dogs do need to eat meat. . .is meat in dog food OK? I guess it probably is if you bought Pedigree packets. Can you find dry dog food? Biscuits or whatever they call kibble in India? That will be a much more affordable option than packets of wet food. If you can get Purina, that would be better than Pedigree, but I don't know what other brands are available there so I can't make any other recommendations. You can mix part of a packet of the wet food (or some egg) into the dry food to make it taste better without costing too much.

There are ways to make a balanced vegetarian diet for dogs but it's complicated. And you'd need to add a lot of supplements.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

rohitvidwan said:


> There would be a substitute for everything, that's what I think. That's the reason I posted this thread. If I wanted answers like yours, I wouldn't have posted this in the first place.



Of course there is, but that doesn't mean you should be feeding your dog a vegetarian diet because you are one:doh:

And again, I'm really confused on how you are going to afford to feed a dog (let alone all the other expenses) if PEDIGREE of all foods is too expensive. That's one of the cheapest, bottom of the barrel foods out there.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

So you want to feed a carnivorous animal a vegetarian diet. Although I don't agree with it because even though a vegetarian diet can be healthy for humans, it's usually not healthy for dogs, try to check the brands you buy at http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ they're good at giving a good rating based on the canine digestive system.

now here's my spiel on a vegetarian dog. All based on previous biology study and life experiences.

You know that, that's *extremely* un-healthy for a dog right?

I get that you're a vegetarian and *I respect that decision for humans*, humans are omnivores so we can be healthy on a vegetarian diet but as far as feeding a carnivorous animal no meat at all...well sorry IMO that's just wrong.

Yeah all the nutrient can be found in vegetables and supplements but the canine digestive tract cannot digest it properly (they have trouble breaking down plant cell walls and the protein chains are formed differently) and there is a higher than average chance that the dog will not be healthy without the meat.

edit: I didn't see where you said that pedigree is too expensive.
Sorry but that's one of the cheapest dog foods out there and also one of the worse. 
It you can't afford the food then you can't afford the dog.
I usually don't say this lightly but I highly recommend that you rehome the dog.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

meggels said:


> And again, I'm really confused on how you are going to afford to feed a dog (let alone all the other expenses) if PEDIGREE of all foods is too expensive. That's one of the cheapest, bottom of the barrel foods out there.


 Maybe not in India. . .it's _imported_ food, after all! There must be some kind of decent dog food available for a reasonable price, though.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Find an inexpensive dry dog food (wet food is more expensive and you can always add warm water to the dry food), maybe ask at the shop for a local brand, and you can feed 1-3 eggs per week as a healthy supplement. A small amount of cheese is a tasty treat but shouldn't be a main part of the dog's diet. Pedigree is probably the largest brand available all over in India, but there should be some local brands also. I believe that Pedigree's food in India does not contain any beef or pork if that helps.

Food is also cheaper per kilogram if you buy larger bags. 

Meat is a very important part of a dog's diet and especially for a growing puppy. Even my friends who are vegan and eat no animal products at all understand that dogs are physically different and they feed dry dog food with mainly meat based proteins. They don't like to handle meat for feeding, that is fine, but the dry food can just be scooped out of the bag.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

Willowy said:


> Maybe not in India. . .it's _imported_ food, after all! There must be some kind of decent dog food available for a reasonable price, though.


I guess I missed the whole India thing, since it's not mentioned in the person's post or their location?


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## rohitvidwan (May 9, 2013)

Ok. So I would feed it some dog food...


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Yep . If you get a bag of dog food it should say on the back how much you should feed your puppy. Sometimes a dog will need more or less than what the bag says, but it's best to start with that amount first. Then if your puppy is too fat, feed less food, if too skinny, feed more food.

You can add some fresh foods to her diet---some beans, eggs, cooked veggies, etc.---but not too much or she might get an upset tummy.


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## SydTheSpaniel (Feb 12, 2011)

I found some online suppliers of India dog foods, it might be cheaper to order online? Hope it helps!

http://www.indianpetstore.com/dog/dog-food.html

http://www.alpets.co.in/

http://www.petclubindia.com/royalcanin/


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

And I notice that Pedigree sells a vegetarian kibble for the Indian market :/. Well, if someone must feed their dog a vegetarian diet, that would be a better option than trying to do it yourself, because it's heavily supplemented. . .I wouldn't attempt a homemade vegetarian diet without a nutritionist's advice.


