When they arrived they were dirty, had very matted hair (they have long coats that need brushing and trimming) and Lilly had a corneal ulcer on her left eye which was long overdue treatment lest the entire eye be removed. Extra medical costs for a pair of black (unpopular fur colour in rehoming) dogs unlikey to be rehomed aren't taken lightly.
The animal sanctuary didn't really have room for them as the woman who runs it does it all on her own, has over 23 Dogs, 20 + Horses, Geese, Rabbits, Cats etc. So we agreed to foster them. I (Ruth) have rescued/fostered/snuck into my bathroom non human animals since I can remember (so that's A LOT of animals) and I've loved and cared for them all but have found other homes for all but one (who lives with my parents in HK).
It is probably pertinent at this point to mention that 1) Marcus is allergic to excessive dog fur 2) Lilly and Molly have two of the worst coats for shedding I've ever seen being Belgium Shepherd Collie crosses with big undercoats. Anyway despite this issue, we fell in love with them within seconds, despite all they had been through they very quickly came to trust us, they never left our sides, Molly now hides behind Marcus whenever she's nervous (an impressive achievement for a dog who wouldn't come our from under the table if he was in the room for the first week).
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| Lilly at the Beach |
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| Molly at the Beach |
We tried them on v-dog flakes initially which they didn't like then tried v-dog nuggets which they love. They also get some extra cooked food now and again which could be anything from potatoes, kidney beans and olive oil to whatever we had the night before (no onions, dogs are allergic). They also adore carrots, seriously, we can't peel one or say the word without them being at our heels! Not only that but they took to nicking cabbage out the pots where we were growing them, cute initially but much more destructive than cabbage fly!
It's not just our opinion that they're healthy, according to the vet at their last check up about 6 weeks ago she said "They're in fantastic shape, the right weight and are very healthy. Keep doing what you're doing!". Now that's high praise from someone who peddles Iams. The other dogs vets are seeing are increasingly overweight (sometimes obese!) and listless apparently.
We knew that it was vital to us that the dogs were vegan, we couldn't justify the speciesism of feeding them other animals so we were willing to try everything and I think that is very important. Try lots of different foods, in the UK alone there's V-dog flakes,V-dog nuggets, Ami dog (hypoallergenic), Benevo,Yarah and vegedog which is a supplement powder to put on cooked food if you choose to go that way. What we're trying to say is there's so many options to try that with a bit of patience you will find the one that suits your companion/s.
We know there are those reading this who will think we're very odd and that dogs aren't vegan in the wild so shouldn't be fed vegan. You're right, dogs are natural omnivores (not carnivore as many believe) and scavengers. However post-domestication they eat whatever humans choose to give to them and the fact is that every essential nutrients required in a dog's diet can be met without any animal product whatsoever.
Every single essential amino acid, fatty acid, carbohydrate,vitamin, and mineral can be provided properly and so it can be absorbed. Therefore feeding dogs a traditional dog food with other animals and/or animal derived ingredients is certainly causing unnecessary suffering.
Finally it is vital that the dogs you rescue are spayed/neutered, there are already 120,000 dogs a year abandoned in the UK and 7551 are put down for no reason other than a lack of a home. With so many unwanted animals already, bringing more into existence increases competition for the few homes there are.
Helpful links below and remember email us/leave comments on the facebook...
Lembas - where we get our dog food,a wholefood seller in Sheffield
Veggie Pets - Labels which foods are vegan
Cerea dog chews at veggie pets although we find them everywhere,dogs adore them
Wow I never thought about feeding Rolo a vegan diet,i'm going to go order some v-dog nuggets now from veggie pets! Thank you so so so much for making me think about this. I'll do half the new food and half his old stuff until it's finished then go all vegan. Is there a vegan dog wet food?
ReplyDeleteI also meant to say your dogs are so pretty!! They're soo lucky to have such a lovely family now. If i'm in the area (i'm from Birmingham) we'll have to all meet up with my rescue Sheepdog Rolo.
ReplyDeleteHi Naomi, That's fantastic, do let us know how Rolo likes v-dog nuggets. Lilly and Molly really love it especially with a bit of gravy now and again (not to often due to salt content). Do let us know if you're in the Lincoln area :).
ReplyDeleteHey, my landlord has a vegan dog which i look after, Faith, she gets more cooked food then biscuits, usually a third of grains (lentils/buckwheat/quinoa etc) and third of veggies (brocci, sweet potatoes, normal potatoes, carrots, celery, coliflour) and a third biscuits and she seems to love all of it (well maybe not the biscuits so much) but they're soy free becuase she got issues with that, and she's always full of energy too :)
ReplyDeleteSounds good Richard, here is a collie that lived to the near oldest recorded age ever of 29 on a similar diet of lentils, rice and vegetables: http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0209/articles/020918a.htm
DeleteNow you can read about the diet and care regime of the dog who at the time of her death was the worlds oldest bitch. Its also rescue collie Brambles life story and suggests new ways of relating to the Animals in our care. Read about promoting longevity in your dog and Brambles adventures with her friends in Somerset.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ABGW8KS/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_7cnTqb0C067GYIm hoping this is easily acccessible because people have had trouble finding it on thier kindles..