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By Emily Baker If you are at all conscious of your usage of non-human animals in your daily life and also buy food for a companion dog, then you have probably probed the moral quandaries of feeding your dog mass produced meat products. And for good reason, if you are vegan or vegetarian it would probably be very difficult going to the supermarket and buying a bagged combination of cows, sheep, pigs, turkeys, ducks, chickens, fish and prawns. None of which are a part of the natural evolutionary diet of canines. In addition, the meat in mass produced dog foods are not quality even by USDA standards; much of the meat in dog food is the meat that slaughter houses couldn’t use because they came from either dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals. But here’s the thing, vegan dog food is not cheap by any means. When you’re struggling just to buy a bargain bag of food for your dog you aren’t going to be able to drop $40-$80 on vegan dog food. So rather than put all of the emphasis on buying plant based dog food it is important to also take a look at the horrendous operation that is the sourcing and manufacturing of the meat in mass produced dog food. Feeding your companion dog a plant based diet is a wise decision to make, though not for everyone.The quality of meat based/supermarket dog foods is horrific. In all but a few states it is legal to cut off the unusable parts of chickens and sell them to dog food manufacturers. Given the little amount of governmental supervision in the pet food industry it is also not entirely uncommon for euthanized animals from shelters to end up going through the grinder and into your dog’s puppy chow. One of the main arguments against feeding your companion animal a plant based diet is that an animal’s caretaker shouldn’t be forcing their own beliefs on their companion, but doesn’t that argument fall apart when you consider the possibility that you are in fact forcing your companion into cannibalism? Typical meat based foods aren’t even what dogs would naturally eat. Your typical pre-domestication dog or wolf would have hunted in packs and feasted on large game animals such as elk. Not only are you not likely to see elk in the ingredients on a bag of supermarket dog food, but most likely you’ll see a whole lot of grain. Many dry dog foods are mainly cereal based. In no universe are processed grains a natural part of the canine diet. So in this respect, the argument that feeding dogs a meat based diet is more “natural” really falls short. Feeding your dog a plant based diet is not financially responsible for most people and effort should instead be made to improve the manufacturing of dog foods. This is not denying the significance of the previous points that have been made. Simply put, not everyone can afford vegan or even vegetarianism for themselves, let alone for their companion animals and it would be naïve to think otherwise. Besides, when you think of a perfect world for non-human animals it is not that every dog and cat will be vegan. But rather, factory farming and the mass slaughter of non-human animals used for food will come to a screeching halt. So, in the same sense, it would be irresponsible to put 100% of the emphasis on turning all dogs vegan. The conversation needs to be shared with the harm of factory farming as well as the almost complete lack of regulations on the pet food industry. It’s a broken system that needs to be fixed at its very foundation. No one ever said taking in a companion animal was easy, the financial and time-related obligations are obvious but there are also the moral decisions you have to make. And just as you would hopefully put thought into what you are feeding yourself or your human child, the same consideration should also be shared with your furry friends. The corporate, mass produced, supermarket priced world we live in pays little mind to what is going into your companion’s body. Be it diseased chicken legs, a euthanized cat or a bunch of indigestible fillers. Feeding your dog a plant based diet is one way out and has worked well for many dogs. However it is also important to acknowledge that this is not a fiscally responsible choice for every family. Plus, if the horrors of the pet food industry are ever to end the vail needs to be lifted on the big corporations who are swindling their consumers and as a result harming our beloved companions. Sources: Knight, Andrew, and Madelaine Leitsberger. "Vegetarian versus Meat-Based Diets for Companion Animals." Animals : An Open Access Journal from MDPI. MDPI, Sept. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. "Vegetarian Cats and Dogs." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. "The Best Vegan Dog Food Brands." Urban Vegan. N.p., 20 Aug. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. "The Shocking Truth About Commercial Dog Food." Dog Food Advisor. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. 137. Nutritional and Ethical Issues regarding Vegetarianism in the Domestic Dog (n.d.): n. pag. Web. Katz, M. (known As) "Butterflies". "VEGANISM: A TRUTH WHOSE TIME HAS COME." 100 Vegan-Eating Dogs; An Encyclopedia of Vegan Dog Nutrition. N.p., 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. AUTHOR BIOEmily Baker is currently an undergraduate at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is working toward a degree in social work. Emily has a great love for animals; she has been a vegetarian for 8 years. When she’s not either caring for toddlers at her daycare job or at school you will find her with her companion dog, Finn (see companion animals tab). More from EmilyComments are closed.
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This is a website about nonhuman animals, written by human animals taking a Society and Animals class at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Archives
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