By Daniela Caride Publisher
I have been a vegetarian for four years. I don’t want to eat animals. And I wish I could make my cats and dogs follow my diet.
But I don’t believe in drastic changes. Since cats’ diets apparently require meat, I am not even going there. My cats will always eat meat. But I am gradually introducing more vegetables to my dogs’ meals in the hopes of one day reducing their meat consumption to a minimum.
Health Smart Dog Biscuits
Frieda, Geppetto and Lola still eat kibble with chicken, but I have replaced half of their wet food for pumpkin, and now I only give them vegetables or vegetarian cookies as treats.
My dogs love the bananas, apples and carrots I give them. And, recently, Omega Paw sent me some bags of Health Smart dog biscuits to test, and I was glad to see my dogs very interested in them.
If they see me get near a bag or they hear me handling it, they come flying, sit and give me their paws – the first trick we train every day.
I was also very happy when I read about the effects of several ingredients found in both flavors.
Smart Pumpkin & Carrot Recipe has quinoa, pumpkin, carrots and flax seed, among other ingredients (see complete list below). The Super Berry Recipe has quinoa, cranberry, blueberry, cherry and goji berry, among other things.
So here I gathered some of the information I read about these fantastic vegetables:
- Highly appreciated for its nutritional value and high protein content.
- Contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete protein source. It’s a good source of fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesiumand iron.
- Gluten-free and easy to digest.
- Very rich in carotenoids, known for keeping the immune system strong and healthy.
- Its beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Helps prevent build up of cholesterol.
- Its alpha-carotene slows the process of aging and helps prevent cataract formation.
- Its high amount of fiber is good for the bowel, and its potassium may lower the risk of hypertension. Also, zinc boosts the immune system and improves bone density.
- Packed with all vital vitamins and minerals and has anti-inflammatory benefits due to the abundance of omega-3 fatty acids.
- High levels of fiber, useful for weight loss.
- Good source of manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorous, iron, zinc, selenium and calcium.
- Helps prevent high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, eye disorders and diabetes.
- Rich in powerful anti-oxidants. Besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, they kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.
- Effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. May also lower incidence of heart disease.
- Contain phytochemicals and flavonoids that may help prevent forms of cancer.
- Cranberries and blueberries contain a substance that may prevent bladder infections.
- Blueberries and raspberries also contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision.
- Its polysaccharides may have extensive biological effects and health benefits, especially due to its antioxidant properties.
- May have potential benefits against cardiovascular, inflammatory and vision-related diseases, as well as neuroprotective, anticancer and immunomodulatory properties.
Health Smart Super Berry Recipe Dog Biscuits
Ingredients: Quinoa flour, rice flour, oatmeal, rice, oat groats, potati protein, mixed berries (cranberry, blueberry, cherry, goji berry), calcium carbonate, natural flavor, flax seed, canola oil, mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, green tea extract.
Smart Pumpkin & Carrot Recipe Dog Biscuits
Ingredients: Quinoa flour, rice flour, oatmeal, rice, oat groats, potato protein, mixed vegetables (pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, carrot), calcium carbonate, natural flavor, flax seed, canola oil, mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, green tea extract.
Ah, yes, the vegetarian's dilemma when it comes to feeding our pets. I can relate. I don't eat meat or poultry, and while I wish I didn't have to feed it to my cat, Ithe fact is that cats are obligate carnivores, and they need animal protein to thrive. I also recently started feeding Amber raw food, and initially, handling the raw was a real challenge for me.
Recent research is finding that dogs are genetically much closer to wolves than previously thought, and as such, will also do better with the diet of a true carnivore than that of an ominvore, as previously believed. I'd be careful to take too much of the meat out of your dog's diets.
That’s very interesting, Ingrid. I’ll look for this literature about the wolves. Dogs are really close to wolves in terms of genetics. It makes a lot of sense. For now, my dogs’ diet is almost all meat. Their primary source of food is Innova dry food, complemented with pumpkin in the morning and Innova canned food (chicken) in the afternoon.
