Canned Organic Pumpkin and Sweet Potato for Dogs

Okay, I'll admit, I picked these up because the name was just so dang cute. Introducing Nummy Tum Tum! Just 100% organic pureed pumpkin or sweet potato. Pumpkin is great for dogs with tummy issues (helps with both constipation and diarrhea. So talented!) and sweet potato is always a doggie favorite (and healthy too!). The first time I gave Sable a spoonful of the pureed sweet potato mixed with her food, she tried to eat her dish. Just remember to give small portions (start out with a teeny tiny bit and work your way up). It's a great treat for dogs with tooth/mouth problems because it is smooth mush. And seriously, how cute is this packaging??

Another Vegan Dog Book!

If you haven't dedicated an entire bookshelf to the topic of vegan pets, now is the time! This latest book is called It's a Vegan Dog's Life and is available for purchase here. There's a pretty extensive description posted there, I'll just say that it looks like this book covers tons of info, and it has over 50 vegan treat recipes. I'll be adding it to book round-up post here. And you can check out the It's A Vegan Dog's Life blog here.

Happy Reading!

(What's Halloween without a thoroughly humiliated collie?)

Vegan Dog Food Premixes

Hey, wow, I kept my promise to post again and it hasn't been overly long since the last post. Incredible. Moving on...

There are a few "premixes" for dog food that are suitable for vegan dogs. These mixes usually contain dehydrated veggies, grains, and vitamins and minerals. You add protein and fat along with hot water to make a complete meal. Instead of adding meat, just use beans, lentils, etc. for protein and various vegetable-based oils for fat. It's always a good idea to rotate protein and fat sources. I'm sure there are others out there that are vegan-friendly, these are just the ones I've seen.

Dr. Harveys:
Veg-To-Bowl (100% GRAIN FREE)

Sojos:
Original Dog Food Mix (Wheat, Corn, and Soy Free)

Monzie's Organic Muesli (Wheat, Corn, and Soy Free)

Premixes are convenient and great for traveling (Just pack some dry premix, a can of beans and a little container of oil. Don't forget the can opener!).

Oh, yes, Sable says "Hi!"

News, Apologies, etc.

First let me say that I am very sorry for neglecting this blog for so long. There are 2 reasons for this: 1.) My poor beat-up old laptop finally died (for good this time) and 2.) I am an excessively lazy person.

Sable is wonderful (9 years old now, a vegan since 2003), everything is running smoothly, and (although I still have limited computer access) I will try to get in more updates when I can. On to the news...

The formerly out of print book Obligate Carnivore:Cats, Dogs and What it Really Means to be Vegan by Jed Gillen is now back in print, in a second expanded edition. Available from VeganCats.com and Vegan Essentials, among other places. Buy it, read it, memorize it, and be ready for pop quizzes (okay, okay, no quizzes).

An upcoming book entitled The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book by Michelle Rivera will include veterinarian opinions on vegan diets for dogs, lists of healthy vs. harmful foods, and dozens of recipes. (UPDATE: This book is now available for purchase!)

For those times when you just need to grab a quick can of dog food (pet emergency preparedness kits, anyone?) Natural balance has released a canned vegetarian formula to complement their dry Veg formula. The website describes it as " A TRUE Vegan Formula" containing "no dairy products or products derived from trace amounts of meat or dairy sources", yet it does list Vitamin D-3 (usually animal-derived, Vit D-2 is vegan friendly) in the ingredient list (the dry food lists D-2). Not sure yet if this was a typo, or what. As far as I know, Natural Balance Vegetarian Formulas (canned and dry) are the only wheat-, corn-, and soy-free kibble and canned veg dog foods on the market.

I will really, truly try to post more frequently in the upcoming months. I do have several post topics floating around in my head (along with a million other assorted thoughts!). Until then, Sable says "Woof, woof!'

Pet Insurance Company Reports More UK Pets Eating Veg

From a press release by LV= insurance company:

40% of pet owners now feed their pets up to three portions of fruit and veg a day and according to the new research by pet insurer LV= there are now more than 145,000 cats and dogs in the UK on a vegetarian diet.

In turning their animals vegetarian, these pet owners are following celebrity dog-owners such as Alicia Silverstone* and Paul McCartney** who feed their dogs a vegan and vegetarian diet respectively.

You can read the entire press release here.

News Flash!

The online Vegan Dog Nutrition Course from the Vegan Dog Nutrition Association appears to be up and running. They're asking for a minimum $25 donation, and you receive a certificate of completion after passing their test.

According to the myspace page for the book Obligate Carnivore: Cats, Dogs, and What It Really Means to be Vegan, a 2nd, updated edition (said to be "a million times better" than the 1st edition) is in the works. Release date is given as "summer 2008", but I haven't heard any more about it. The first edition is currently out of print, but copies are still easily obtained.

Vegancats.com has been redesigned, and is offering a few new products. DownBOUND.com has quite a few treat options now.

I've removed the link to Missing Link Vegetarian Supplement in the supplements post, due to new information from Vegan Essentials that Missing Link has added a dairy derived ingredient. Such a shame, as that was a good product that I had used in the past. The good news is that Vegan Essentials is planning on expanding their selection of vegan companion animal supplies.

Got any news relevant to the topic of vegan dogs? Let me know! Most google searches lead me back to my own blog now (not a bad thing, I suppose, but it makes it harder for me to find new info and links).

I'll leave you with a photo of my friend Nico, enjoying the vegan birthday cake I baked for him. He doesn't mind that I have the cake decorating skills of a 5 year old on a sugar high. Isn't he sweet?

Vegetarian Dogs...in 1939?

I just happened to stumble across this ad from an August 1939 edition of Popular Mechanics. It shows dogs riding in luxury on the French ocean liner Normandie. The dogs were provided with their own heated kennels, drinking fountain, life jackets, and gourmet menu. Something on the menu caught my eye.


Here is the menu, enlarged:

Interesting, no? From what I can tell, the meal involves fresh veggies and pasta. Or so my French-English dictionary tells me.