May 05, 2011

My parents are strict vegetarian so Molly is a vegetarian too. I have been told milk isn't good for her, is that right?

Full Question:
I have a question for you about my dog's diet (I have a 6 month old GSD. Her name is Molly, she is in India).

My parents are strict vegetarian so Molly is a vegetarian too :) But she does get to eat eggs in winter months. Not these days as its scorching hot.

My mum is feeding her three meals a day, comprising of milk (only a glass full), whole meal bread, white rice, lots of cooked vegetables, corn flakes and soya chunks. It is quite varied and she puts in a lot of effort to ensure Molly gets a healthy diet. Since it is quite hot, and Molly has thick black hair, my mum feeds her homemade buttermilk in between meals at 11 o'clock - Molly loves it!

I have been told milk isn't good for her, is that right?

Someone suggested a teaspoon of cod liver oil and vegetable oil (uncooked) with her last meal for the day, shall we start that?

I understand if you are busy and unable to respond. I just thought I'll try and get an experts opinion.
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
Feeding a dog a vegetarian diet is not recommended. I understand that humans can choose to be vegetarians, but dogs are carnivores and it’s actually harmful to their internal organs to be fed a vegetarian diet. I can’t stress this enough. Dogs do not have the same enzymes we do and can’t properly digest plant based diets. They may survive on a vegetarian diet but they certainly won’t thrive. I would NEVER raise a puppy on a diet such as your parents are feeding, I would not be surprised for skeletal problems or other health issues to appear.

If they want to do the best for Molly, they need to research what an appropriate diet is for a carnivore. If they do not want to feed her a raw meat diet, then there are commercial foods out there that will be much healthier for her. The 2 best books for learning about the raw diet are Raw Dog Food and Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats. We give both these books to our puppy customers and rarely have questions about the diet.

We also have a great section on feeding dogs, I think you’ll find a lot of helpful information there.

We don’t recommend milk, but yogurt or kefir is ok. No cod liver oil or vegetable oil, but fish body oil like Salmon Oil. When giving Salmon Oil you must also give Vitamin E along with it.

Please consult with your parents about changing Molly to the correct diet. It’s very important.

Cindy

0% (0 out of 1)
respondents found this answer helpful
Did you find this Q&A helpful?
Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
0% (0 out of 1)
respondents found this answer helpful

Did you find this Q&A helpful?

Recommended Products
Scroll to Top