Please stop if you are feeding your dog or cat a vegetarian diet

Immediately stop feeding vegetarian dogs or cats with large amounts of vegetables or fruits for a long time. Why do you have to feed your cat and dog meat? Please share if you are a true cat lover. The following article of Petshop will specifically analyze the issue of vegetarianism specifically for cats and dogs.

3 reasons to confirm that cats and dogs are not vegetarians

Recently, we have received a lot of arguments about whether or not we should feed our dogs and cats with vegetables. How much to eat? How long does it take? And especially, there are opinions that affirm that cats and dogs are vegetarian and still healthy normally.

According to Dr. Lisa Weeth, a veterinary nutritionist , she usually does not recommend vegetarian diets for cats and dogs. The issue of nutrition for dogs and cats, whether meat or vegetable, also needs to provide enough essential nutrients in a balanced way. Ensure the comprehensive development of the pet. Especially between the ages of 2 and 15 months of life. This is nearly impossible with a completely vegetarian cat and dog diet.

In this article, we will gather international knowledge, scientific documents and consultations of domestic and foreign veterinarians to clarify all the above questions. If you are lazy to read the evidence, you can go straight to the conclusion at the end of the article.

First of all, we need to understand some scientifically proven axioms in cats about protein - Carbohydrate - Vitamin as follows:

1. Dogs and cats are carnivores. The instinct that Mother Nature gives to cats and dogs is to live and get energy from Protein and protein of animal origin. Not plants.

2. Dogs and cats have very little carbohydrate (starch-sugar) needs (2-5% of the diet). Because the cat's digestive system lacks the enzyme amylase (amilase) to break down carbohydrates into simple sugars.

3. Dogs and cats get vitamins from meat, offal and undigested food in the organs of animals they hunt. If there is a lack of vitamins, cats will instinctively eat some plants such as grass. But will not digest) to supplement.

Do vegetarian cats and dogs and vegetables have enough nutrients?

If the Sen has given the dog and cat a vegetarian diet (mixed rice with vegetables) and confirmed that they live normally. Please say that all animals in this world are "normal" until they get sick and die. Fasting will lead to changes in the pH of the urinary system, which can lead to kidney stones.

In addition, if there is no or too little animal protein in the kitten food, it will cause a serious Taurine deficiency . Can cause blindness in cats due to reduced retinal cells. If you want to change the world, do it alone. Because humans are omnivores and cats are carnivores. Please stop this unnatural crime, Sen.

If the cat eats a high amount of carbohydrates, it will cause diabetes, obesity, and reduced protein absorption. And it's harmful to the internal organs because the cat's digestive system is not designed to digest too much starch. Note that potatoes are 20% carb, sweet potatoes are 21%, and pumpkins are 12%. To supplement vitamins for dogs and cats, we have food sources rich in vitamins and minerals such as sea fish, dried seeds, barley grass (cat grass ) , supplements, and possibly vegetables.

The harmful effects of long-term vegetarianism for dogs and cats

• Excessive Vitamin C : Not controlling or not calculating the amount of vegetables will lead to this situation. In addition, if you use products with frozen and thawed vegetables, most of the water-soluble vitamins will be lost. Synthetic vitamins may be harder to absorb than natural vitamins but will be more complete. Since it has been specifically designed for dogs and cats, it ensures a controlled dose without causing excess or toxicity.

• Causing excess carbohydrates : As mentioned above, boiled potatoes have 20% Carbs, sweet potatoes are 21% and pumpkin is 12%. So how to supplement so that the amount of Carb does not exceed 2-5% of the cat's diet is something that needs to be calculated very carefully by math. Can't rely on experience as some Sen said: "Eating from then until now, you won't die".

• Unsafe mixed vegetables : Cat foodsFresh mixed vegetables often use this ingredient to sell at a cheap price. Followed by the use of low quality animal products such as chicken head and neck, chicken bones to reduce costs. These types of products, even if they are pureed, can still contain chipped bones that can cause bone damage. Or if it's a sharp bone, it can pin the throat and cause an infection. Pureed vegetables are an ideal environment for harmful bacteria to grow. That's why fresh food with vegetables must always be frozen.

Notes when feeding vegetarian cats and dogs

If you are forced to give your dog or cat a vegetarian diet after consulting with your veterinarian, there are still a few things to keep in mind:

First, plant-based proteins tend to make urine more alkaline. If you are completely switching to a completely vegetarian diet. And it's a moderate protein and doesn't add any uric acid. It can put your dog at risk for struvite stones.

The changes are easy to see in the dog's coat. It can tell you that your dog is not getting enough essential fatty acids. See if the dog's coat is shiny or becomes dull and dirty? Do dogs have scabs? People often think that these symptoms have nothing to do with dietary changes because it takes two to three months to appear.

If you notice any changes, bring your dog in to see your vet. Also, at your dog's annual routine health checkup. Your doctor will do blood tests and a urinalysis. To make sure food is digested and absorbed the way it should.