My Dogs as Vegetarians, Part Deux

A while back, I wondered if my rescue racer Greyhounds, Violet Rays and Charles Hobson Booger, III should be vegetarians (click here to open the original post).

I opted to do the responsible thing and, rather than make the decision myself, ask my homeopath what to do. (And if you’re still using a traditional vet, I strongly urge you to also enlist the services of a homeopath, or at least a holistic vet. There are directories on the sites of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy.)

Thankfully, the vet recommended I continue to feed both the diabetic Violet and the younger, healthier Charles some sort of Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet, which is a no grain, mostly raw meat and bone diet.

Yummy.

Yes, dogs can be vegetarians. But this vet gives Violet chiropractic adjustments and accupuncture, and does all kinds of things you’d bust out laughing at if I told you, and she brought Violet back from the brink of death. And if she says Violet shouldn’t be a vegetarian, I believe her.

Net message? Before you make dietary decisions for a creature of a different species, make sure you get approval from someone who knows that individual animal.  Some individual omnivores simply don’t thrive as vegetarians.

In addition, the BARF diet is not without controversy. Ditto with raw food for people. This is just one more Gray Matter, and it is best resolved on an individual basis, after doing research and enlisting the help of a qualified professional (read: vet who is educated about the entire spectrum of care and feeding).