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## rohitvidwan (May 9, 2013)

I live in India, and only a few known brands are available...

Kindly tell me which one would be the best for my 5-6 weeks old puppy.

Pedigree, Pedigree Professional, Nutripet, Drools?


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

rohitvidwan said:


> I live in India, and only a few known brands are available...
> 
> Kindly tell me which one would be the best for my 5-6 weeks old puppy.
> 
> Pedigree, Pedigree Professional, Nutripet, Drools?


I responded on your other thread with a longer explanation but the best in that list is nutripet 
edit: according to dogfoodadvisor.com


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Probably Nutripet.


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## rohitvidwan (May 9, 2013)

My uncle is a vet. He had a rottweiler. The only non-vegetarian food they used to give it was egg. I also want something like that. And I can not ask him due to some personal problems.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Unfortunately dogs can survive off of a vegetarian diet, but will not THRIVE from a vegetarian diet.

I don't know what else I can contribute, but please remember dogs do best when they have meat in their diet...


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

This online book has many recipes in it, many are egg and dairy only. The author is a vet and this book was previously published and he has allowed it to be put online pretty much complete. 

There are egg, cheese and even vegetarian diets for puppies. I wish you didn't feel uncomfortable feeding your pup meat, dogs do best with meat. I would try out a single recipe for a month, switch to a different one and see how your pup does. I know I thought my dog was fine with low protein and on more he is a different dog. Same with grains, I though he was fine - nope.
http://www.dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/index.htm


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## Adjecyca1 (Jul 25, 2010)

i just want to say i am a vegetarian but i do think it's neglectful to force your dog to be a vegetarian as well. I would suggest looking in your area for dog food without corn,by products, or wheat if you can, that has meat as the first ingredient. If it's chicken make sure it also has chicken meal.


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## Adjecyca1 (Jul 25, 2010)

Check out this link http://www.dogcareclassroom.com/vegetarian-dog-food/
it has some info on picking good vegetarian diets if you choose to go that route, but explains why it isn't a good option for most dogs...


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Dogs are carnivores and require meat to be healthy.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

I know you said vegetarian, but would fish be ok? That is a fine protein for dogs as well and I think (easy to get in India? Is it affordable?) Many high quality dog foods use fish meal as a protein source, but you could just use fish, as well as whole raw eggs (shell included)....


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

i am also a vegetarian, have been for a long while. that being said, as an animal lover, i make sure to take care of my dog to the best of my abilities, which means feeding him a food that is high in meat, and low in grains, as that is what his body requires to live a long happy life. i personally feel, that human beings are above the need to eat animals in this day and age being that we are omnivores, but dogs are carnivores and so the food chain needs to take place for them to thrive. i feed my dog a food called Acana. i'm not sure if it's available in india, but it has a high meat content with minimal grains and is a great quality food. the part that makes me even happier is that the manufacturer does no unnecessary testing on animals, and uses free range meats, so the animals live a better quality of life before they die.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Dont forget, is the egg WHITE that has the protein, not the yolk which is also nutritious, and the shell is needed for calcium for your pups bone growth!!!! Also milk products can be included for calcium and protein as well... (trying to think of additions for a homemade diet-- our dogs eat whole raw eggs (with shell) cottage (soft ) cheese and rice.... in addition to their meat and kibble.... but the first 3 ingredients could make the base for a homemade diet if you really needed to.....(trying to think of what you could make in india...).....


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

An ounce of egg yolk has 4.4 grams of protein and 7.4 grams of fat while an ounce of egg white has 3.1 grams of protein and 0.0 grams of fat. I thought they had about the same amount of protein but yolk of course has all the fat. Oops. When Max got fat on home cooked food it was likely because not only did I usually give him 2 cups instead of the 1.5 cups of cooked chicken and rice for breakfast and dinner that he needed, but he got the yolks and Sassy got the whites from hard cooked egg for lunch!

