Pause For Thought:
- Every year many chickens, turkeys, rabbits, cattle, sheep and fish (mainly trout, salmon, tuna and plaice) are slaughtered in order to produce the tins of pet food that many of us in the developed world feed to our cats and dogs. Many of these animals have been fattened up using valuable plant protein, which could have been better used to feed the undernourished in the developing world.
- A lot of this 'convenience' pet food is packaged in non-biodegradable steel cans.These are rarely, if ever, recycled and usually end up as extra waste in our landfill sites.
- If you have been for a walk recently, then you may also have noticed all the dog faeces on the canal paths, in the woods and fields and even lying on the pavement in many areas. Dog dirt which has been left lying around by careless dog owners who either don't know that it is a health hazard, or more probably, simply don't care. Dogs are often infected with the roundworm, Toxocara cani. This intestinal parasite produces many eggs, which leave the dog's body in its faeces. If any of these eggs are then ingested by humans, they hatch out in the intestine and the larvae migrate through the body to the liver, lungs, eyes and brain. Toddlers and young children are most likely to become infected as they frequently play with, or come into contact with, the soil.
Roundworm infections can cause severe illness in dogs and cats and symptoms can include vomiting, coughing, dull coat, diarrhoea and even bowel obstruction in more serious cases. In humans, toxocara larvae migrating to the eye can sometimes cause impaired vision or even blindness if the optic nerve is affected and it is also thought that infection with toxocara larvae can occasionally lead to epilepsy or seizures. It is not so well known that cat droppings also pose a similar health risk if they contain eggs of the roundworm Toxocara cati and that cats can carry salmonella infections, too. In fact, anyone who wants to garden by vegan-organic methods (especially if they live in a built up area) may find that their greatest difficulty in removing animal products from their garden is in trying to persuade their local moggies to go to the toilet elsewhere!
So What Can Be Done?
- First of all before you buy a pet, think carefully about if it is absolutely necessary to have one at all. It's possible to go for an enjoyable walk without a dog in tow, you know! Nowadays, many households have two or even three cats/dogs and this amounts to quite a lot of food and mess over the animals' lifespan. So, do try to minimise the damage by limiting the number of pets you have. Instead of getting a pet of your own perhaps you could share a neighbour's dog and take it for a walk? Or alternatively, you could look after a cat for your neighbours while they are away on holiday. Also, it is unwise to get a cat if you want to attract birds into your garden to help control your insect pests. Cats are a great danger to birds in suburban gardens and many lives are lost in this way. Small animals such as baby squirrels, field mice and hedgehogs can also be attacked by cats, too.
- Always, always clear up your dog's mess. Don't leave it lying around for other people to step in. Every time you take your dog for a walk, be sure to take something with you to pick up the dog mess with and something to carry it in. Dispose of dog mess safely in a special doggy bin or in your dustbin when you return home. (You can purchase pooper scoopers and dog mess bags in pet shops.) Cats should be trained to use a litter tray - preferably when they are still kittens. Wrap used litter tidily in old newspaper and dispose of it safely in your dustbin.
- Worm cats and dogs regularly. Be aware that they can also get tapeworms and other parasites as well as roundworms.
- Provide a vegan diet for your animals. Cats and dogs don't need slaughterhouse products either! And, by making some of your own pet food, you'll not only save money, but will also stop producing all those wasteful empty cans each week as well.
Vegan Food for Cats N' Dogs
Further Reading
- The Cookbook for People Who Love Animals. Gentle World. This book has a good selection of recipes for vegan dogs and cats on pages 159-166. (See this month's book review.)
- Cats Go Vegan. Article by Amanda Rofe, whose cats have been on a vegan diet for eleven years. The Vegan. Autumn 1997. P 10-11. Available from the Vegan Society UK.
- Vegetarian Cats and Dogs. By James Peden. All about Vegekat and its development.
Interesting Websites:
Pet Products By Mail:
While researching for this article, I had a look round my local petshop
and supermarkets to see what they had on offer for the vegan cat/dog. The
answer was not very much I'm afraid. All I came across was a product called
Wafcol Vegetarian which is approved by the Vegetarian Society and
seems to be suitable for the vegan dog, too. This entirely, meat and meat
by product-free, product did not appear to contain any milk products or
eggs, either. It's made from a blend of vegetables and cereals. (I found
this product in a branch of Pet City.) Look out, too, for Oscar Vegetarian
Dog Food in your pet shop, as this brand of dog food is recommended in the
Animal Free Shopper. You may also find Nouvelle Vegetarian Dog Food in
your supermarket. -
Harbingers of a New Age. This company supplies Vegedog by mail order in the USA.
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Green Ark Cereal Mix for Dogs.
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Hillside Animal Sanctuary's Seaweed Supplement For Pets