New Vegetarian Dog Food by The Humane Society of the United States

The HSUS presents a new organic vegetarian dog food, called Humane Choice. They do note that the sources for vitamin A, D, and B12 may come from animal-based sources . This food will be available at Petco and Whole Foods. The Humane Society will receive 6% of the wholesale price for every bag sold.

The food is corn and wheat free, contains no genetically modified ingredients, and is USDA certified organic. The site notes that no animals were harmed in the making of the food, and feeding trials were conducted in dogs' own homes, with their guardians' and veterinarians' supervision.

Even if you don't feed kibble, it's always nice to see new vegetarian products for dogs. The idea of veggie dogs has become less controversial and more accepted in recent years, and hopefully this trend will continue.

ETA: Please consider emailing the company at info@thehumanechoice.com and asking them to consider switching to 100% vegan ingredients. There are 100% vegan dog kibbles out there, so the ingredients are available. Don't forget to thank them for making a humane dog food!

New research shows dogs can thrive on a vegetarian diet

This is pretty significant. This study (published in the British Journal of Nutrition, Vol 102) followed a group of sled-dogs being fed a meat-free diet. They found that during a 10-week racing season, the dogs on the veg diet remained healthy and were able to perform just as well as the dogs on a meat diet. Now (ethical concerns about dog-sled racing aside) this is great news for vegan dogs and their people. The next time someone tells you, "Dogs need meat!" perhaps you can direct them to this study. More info on the study here.

Sable wishes everyone happy holidays!

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.