feeding dogs meat

[Guest Dog owner]

I have a dog that fits into the big dog category. For dogs they do much better on raw meat diets than humans because that's the way they are built. Is it ok to feed my dog meat? I don't eat meat but the dog is not a human so does the same apply? You can feed it a vegetarian diet but it doesn't have the same effect on the dog as a meat diet does. 

[Guest IronLion]

I would like to preface this by stating that I am a veterinarian and have been a veterinarian a lot longer than a Sikh. 

First, raw meat diets are not recommended by the veterinarian profession (at least in the US and I believe Europe as well). Dogs have evolved for a long time with humans and as such their digestion has also changed and if you look at certain genes of dogs vs. wolves dogs have genes that wolves lack for digestion of certain starches etc. While most dogs can tolerate raw diets, there is no benefit and it carries risk of infections like Salmonella and Campylobacter to the dog as well as becoming a health risk for humans and other animals in the environment that the dog defecates in. 

I would argue that even if you do not eat meat then you should still feed your dog meat because they are omnivores and have high protein requirements. That being said, there are a handful of vegetarian diets that are completely balanced, a couple prescription diets that are often utilized in dogs that have food allergies, or other GI diseases are largely soy based and vegetarian. So if you used one of those diets that would be fine. From someone that was a vegetarian for a long time and now only eats certain meats rarely, I think for a dog that has no diseases requiring it certain vegetarian foods, feeding it a balanced diet including animal protein is best. Sikhism does not forbid eating meat just halal. In addition, I think Waheguru would want a dog, or any other creation for that matter to be on an appropriate diet and for a dog that means eating meat - Waheguru created certain animals to eat meat, doesn't make them bad it is what it is, all creation serves a role in this play of life. 

Hope this helps. If you do decide on a vegetarian diet please consult with a veterinarian so that you know you are feeding a completely balanced diet.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

- I. 

[GurjantGnostic 809]

2 hours ago, Guest IronLion said:

I would like to preface this by stating that I am a veterinarian and have been a veterinarian a lot longer than a Sikh. 

First, raw meat diets are not recommended by the veterinarian profession (at least in the US and I believe Europe as well). Dogs have evolved for a long time with humans and as such their digestion has also changed and if you look at certain genes of dogs vs. wolves dogs have genes that wolves lack for digestion of certain starches etc. While most dogs can tolerate raw diets, there is no benefit and it carries risk of infections like Salmonella and Campylobacter to the dog as well as becoming a health risk for humans and other animals in the environment that the dog defecates in. 

I would argue that even if you do not eat meat then you should still feed your dog meat because they are omnivores and have high protein requirements. That being said, there are a handful of vegetarian diets that are completely balanced, a couple prescription diets that are often utilized in dogs that have food allergies, or other GI diseases are largely soy based and vegetarian. So if you used one of those diets that would be fine. From someone that was a vegetarian for a long time and now only eats certain meats rarely, I think for a dog that has no diseases requiring it certain vegetarian foods, feeding it a balanced diet including animal protein is best. Sikhism does not forbid eating meat just halal. In addition, I think Waheguru would want a dog, or any other creation for that matter to be on an appropriate diet and for a dog that means eating meat - Waheguru created certain animals to eat meat, doesn't make them bad it is what it is, all creation serves a role in this play of life. 

Hope this helps. If you do decide on a vegetarian diet please consult with a veterinarian so that you know you are feeding a completely balanced diet.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

- I. 

Cat's require meat, only essentially, preferably with organ meat added. 

Dogs live longer lives as vegetarians. 

Edit. Oops posted to a good response, not the OP by mistake. 

[Guest AnonSengh]

I'm not an expert on dogs, or animals on this matter.

But I think in general, dogs from the west need meat as that is part of their diet and genes.

I think we are used to dogs from India, who generally are used to vegetarian food.

[Guest heera]

Are you sure that only halal is forbidden? Have you not listened to Nanak Prakash katha where on more than one occassion Guru Ji advises the rakshas to not eat meat and Guru Ji himself only ate fruits from them as long as they did not eat meat and took up gurmat in future??????

Please listen to it. I'm not making it up. 

[ipledgeblue 308]

you should check what Guru jis fed their hunting dogs. Then you can find out the same!

[GurjantGnostic 809]

On 3/11/2018 at 1:04 PM, Guest AnonSengh said:

I'm not an expert on dogs, or animals on this matter.

But I think in general, dogs from the west need meat as that is part of their diet and genes.

I think we are used to dogs from India, who generally are used to vegetarian food.

Pretty sure dogs are dogs. Western hippies have their dogs on vegetarian/vegan diets. 

[Guest room]

I have seen desi dogs that eat roti, daal, sabji.

I also heard of a dog that went into an Amrit Sanchar too. S Hari Singh Randhawa mentioned it. The dog wouldn't leave. I forgot the full story maybe someone will share. 

[GurjantGnostic 809]

Basically humans are herbivores who can barely digest meat, dogs are omnivores who can eat it or not, the organ meat being the best, and cats are true carnivores. 

Dogs live much longer without meat. 

[InderjitS 1,243]

On ‎14‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 9:46 AM, Guest room said:

I have seen desi dogs that eat roti, daal, sabji.

I also heard of a dog that went into an Amrit Sanchar too. S Hari Singh Randhawa mentioned it. The dog wouldn't leave. I forgot the full story maybe someone will share. 

A dog entered the open space where the sanchar was taking place, the Singh's tried to chase it away a few times but the dog would circle around and return. Eventually it ended up under the manji sahib. Once the sanchar had taken place, this dog came and licked Amrit boonda from the floor. When Hari Singh asked vadhay Mahapurakh about what would happen to the dog, they said for sure it will achieve manukha janam once again, it was vadbhagi as it persisted. This was one of the incidents the ignorant types in Canada latched on to and turned it into the headline 'Hari Singh gives Amrit to a Dog'.....I mean even he asked them how ridiculous this sounded yet they had no response.

OP, Guru Kalgidhar Pita kept a peregrine falcon, of course the diet is small mammals. So just because you are a veggie/vegan or whatever you should not restrict animals eating what they were supposed to. In the case of domesticated dogs, it might be the case a veg diet is better suited, I think it might depend on the type of dog in the first instance.