You may be living a vegetarian lifestyle and wonder if your pet can share in the same type of experience. The simple answer to whether or not dogs can be vegetarians is simply yes. Cats, too. The fact is that many animals can live as vegetarians even if their ancestors did not (about the same way that humans can) but you’ll need to ensure you feed your pet the right types of foods to ensure he or she gets the right level of nutrition, again, just like you need to do as a vegetarian yourself.

The dog’s body does have the ability to transform amino acids into protein, something that is necessary if the pet was to avoid meat. There is no doubt that dogs and cats, too, need to have a good source of protein. And, since they can get that from amino acids, this means pets can avoid meat.

On the other hand, it is important to consider the fact that not all dogs or cats should be vegetarians. And, it is very commonly believed that dogs and cats should not be vegans. If you plan to give your pet a grain or plant based diet overall, this may be okay if you take the time to ensure you are providing a very high quality diet. Giving them just anything will not do and the animal is unlikely to thrive.

So, what if you want your pet to become a vegetarian? If you want to make the change, do it closely with a vet that specializes or at least agrees with the process. You’ll find that a well-balanced diet does require the use of quality foods and that nutrition needs to come from a variety of sources. There is no rule that says, though, that pets can’t be vegetarian if they are given quality nutrients.