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Post by michele5611 on Aug 7, 2013 8:58:17 GMT -5
www.dailytelegraph.com.au/kitten-nearly-dies-from-vegan-diet/story-e6freuy9-1226682108386?utm_source=Copy+of+VNN+Media+Insider+8-3-13&utm_campaign=August+3rd%2C+2013&utm_medium=emailA KITTEN has almost died after its owners fed it a strict vegan diet. The horrific case at a North Melbourne animal hospital has prompted a warning about the dangers of people "forcing ideologies" on their pets. Lort Smith Animal Hospital veterinarian Leanne Pinfold said the kitten was brought in this month by its owners, who were believed to be vegan. She said the kitten's diet of potatoes, rice milk and pasta had caused it to become critically ill. "It was extremely weak and collapsed when it came in. It was almost non-responsive," Dr Pinfold said. The kitten was given fluids via a drip, placed on a heat pad and fed meat. It remained in hospital for three days after which the kitten's owners were given meat to feed their pet at home, she said. Dr Pinfold said as obligate or true carnivores, cats needed meat to survive. She said people who wanted a pet that did not eat meat should consider other animals, such as rabbits. "Concern for animal welfare has to include a biologically-appropriate diet," she said. "You can't force your ideology on the cat. "Carnivores will seek out meat and your cat is possibly more likely to go hunting and kill local native fauna if you deprive it of meat.'' Dr Pinfold said she had not come across a similar case in her 11 years as a veterinarian.
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Post by RealPitBull on Aug 7, 2013 9:17:02 GMT -5
I don't agree with feeding cats a vegan diet but FWIW, that diet was just neglectful. That is a diet devoid of nutrition. I highly doubt if the cat was fed a typical, "correct" vegan food it would have come into the vet clinic like that. I also find it really obnoxious that the couple was just "believed" to be vegan.
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Post by melonie on Aug 7, 2013 18:40:45 GMT -5
We would be malnourished if all we ate was potatoes rice milk and pasta. I think you can deliver proper nutrition w/out meat, but cats must have extra taurine in their diet or else they run into health problems. But I wouldn't feed a cat (or dog) a vegan diet. They aren't biologically set up to survive that way. We humans are lucky in that we can survive on all types of diets. Although the processed/fast food diet is proving destructive to human health.
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Post by sugar on Aug 8, 2013 9:15:59 GMT -5
But I wouldn't feed a cat (or dog) a vegan diet. They aren't biologically set up to survive that way. We humans are lucky in that we can survive on all types of diets. Although the processed/fast food diet is proving destructive to human health. Very true! Cats are true carnivores and they really need the nutrition of a carnivore's diet. All the junk they put in a lot of commercial cat foods (glutens, corn, soy, etc) is really hurting them. But yeah, anyone (or anything for at matter) would become incredibly malnourished eating just potatoes, rice milk and pasta...I mean come on!
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Post by catstina on Aug 8, 2013 19:10:35 GMT -5
Milk isn't vegan.
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Post by megan on Aug 11, 2013 12:31:04 GMT -5
Wow.... just wow. Why don't people do research into what their pet's species is designed to eat or required to eat, health-wise?? I mean, realistically speaking, with the proper supplements and additives, I suppose it *might* be possible to feed a cat a solely vegan diet, but did they truly expect the cat to survive on potatoes, rice milk and pasta...? It was rice milk, not cow/goat/etc. milk. Rice milk is (or should be, depending on the brand) vegan.
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Post by catstina on Aug 11, 2013 22:23:04 GMT -5
Ah, must have misread it.
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