Raising vegan pets and kids?

[Jessica.veggiegirl]

It is still two years before i even move out on my own and many more after that before children but i think about this a lot. What do you think of raising vegan children and pets? As far as pets go i plan to feed my future dogs a whole foods diet and because they would eat meat in the wild i think they should still eat animal foods with me but i want to find the most human fish and egg sources and add that to a whole foods diet. I will also consult animal nutrionists and etc. as well. I have heard that feeding your dogs a whole foods diet rather than processed dry food can make them live longer as well.

Now moving on to kids which would be MUCH harder it seems. I am thinking that i want to raise my children vegan at home and really teach them about the importance of what you eat and loving animals but right now i feel like until they decide for themselves they should be able to choose most of their own foods when eating at friends homes and etc. Although i ate dairy and eggs (i hated eggs but ate them when cooked into something else) growing up did not eat meat from birth until i was almost 14 (except for some meat my parents tried to force me to eat when i was a toddler). I have always been healthier, more muscular, more energetic, and more athletic than all of my friends and the year i ate meat was when i felt the worst and gained a lot of weight. I now haven't gotten sick at all since September, am building muscle at a steady pace, and am healthy and happy. I have NO doubts on raising a child on a vegan diet can easily be healthy as long as you are educated but because of how hard it could be for the child socially i think it would be ok to let the child decide for themselves when outside of the home. What are your thoughts?

[vegan_rossco]

I would definitely raise my kids vegan or at least vegetarian until they were old enough to make their own decision, obviously I have to take my omnivorous girlfriend into account.. When it comes to pets, I've never really thought about it, just get your dog or whatever checked every now and again to make sure it's fit and healthy and responding well to its diet

[VeganEssentials]

Lots of people have raised vegan kids from birth and done an exceptional job, it's more than possible with a few books on the subject out there. No kids for me, so I'm not great for advice on how to do it, but I know there are a lot of vegan parenting resources out there.

 

Cats and dogs can also be vegan, dogs overall are VERY easy to change to a vegan diet, cats a bit more tricky but can be done with the right foods. Both require specific nutrition for ideal health, so make sure that if you try it, you use vegan cat/dog foods that are nutritionally complete (such as Ami, Evolution Diet, Hoana, etc.) to ensure that things are being done properly to avoid deficiencies.

[mrsbadmouth]

http://veganhealth.org/articles/realveganchildren (I love that site)

 

My dogs eat vegan kibble and wet food, plus sweet potato. I have a hard time finding soft vegan dog treats for my older dog though, he doesn't have a lot of teeth these days (I soak his kibble too). They take pills that aren't vegan and I don't care if people give them non-vegan dog cookies but I get mad if someone tries to feed them actual meat or cheese because they're not going to have to deal with the runs they'll get (also, seriously, do not give my dog microwave chemical popcorn or chips, jeez)! They're both very energetic and have shiny coats and they poop like furry little dreams.

 

I also have three cats, and they eat meat based kibble and the best wet cat food I can afford. I know that there are vegan cat foods, but cats ARE carnivores. If I became uncomfortable with feeding them these things, I would stop adopting cats, but that's just how I personally feel.