Vegetarian Pet Food 

Many vegans/vegetarians with pets want to feed their companion’s vegan pet food to match their own diets,
but finding suitable food is not as easy as it may seem. 

Pets have very different dietary requirements to humans, and in effect cannot be fed the same foods as humans. One animal will have a different diet to the next, making the feeding process more complicated. Fish are a great example of the varying diets of animals. Even among fish breeds, there are different dietary requirements to take into account; some are herbivores, some are carnivores and others are omnivores. All pet owners need to have knowledge of their own pet’s dietary needs and what vegetarian pet food to use in order to be able to raise a healthy animal. 

Some animals will also have conditions which need to be taken into account when feeding them vegetarian pet foods, such as nutrient absorption problems and skin diseases. Your dog might need an omega supplement to support the function of their organs and improve mental alertness, or perhaps your bird needs lots of carrots and broccoli leaves, along with a vitamin A injection from the vet to treat a vitamin A deficiency. 

A pet not fed appropriate food with necessary vitamins may become very malnourished. Quite often it is easy to determine if something is wrong with a pet’s diet; they will show changes in behavior and or activity. A vet can tell you what’s wrong, and how to fix the problem. Deficiencies left untreated often decrease the quality of life a pet has, such as through lack of energy or dehydration. Some untreated deficiencies go a step further and can cause an animal to die if they are severely depleted of essential nutrients. Sometimes a pet will die from dietary problems; not necessarily a direct result of a deficiency, but from the symptoms caused. When preparing foods full of nutrients, be sure not to include too much of some things, as animals can overdose on certain nutrients. Do your research before hand for your specific animal, so that you know what they need, and how much. 

If you’re trying to raise your pet as a vegetarian, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll find vegetarian pet food at your local mainstream supermarket. Most fish foods list the first ingredient as fish meal; a non-vegetarian ingredient. Most pets should be fed some sort of specialized pet formula/food for optimum health. These products are not always easy to obtain; it generally depends on where you live. Larger cities will have all sorts of pet stores which may stock vegetarian pet food. If you can’t find the pet food you want, you can always ask around to see if someone can order it in for you. You might have to resort to buying your pet food online, but if so, be careful as to ensure you are buying quality food from a reliable supplier who won’t scam you. 

Some animals, such as pet rats and dogs, can be fed vegetarian pet foods, again, providing it is not deprived of the nutrients it needs. Other animals will not take so well to a new diet. This does include rats, mentioned, as some are fussy eaters and may not like the new vegetable and nut mix in their food dish. It’s important to let them enjoy the food they eat, so make sure you mix it up with flavors (no dangerous spices; you don’t want to harm a delicate stomach). 

Cats are the one common pet designed to be carnivorous. Pet owners are split right down the middle as to whether cats can be fed an entirely vegetarian diet or not. The truth is, cats have a very hard time digesting and absorbing nutrients from plant based foods and vegetarian pet food, and can obtain them much more easily from meat products. There have been some stories of owners successfully raising vegan cats, but also some unsuccessful; in which the cat suffers from severe malnutrition and can go blind from taurine deficiency (never feed dog food to a cat because it usually does not contain taurine). If a cat is going to be fed vegetarian pet food; it should be raised on this diet from a young age, or very slowly moved over to the new diet while it is still active and healthy. If the cat shows signs of intolerance to the diet (such as physical/active changes), the diet should be revised or abandoned altogether. Old cats should not be moved to a vegetarian diet, as their organs and digestive system may not be able to handle the new types of food. Don’t forget, never give cow’s milk to a cat; most cats are lactose intolerant and this will just cause digestive problems and possibly illness. 

Most pets can be successfully raised on vegetarian pet food, but a lot of knowledge on dietary needs and nutrients is necessary before taking a vegetarian approach to feeding a pet. Without this, an animal may be malnourished and lack the nutrients required to live a healthy life. So make sure you are well educated and know your companions nutritional needs firstly.