Is it cruel to make dogs eat a vegan diet?

You'll hear many debates over if dogs should eat a dog diet or a vegan diet. Veganism is the act of not eating or wearing or even using any animal deprived items such as dairy, meat, leather, wool, fur, or feathers. These people strictly eat grains and fruits and vegetables. But, what about their dogs? Many of these people give their dogs a vegan diet, which many believe is cruel and harmful, while others claim that the dog is healthy. Here's the truth.

The body of a dog

Dogs have on average 42 teeth. Breeds such as the English Bulldog and the Pug may have less due to how their skull and jaw are shaped. They have 12 incisors, the teeth between the fangs, six on the top jaw, and six on the bottom. These teeth are used for grasping things and sometimes for grooming. They have four canine teeth which are known as the fangs ad there are two up top and two on the bottom. These teeth are used for tearing meat. Up next are the premolars which are pointy and are used to grind food. They have twelve of these, eight on top and eight on the bottom. And finally, the molars. These are the teeth in the very back that are also used for grinding. They have four of these on the top and six on the bottom. Unlike wolves, dogs need both meat and plants in their diets, making them omnivores like humans and raccoons. This means they shouldn't live without one or the other. Animals that eat plants have flat teeth that help mush up plants. Animals such as horses, sheep, cattle, guinea pigs, and deer all have flat teeth as they aren't t meant to eat meat. Carnivores such as lions, tigers, wolves, grizzly and polar bears, and sharks have pointy teeth that help them tear meat. Dogs, as said before, are omnivores and need both plants and meat. Plants are also very fibrous, meaning they can be hard to digest on their own. It's easier for dogs to break down meat as it is a softer material.

Important vitamins and minerals

Meat has a vitamin called B that has a direct impact on energy, brain, and cell development, meaning that is crucial in a dog's diet. A vegetable has no vitamin B, but they do have fibers, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and phytonutrients that are not found in meat. Both of these foods balance out a dog's body to keep them healthy. If a dog ate just a plant-based diet, they'd lack vitamin B and possibly D as well. Vitamin D is found in oily fish and red meat and is used for helping make bones stronger by giving them calcium. Feeding a dog only a meat diet can cause him to lose important vitamins that only fruits and vegetables have. However, many vegan dog foods have these vitamins added to the food. But most vegan foods aren't good for dogs as they include stuff like soybeans and corn which are fillers. As you can see, it is crucial for dogs to have both meat and plants in their food.

Resolution

Given the information, dogs can live on a vegan diet, but they shouldn't. It's the equivalent of making a horse eat meat instead of plants. Dogs need both meat and plants in their diets. If vegans love animals, they'd feed their dogs the right food.

There are many vegans out there that do feed their dogs a meat and plant diet because they know that dogs need that. They understand that dogs need certain vitamins to survive. Happy reading! And of course, Canine Good!