Should dogs be vegetarian?

Should dogs be vegetarians? I've gotten several emails from readers asking me this question. From everything I know, have read and keep reading about dog nutrition, the answer is no! Not maybe, but no!

Just to be sure, I wanted to discuss this with a dog food expert. I turned to Dr. Jane to get you an answer.

Dr. Jane Bicks, is a veterinarian and author of three national books on pet care and nutrition.

Dr. Jane says: "A dog's diet should not be vegetarian based. While people can thrive on a vegetarian diet, dogs cannot for many reasons, which include:

Dogs have a different gastrointestinal (GI) tract than we do. Digestion of nutrients occur during their journey down the GI tract. Vegetables and other carbohydrates are more difficult to digest than animal protein such as chicken, fish and egg. The longer the GI tract, the more time there is for the nutrients to break up and be digested. Humans have a much longer digestive tract than dogs.

Every animal has a unique chemical pathway that has evolved over time. When one looks at the anatomy and physiology of a dog and a human, there are distinct differences, which reflect the need for different diets.

One such difference is readily seen by comparing a dog's teeth to a human's teeth. Dogs have long sharp canine teeth, which are used to tear meat, while humans do not. Human teeth are made primarily for grinding. When a human's diet consists of animal proteins and fats, cholesterol can rise and become a health threat. When dogs eat this sort of a diet, high cholesterol levels do not become a problem.

There are vegetarian diets available for dogs. Unfortunately for the dog, they may offer 100% nutrition but generally at a minimum level rather than optimum."

The above article is quoted from Dr. Jon (www.petplace.com)