'Vegan diets are healthier and safer for dogs' says The Guardian about University of Winchester survey

[Funky_monks]

Almost like a discussion on violence towards women

The BSE comparison is puzzling me too. Feeding an animal we don’t eat, and generally keep in households, a vegan diet is completely different from feeding an animal we eat, which lives in groups on farms, the brains of said animal. If a vegan diet is not good for dogs the worst that would happen is some poorly dogs. And flawed as the study is, the only way to determine if it’s ok is to research it.

It was an example of a precautionary principle when feeding animals diets they had not evolved to eat.

 

[JimW]

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My omnivore on the back of the settee surveying his kingdom and subjects. I may well give him a good deal more veggies now, I usually predominantly just scrape the meat off the plates.

Ours is under the table scoffing whatever drops, and it's rich pickings with the toddler just learning chopsticks. She also rifles the compost heap and used to fetch nappies out the bin, but lets draw a veil over that last one

 

[Funky_monks]

Dogs are carnivores but not obligate though AFAIK - i.e. they will voluntarily chow down on starchy plants or something whereas cows will only consume animal protein by accident, though no doubt there's the odd exception. It's not really a point I'd bother to argue though suppose relevant here because it does seem to allow the possibility of vegan diets for dogs, not that its something I've tried with ours or would.

There are lots of insects on long grass, cows will just ingest them as part of grazing, so much so that there are numerous parasitic ones that take advantage of this.

 

[JimW]

There are lots of insects on long grass, cows will just ingest them as part of grazing, so much so that there are numerous parasitic ones that take advantage of this.

That's the liver fluke cycle IIRC.

 

[Funky_monks]

A quick Google days you can be born lactose intolerant but I'd have thought you wouldn't survive infantsy (sp) if that was the case considering human milk contains 50% more lactose than cow's milk.

I remember reading that the ability to digest lactose post weaning was one of the most recent examples of human evolution.
I was trying to think about how the natural selection worked in that case.

 

[Funky_monks]

That's the liver fluke cycle IIRC.

And lots of others- all of the parasitic helminths - Cooperia, Nematodyrus, Ostertagia, Strongyles etc etc

 

[Agent Sparrow]

It was an example of a precautionary principle when feeding animals diets they had not evolved to eat.

Granted, but in context it does come across as a tad hyperbolic/“will someone think of the children!!”

 

[Epona]

Almost like a discussion on violence towards women

The BSE comparison is puzzling me too. Feeding an animal we don’t eat, and generally keep in households, a vegan diet is completely different from feeding an animal we eat, which lives in groups on farms, the brains of said animal. If a vegan diet is not good for dogs the worst that would happen is some poorly dogs. And flawed as the study is, the only way to determine if it’s ok is to research it.

Oh come on, I mentioned cats, because I am fucking fixated on cats and my good autistic self will mention my obsession with them (or parrots, or The Titanic) in any setting if at all possible.

Likening it to disrupting a discussion about violence towards women is a bit fucking much tbh and not the same thing at all.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Rabbits become carnivorous when they go ferral

 

[tonysingh]

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I salute you for not making the obvious joke about rabbits being rampant when feral

 

[JimW]

We need to train dogs to survive off their own shit like rabbits do, it's not like they have any objections in principle.

 

[The39thStep]

One of my dogs killed one of my chickens this afternoon.

 

[Funky_monks]

One of my dogs killed one of my chickens this afternoon.

I had a terrier like that.
My collie just rounds them up though, which can be useful if you want to put them away before it's dark so you can go out or something without the fox getting to them.

 

[Pickman's model]

One of my dogs killed one of my chickens this afternoon.

Gives you paws for thought

 

[Epona]

We need to train dogs to survive off their own shit like rabbits do, it's not like they have any objections in principle.

I hate to break it to you but I think that is down to biology and diet rather than training!

 

[Funky_monks]

Granted, but in context it does come across as a tad hyperbolic/“will someone think of the children!!”

I think there has been something of a (deliberate?) misunderstanding of the word "precaution" on this thread.

