If what your animal eats -- or doesn’t eat -- is important to you, here are some pets to consider
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Tara Baxter and her wife Heidi eat a vegan diet, and it was important for them that their pets be vegan, too. They live with senior bunny Emmeline, a New Zealand white rabbit. Like them, Emmeline eats out of the produce aisle.
People who follow vegetarian or vegan diets usually do so for reasons of health, ethical concerns about livestock welfare or environmental sustainability. Pets can’t make those choices, and not all are suited to it.
For dogs and cats, feeding a plant-based diet is controversial. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must have meat in their diet to thrive, and dogs are considered to be facultative carnivores, with teeth designed to crush, cut, grind, slice and hold meat, and digestive tracts more suited to digesting meat than plants.
A review of 16 studies on the effects of a vegan diet on health in dogs and cats was published last January in the journal Veterinary Science (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9860667). While researchers found little evidence of ill effects, they noted that all but two studies had limited sample sizes of two to 34 animals and in most cases lasted only weeks to months, leaving little time for nutritional deficiencies to become apparent.
If you want a vegetarian pet, avoid cats, dogs, snakes and insectivorous amphibians and lizards, says veterinarian Stephen Divers, professor of small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
“It’s tough to get amphibians and lizards to take a commercially prepared pellet because it’s often the movement of prey which stimulates the feeding response,” he says. “Even if you could come up with a dietary alternative, which I think would be difficult to do, getting the animal to accept it would be a big challenge.”
Anyone who has seen a dog carefully choose tender shoots of grass to nibble or gnaw on a carrot knows that canines have an omnivorous nature. It might be possible to maintain a dog on a vegetarian diet, but trying to maintain a cat on anything other than a complete and balanced cat food diet is a mistake that is likely to cause serious health problems, Divers says.
Fortunately, plenty of furry, feathered and scaly animals are good options if you prefer to feed pets a meat-free diet. They include rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats, birds, tortoises and lizards such as green iguanas, chuckwallas and spiny-tailed lizards.
-- Rabbits. Fresh timothy hay should be their primary food. It’s high in fiber and good for bunny teeth, digestion and weight management. Mixed leafy greens such as kale, dandelion, cilantro, parsley, spinach, romaine and red leaf lettuce are other good additions. Estimate a cup for every 2 pounds a rabbit weighs. Contrary to popular belief, carrots aren’t good for rabbits. Commercial pellets should make up only a small percentage of a rabbit’s diet.
-- Guinea pigs, hamsters and chinchillas. These furry herbivores eat a pelleted diet appropriate to each species, fresh hay and small amounts of fresh vegetables or greens daily. Guinea pigs need a vitamin C supplement.
-- Mice and rats. Rodent friends do well on a species-specific pelleted food, plus hay and fresh veggies to encourage chewing for dental health.
-- Birds. No seeds! Birds need a pelleted food that meets their nutritional needs, plus fresh fruits and veggies. A diet of seeds only is high in fat and doesn’t meet avian dietary requirements. Avoid avocados, which are toxic to birds.
-- Tortoises. These reptiles feast daily on spring mixes, dark leafy greens, flowers and timothy and alfalfa hay. They also enjoy fruits once or twice a week and will eat pelleted tortoise food.
-- Iguanas, spiny-tailed lizards and chuckwallas. Herbivorous reptiles primarily eat dark leafy greens, but a small amount of their diet can include fruits, flowers or yellow, red and orange vegetables.
Talk to your veterinarian about the appropriate percentage and types of hay or greens, veggies, fruits and supplement recommendations for each pet.
Q&A
Power outage?
Keep pets warm
Q: What are the best ways to keep exotic pets warm and safe during a power outage?
A: Birds, reptiles and pocket pets all have special needs when it comes to staying warm. Birds expend a lot of energy fluffing themselves up to stay warm, and that can wear them out. You might think that reptiles, being cold-blooded, would do well, but extended cold temperatures can affect how their bodies function, resulting in illness.
Of course, you’ll want to avoid having them near a fireplace, and propane or gas stoves can emit toxic fumes that are deadly -- especially to birds. If you’re using these types of heating aids, it’s important to keep exotics in a separate room, ideally one at a distance, and use other ways to help them stay warm.
Safe ways to provide heat include wrapping the cage or habitat in a blanket, being careful to leave an opening for ventilation; placing it in a sunny, draft-free area; and placing a filled hot water bottle beneath the grate of a cage so your pet can’t nibble on it. For reptiles, wrap a hot water bottle or handwarmer in a towel to prevent burns from direct contact. Pocket pets or bunnies will appreciate a hiding box filled with hay or soft bedding for shelter. Place a towel or blanket beneath cages on the floor to provide insulation.
Before a storm hits, ask your veterinarian whether a battery-operated heating pad is appropriate for your pet and the best temperature at which to set it.
Provide extra food and water. Both are essential for birds and pocket pets, which can be stressed from battling cold temps. Offer some special goodies to encourage them to eat, and make sure they are eating and drinking. Reptiles will do better with a brief fast. -- Dr. Marty Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Museum features
seagoing animals
-- Planning a visit to Maine? Don’t overlook the Museum of Maritime Pets, located in Rockland, on the state’s mid-coast. It documents the lives of animals living or working with people on or near the water, including maritime heroes, mascots and working and companion pets. Exhibits include the lives of pets at sea, images of animals at sea and the types of work performed by seagoing creatures, from carrier pigeons to sled dogs. A research library, available by appointment, offers information on animal maritime history, journals, diaries and other historic materials, breeds and other related topics.
-- The Lancashire heeler is the latest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club, meaning the scrappy, short, smooth-coated herding dogs can now compete in AKC conformation shows. The black-and-tan or liver-and-tan dogs work cattle by nipping at their heels, a common canine tactic for getting cattle to move. According to the United States Lancashire Heeler Club, the cute dogs have a charming smile and tail wag, but they require ongoing socialization and training, and they must have a job that challenges their brain and body. As is stated on the U.S. Lancashire Heeler Club website, “This breed is a power chewer and barks.” For more information, visit unitedstateslancashireheelerclub.com.
-- Cat lovers won’t want to miss the feline pain symposium presented April 13 to 14 by EveryCat Health Foundation and the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine Feline Health Center. Two tracks -- one for veterinary professionals and one for laypeople -- will address pain related to osteoarthritis, cancer, dental health and the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts; chronic pain and behavior; adapting the environment to manage pain; and more. For more information, go to felinepainsymposium.squarespace.com. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.