When I was two years old, my grandfather bought a puppy, a German Shorthaired Pointer, because he and some friends would often go hunting on the weekends. Her name was Senta, we grew up together, and she was my best friend when I was little. This was around 1950 in Germany, and commercial dog (or cat) food was simply not available! You couldn’t just go to the store to buy kibble, and canned pet food didn’t exist either.
I thought this was due to the general food- and groceries-shortage in Germany right after the war. For example, my earliest memories of toilet paper were cut-up newspapers! But some quick research showed that in the United States as well it wasn’t before the mid-1950s that kibble became widely popular. Maybe American dogs and cats also survived on table scraps and left-overs at the time, because that was the common way to feed them.
My doggie-friend Senta was luckier. My father’s older sister, who was in charge of Senta, cooked a big pot of soup for her every day. I remember that it contained big chunks of meat, potatoes, vegetables, and probably bones. I doubt people knew that cooked bones are brittle and that the sharp shards can do a lot of damage. Senta had no trouble with bones; the only time she was seriously ill was when she got distemper. I was maybe seven or eight years old and was worried sick. I couldn’t sleep at night because of the danger that we might lose her. But she got well again – my best friend would stay with me a while longer.
I remembered Senta’s doggie-soup when I was considering a vegan diet for my dogs. This was a controversial subject among vegans: some would swear by it, but others thought it was torture to leave meat and other animal products out of one’s dog’s diet. Dogs are carnivores, people would say – which is incorrect, dogs are omnivores, just as humans. Dogs don’t NEED meat. “Compared to true carnivores, dogs produce more of the enzymes needed for starch digestion, have much lower protein and amino acid requirements, and can easily utilize vitamin A and D from plant sources, just as people do.”1
The advantages of vegan/vegetarian dog food are obvious: It’s better for the planet, it’s cruelty-free, and it is better for your dog’s health. Besides, commercial dog food often contains animal by-products and meat from disabled and diseased animals. It is unfit for human consumption. The owners of a vegan dog food company, on the other hand, state that they eat the dog kibble because it is healthy, human-grade food. Sounds like the right food for our beloved companions, doesn’t it.
However, I simply can’t afford vegan dog food. To feed my three medium- to large dogs, it would cost me close to $400 a month, And I just don’t have it. That’s why I came up with this compromise: I'll cook them a big doggie soup once a week and add regular dog food (kibble and cans) in between.
A quick word of warning for cat food, though. Cats are indeed carnivores, which means that they need certain nutrients that are not plant-based, such as the amino acids taurine and arginine. Plus, they get the necessary amounts of vitamin A and D from animal sources. Commercial vegan cat food will have the correct amounts added, synthesized from vegan sources. If you decide to make your own vegan cat food, it is essential that you supplement it with these important ingredients.
So, here is my Doggie-Soup recipe:
Ingredients:
1 LB dry lentils, soaked in water overnight
1 LB brown rice
2 sweet potatoes, diced
3 medium potatoes, diced
¼ of kabocha or small pumpkin, diced
4 lg. carrots, sliced
4 stalks of celery, sliced
1 cube of vegetable bouillon
¼ c coconut oil
Some spinach and/or kale
Preparation:
Rinse the lentils, wash the rice, put into a 6-quart slow cooker, and add about 4 quarts of water (I bring it to a boil in an electric kettle before adding to the crock pot). Add all the prepared vegetables and the bouillon cube. Let cook for about 6 hours, until you have a thick stew. Stir in the coconut oil and spinach and/or kale, let simmer for another 15 - 20 min.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, use a regular 7 - 8 quart cooking pot with a lid, Bring the water to a boil, add lentils, rice, vegetables, and bouillon, stir everything, turn the heat to low, add the lid, and let simmer for `1 - 1½ hours. Check that the rice is soft; you may have to add a bit more water and let it cook some more. Add the coconut oil and spinach/kale, simmer for another 10 minutes.
Make sure the soup is at room temperature before serving. The quantities listed last for about two days with my three dogs; one is close to 80 LB, one is about 55 - 60 LB, and one is around 40 LB. Adjust the recipe according to your needs. Keep unused portions in the refrigerator.