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| Vegetarianism for Cats and Dogs: massage: *** Media Release Aug 13, 2004 *** www.VegePets.info: -The facts about vegetarian and meat-based cat and dog diets! Contact: Dr. Andrew Knight, info @ VegePets.info Please send me a copy of anything published - thank you! Are you able to help publicize this site by providing a link using our banner, or by distributing our leaflet? You can download both from our home page. Thanks! The number of people who have become vegetarian for the sake of the animals, the environment, or their health, is very large. The amount of good this has done is barely calculable. Yet most of these caring people nevertheless continue to feed their companion animals meat-based diets, in many cases causing as much harm as if they themselves ate meat (the average medium-sized dog or three cats consumes roughly the same quantity of meat as a human). They choose to do so out of fear of adverse health consequences of vegetarian companion animal diets, and ignorance of how these might be avoided. Consequently in August 2004 I created www.VegePets.info to give companion animal guardians, animal carers and veterinary personnel the information they need about these issues. I've included advice on transitioning to vegetarian pet food; on safeguarding the health of companion animals - particularly cats; links to suppliers of vegetarian pet foods and nutritional supplements; and all the key scientific and anecdotal information I've been able to locate on this topic after extensively searching the biomedical literature, and reading the main books in the field. Background The health hazards of commercial meat-based pet foods are extensive and difficult to avoid. They may include slaughterhouse waste products; 4-D meat (from dead, dying, disabled or diseased animals); old or spoiled supermarket meat; large numbers of rendered dogs and cats from animal shelters; old restaurant grease, complete with high concentrations of dangerous free radicals and trans fatty acids; damaged or spoiled fish, complete with dangerous levels of mercury, PCBs and other toxins; pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses and prions, and their associated endotoxins and mycotoxins; hormone and antibiotic residues; and dangerous preservatives. The combined results are rendered so delicious to cats and dogs by the addition of 'digest' - a soup of partially dissolved chicken entrails - that more than 95 % of companion animals subsist primarily on commercial meat-based diets. Unsurprisingly, studies have demonstrated dietary links to a variety of degenerative diseases of cats and dogs, including cancer, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, obesity and dental disease. On the other hand, nutritionally sound vegetarian companion animal diets appear to be associated with the following health benefits: increased overall health and vitality, decreased incidences of cancer, infections, hypothyroidism, ectoparasites (fleas, ticks, lice and mites), improved coat condition, allergy control, weight control, decreased arthritis, improved stool odor and cataract resolution. Despite widespread prejudice against vegetarian pet food, even amongst (ill-informed) veterinarians and experienced animal carers, there is no scientific reason why a diet comprised only of plant, mineral and synthetically-based ingredients cannot be formulated to meet all of the palatability, nutritional and bioavailability needs of the species for which they are intended. In fact, several commercially-available vegan (no animal product) pet diets claim to do so, and have jointly supported a healthy population of thousands of vegan cats, dogs and ferrets (who are also naturally carnivorous) for many years. Think how many lives could be saved and how much suffering could be avoided if we all transitioned our pets to vegetarian diets! Find out how at www.VegePets.info! Dr. Andrew Knight Veterinarian and Animal Advocate www.AnimalConsultants.org |