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/113/2
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/112/2

Scrambled egg plus some sort of starchy stuff and veggies plus powdered egg shell would do in a pinch but is likely missing a lot of important minerals and vitamins and a pup needs to have those well covered. I would go with Dr Strombeck's recipes for puppies in this case. He has ones with egg, cottage cheese or soy and I forget what else in his book.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

meggels said:


> Of course there is, but that doesn't mean you should be feeding your dog a vegetarian diet because you are one:doh:
> 
> And again, I'm really confused on how you are going to afford to feed a dog (let alone all the other expenses) if PEDIGREE of all foods is too expensive. That's one of the cheapest, bottom of the barrel foods out there.


I have to chuckle because as I am writing this, I am listening to my 4 chomp down on some raw bones .

I can understand not wanting to handle raw bones or meat but kibble? Good quality kibble has good quality ingredients in it those aren't bad. It's the stuff that's in brands like pedigree that I would really be squeamish about handling. 

www.dogfoodadvisor.com is a great place to start your research, I personally wouldn't feed Any food rated under 4 stars.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I know lots of vegans/vegetarians who feed their dogs a non vegetarian dog food. I know some who feed raw.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Kathyy said:


> An ounce of egg yolk has 4.4 grams of protein and 7.4 grams of fat while an ounce of egg white has 3.1 grams of protein and 0.0 grams of fat. I thought they had about the same amount of protein but yolk of course has all the fat. Oops. When Max got fat on home cooked food it was likely because not only did I usually give him 2 cups instead of the 1.5 cups of cooked chicken and rice for breakfast and dinner that he needed, but he got the yolks and Sassy got the whites from hard cooked egg for lunch!
> 
> http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/113/2
> http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/112/2
> ...


Interesting, I guess I was going by the sports(muscle building ) powder that relies on powdered egg whites for its protein, that makes sense they would use the whites over yolk d/t the lack of fat content....(roommates powder not mine LOL)....
One thing I was thinking, this person being Indian, there are very strict religous restrictions around the consumption of certain meats (beef, pork) and some specific groups of people are very strict Vegan -- so I do not know how this pertains to their animals, but I would think there is some distate to handling flesh of animals if you are under a religous restriction not to and taught that it is wrong, to simply "prefer" not etc.... 
Hope I am not offending you R . no offense intended just trying to explain the reasons Some people would want to find a vegetarian diet option for their pet....


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

My DF store had some samples of an Veggie dog food, I took a bag home to use as treats for training & to see what they would think about it ...

They wouldn't even eat it hand fed to them lol.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

seaboxador said:


> Sorry, but you're being cruel to that animal. You honestly should have taken the time to think of this up front. You can't afford Pedigree? How are you going to be able to afford shots and proper veterinary care. Are you a teenager or something? I'm picking up an absolute lack of maturity in your post.
> *The poster is in INDIA. Ever consider there could be a language barrier? Or that Pedigree is a foreign brand and may be comparatively expensive?*
> 
> Go find a normal person who will take the dog. Then go rescue a rabbit out of a shelter. They can live on lettuce more or less.
> ...


To the original poster- a vegetarian diet is not the best choice, but do the best you can with the home cook recipes listed above and if you can find dog food on sale, like Nurtipet, then even better and you can feed one meal of the Nutripet and one of the home cooked vegetarian food each day to help stretch your money. Get her puppy vaccinations done and then save up for any future vet care. At minimum she NEEDS a rabies shot and a parvo and distemper shot vaccine (here it is a serious of 3 combination shots with a few weeks between them)


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

I'm going to surmise that vegetarian diets for animals in India is not uncommon due to religious beliefs that prohibit the use of certain animal products. Going with that assumption, I would speak to your local veterinarian where the dog is receiving care and see what s/he recommends for vegetarian food for the dog, as there is likely some sort of protocol to follow. I'm vegan, and my cats and dog all eat meat based diets, but if my dietary choices were based in some sort of higher-power related beliefs, I could see feeding meat to my animals as being more problematic. I wouldn't expect someone keeping kosher to feed their animals pig based foods as it could contaminate the otherwise kosher home (and of course, executing kosher laws also vary from family to family so it was just an example, not a steadfast rule).


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

I know a few folks who to not eat meat for religious or cultural reasons who still feed their dogs high quality kibble or even raw & even cook for their dogs.


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