They don’t like eating only the dry food. I have replaced all their treats for veggie ones, though. They eat carrots as if they were bones, and also have bananas, apples and sweet potatoes. I give them also Nylabone veggie bones and Health Smart treats. Do you think that replacing their wet food for a veggie one could be harmful? They would be eating 70% kibble / 30% veggies.
I love the Innova brand – I think it's a great diet. I also think that pets should get canned food (and in the case of cats, that they shouldn't get kibble at all). I wouldn't replace the canned food with veggies. The meat protein in the canned food is most likely higher and also less processed than in the kibble, so I wouldn't take that out of their diet. I do think giving veggies as treats is a great idea. A lot of dogs love canned green beans for some strange reason – it's a win win, they feel like they're getting a treat and you're not adding a lot of calories.
It sounds to me like your pets are dining very well :-) Sometimes, I feel like I'm putting far more thought into what I feed my cat than what I feed myself!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Ingrid. I will go on with the canned food. I heard that it contains more water than anything else, but the quality of the meat might be higher. Otherwise my dogs wouldn't be so crazy about it.
:-)
I'll try the peas, too. Sounds like fun. I heard of a cat who would play for hours with an olive, then would eat it until there was nothing left other than the pit. I never read/heard of olives being harmful to cats. Have you? Petplace says they are OK if not fed regularly because olives have nothing a cat needs in terms of nutrients. I think I'll try that, too.
I haven't heard anything about olives being harmful to cats, but then, this is the first time I've heard of a cat who actually ate them!
They always surprise us, Ingrid!
:-)
Hi, and thanks for the info. I have a question and a comment. First, why would you prefer that cats not get kibble? Even when mine get wet food, they still ask for their kibble. About the olive thing, I have had 3 cats who will fight me(lol) to get olives. I don't let them have them very often, but they love them! Kat
Katfever, my cats are also crazy about the dry food, and some of them simply refuse to eat wet food — story here http://www.thedailytail.com/reviews/review-my-cat...
Katfever, cats are carnivores and do not need a lot of carbohydrates in their diet. Kibble is made of mostly carbs. Additionally, dry food is one of the main causes of urinary tract problems in cats. Cats need moisture in their diet, and since they tend to not drink a lot of water, the best way to give it to them is via canned food.
Many pet owners mistakenly believe that dry food is good for cat's teeth – unfortunately, the opposite is true. Most cats don’t chew their kibble long enough for any of the scraping action that is the theory behind this myth to kick in. Some pet food manufacturers offer a “dental diet” that is made up of larger than normal sized kibble to encourage chewing, but in my years at veterinary practices, I’ve seen many cats swallow even those larger size pieces whole. Additionally, dry food leaves a carbohydrate residue in the cat’s mouth that actually encourages growth of tartar and plaque.
That's pretty funny about your cats who fight you to get at the olives – I never heard about cats liking olives until I saw this post!
Good posting. Well thought out.
I can't thank you enough for the EDS commercial, its a favorite.
My Sam cat(RIP) had a real passion for veggies. My vet told me that had to stop. There was a time when Sammy was in the kitchen and there was a platter of turkey, it was Thanksgiving on one counter and a pile of lettuce on the other. Sam sat on the floor between the two, looking from one side to the other. Just as I figured she would go for the turkey she lept to the other counter, snagged a lettuce leaf and hauled buns down the hall. One in a while we would give her a (cooked) Brussel Sprout. She would play soccor with it, munching a leaf here and there until the sprout was history. Boy I miss that cat.
Dani, my Great Danes are extreme healthy and a big part of their diet is a cooked mixture of chicken necks and whatever I have on my vegetable garden: pumpkins, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, leaves that tuen into a paté and they love it!
Sounds like a great diet, Marise! Fresh food is definitely healthier than processed food. I wish I had the time to cook for them every day.
very healthy ingredients.where do you buy these?
aren't dogs carnivores by nature?