In the context of a vegan diet for dogs, its: "this seems like a shit idea because all of the physiology and behaviour of dogs suggests an animal that largely consumes meat and I definitely wouldn't attempt it until its been very well researched and certainly not on the basis of a shit survey whereby the owners of dogs on vegan diets reported taking their dogs to the vets less"

Hope this clears it up.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Oh come on, I mentioned cats, because I am fucking fixated on cats and my good autistic self will mention my obsession with them (or parrots, or The Titanic) in any setting if at all possible.

Likening it to disrupting a discussion about violence towards women is a bit fucking much tbh and not the same thing at all.

I hadn’t seen your comments, I presume they were earlier? You didn’t appear to be in the exchange. Tbf some comparison to cats is understandable, comparisons when pages are in double figures maybe less so.

And yes the comparisons comment was flip, and I probably wouldn’t have made it if the person scifisam was responding to hadn’t been a man. And there is a whole side debate as to whether dealing with these more serious things with wry humour if you’re in the group targeted is OK or not, I’m tired and probably not up for that at present so I will apologise if you felt that was serious reflection by association on you.

 

[JimW]

I hate to break it to you but I think that is down to biology and diet rather than training!

Nonsense, rabbit kittens naturally prefer weetabix or a curry but the older ones force their little heads into the droppings until they give in. Cruel Nature.

 

[two sheds]

bastards rabbits are particularly feral ones.

 

[JimW]

bastards rabbits are particularly feral ones.

I saw that Watership Down documentary.

 

[Epona]

I hadn’t seen your comments, I presume they were earlier? You didn’t appear to be in the exchange. Tbf some comparison to cats is understandable, comparisons when pages are in double figures maybe less so.

And yes the comparisons comment was flip, and I probably wouldn’t have made it if the person scifisam was responding to hadn’t been a man. And there is a whole side debate as to whether dealing with these more serious things with wry humour if you’re in the group targeted is OK or not, I’m tired and probably not up for that at present so I will apologise if you felt that was serious reflection by association on you.

Fair enough, apologies if I misinterpreted your post and reacted badly as a result of that misunderstanding xx

 

[The39thStep]

I had a terrier like that.
My collie just rounds them up though, which can be useful if you want to put them away before it's dark so you can go out or something without the fox getting to them.

It was weird as the dog has never touched them in 3 /4 years. Perhaps the dog has been reading this thread and thinking might as well go out with a bang if the future is vegan dog food. Dunno

 

[Epona]

It was weird as the dog has never touched them in 3 /4 years. Perhaps the dog has been reading this thread and thinking might as well go out with a bang if the future is vegan dog food. Dunno

Is that unusual though for a domestic household pet dog? Is the dog alright?

Or are they just as unpredictable as cats (sorry, doing it again! ) around smaller animals that could potentially be lunch?

 

[LDC]

This thread is hilariously bonkers everyone, good work.

 

[Funky_monks]

It was weird as the dog has never touched them in 3 /4 years. Perhaps the dog has been reading this thread and thinking might as well go out with a bang if the future is vegan dog food. Dunno

I think sometimes they just move in a way triggers prey drive. Collies rounding stuff up is a modified prey drive anyway.

 

[The39thStep]

Is that unusual though for a domestic household pet dog? Is the dog alright?

Or are they just as unpredictable as cats (sorry, doing it again! ) around smaller animals that could potentially be lunch?

The dog is fine, no cuts or bruises. I think it was quite a one sided affair tbh .Hopefully it was over in seconds

 

[two sheds]

I think it was Sas' gratuitous mention of cats above, will have tipped collie over the edge

 

[Epona]

The dog is fine, no cuts or bruises. I think it was quite a one sided affair tbh .Hopefully it was over in seconds

LOL no I meant is there anything going on with the dog that might cause her to kill one of your chickens after however many years or relative harmony, not a query about who came off worse in the incident (which I know is likely to be the chicken)

 

[The39thStep]

Here's the culprit

 

[Spymaster]

Here's the culprit

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Looking a bit too pleased with himself, tbh.