Vegan pets...or not

A few months after adopting a vegan diet, I felt so good that I wanted to share the wealth.  With anyone who would listen.  And in my household, that included the pets.


Our household is overrun by an ecclectic collection of rescued four-legged beasts - 2 dogs and 3 cats.  My husband likes to say this is how hoarding starts.  So no additional pets in the near future.  


The dogs and cats are all healthy and have enjoyed the benefits of high-end dog and cat food.  The dogs inhaled their Blue Buffalo and the cats enjoyed Royal Canin.  I didn't want to mess with success, but I wanted to at least pursue the idea of a vegan diet for the pets.  So I did my research.  Turns out dogs don't need animal products in their diets but cats do.  An amino acid called taurine is essential for cats and they can only get it from seafood and meat.  So I decided to leave our cats on their current diet.


I turned my attention to the dogs.  I purchase everything for the pets at PetSmart, so I visited my local store and talked to the store manager.  He suggested Nature's Recipe vegetarian.  Though it contains a D3 supplement (of animal origin), all other ingredients looked vegan, so I tried it.  Over the period of a week, I mixed it with their Blue Buffalo until they were eating Nature's Recipe exclusively.


They've now been eating Nature's Recipe for almost 3 months and are just as healthy and active as ever.  They don't inhale the food anymore, they tend to graze during the day, which seems to balance their energy too.  So far, I'm very happy with the transition and even if the food isn't as tempting to them, they still get toys and treats so their lives are good.  And we're making a difference to the environment.