Surprise!
Last week I adopted the sweetest little pooch there ever was and I decide to name her Chickpea.
I've always been a dog person. I grew up with 3 dogs that I adored. However, these dogs were always living at my parents farm, which is pretty easy and happy way for a dog to grow up. 100 acres of freedom for the pooch = no picking up of poop! I hate picking up poop.
When I moved from home I lived in Montreal, then LA, and now have been happily settled in Toronto for the last 5 years. With all of the moving about, I knew a dog just wasn't a smart choice for me just yet.
Now that I work full-time from home (best job ever!), I felt it was finally the right time to have a pooch of my very own. At first I started looking for puppies... because who doesn't love puppies, but then I realized that I just couldn't get a puppy when I knew perfectly well there were too many dogs in shelters that needed homes very badly. I admit, I was a bit bummed about the idea of getting an older dog at first, I was worried the dog would come with issues and not bond to me in the same way I was used to.
So with a little hesitance, I started searching my local pet shelter, as well as adoptapet.com and finally petfinder.com and there she was. A medium-little dog who had a quirky look about her, and was described as 1 year old, sweet natured, loving and lovable, with a flair for attracting attention with her soft features and bushy tail.
You know how they say that dogs look like their owners... well I mean come on, she's white all over, with blonde highlights, and fabulous eyeliner. My heart melted.
I drove an hour to go visit her where I met Ann and Pete, a lovely couple that have been fostering dogs for over 30 years until the dogs are able to find permanent homes. After a chat with Ann and Pete I found out that they are veg too, woot!
I met Chickpea (she was called Jodi at the time). She was super nervous of me at first, but was so soft, quiet and she watched my every move with those big adorable eyes. I took her home that day. She hid in the back of my car, but stared up at me every time I looked back at her. Nervous, but she instantly seemed to trust me. It wasn't long before she was glued to my side.
I admit at first I was a little nervous about my impromptu decision. I just adopted a life that I would have to care for, and on top of that, she sheds as if she were trying to make me a rug. Seriously. But shedding and all I knew I had found myself a new best friend. I mean just look at that smile!
Adopting a dog it turned out, was the best decision ever. Chickpea came from northern Quebec, where apparently there are many stray dog that are often left neglected, abandoned, or abused. I really think dogs know that you rescued them. My worries about adopting a dog were completely gone. She had no issues, she just needed a loving home, and with that love came instant bonding. ♥
Chickpea is so insanely smart, she was house trained, learned her name, and how to sit in 2 days. Learned how to heel on the leash in 3, and learned how to lie down, not jump up, and is getting pretty good at peeing on command even! (I tell her "washroom" as "go pee" sounds a little too similar to Chickpea). She is so quiet I have yet to hear her bark, but she is so happy and excited about life it makes every day just so much fun. I swear I can just talk to her and she seems to understand me.
Snuggling is her absolute favourite. When I watch a movie, she snuggles into my side and looks back at me like this. It's impossible not to laugh every time. She's also taken to bopping me on the nose when she wants me to wake up in the morning, which I don't think is particularly funny...
Of course, as the vegan that I am, I was worried about feeding her animal based dog food. I was surprised, and thrilled that when I called 3 different local vets they were all totally supportive of a high-quality vegan diet for dogs.
Actually, I just got back from Chickpea's first vet visit, and the doctor recommended the vegan dog food for her anyways as she seems to suffer from a bit of allergies (part of the shedding problem), and he thinks the food will help. Very, very cool. So now I am transitioning her to a vegan diet, and let me tell you, she seems as thrilled about it as I am.
She has decided this is her favourite chair, and sits looking at me like this while I type away or cook, and every time I look at her, she wags her tail. Seriously, could you be more cute!?
Feeling sappy today.
Sam.
Just a quick Congrats on your new (ish at this point) friend. Chiming in to add that I have 5 rescued 'pitbulls' who are all vegan and doing just fine. Years ago I fed a dog a raw diet and she did no better than my dogs do now.
Thank you for adopting. Your chickpea is a cutie, may you have years and years of joy with her.
Thank you so much, Linda! So amazing of you to adopt 5 pitbulls, and all vegan too! Adorable!!
Meet Chickpea (orange) & Lentil (grey), adopted in February from Zoe's animal rescue here in Edmonton. They are 4 year old siblings. They aren't vegan yet but I'm looking into it, as it is more difficult for cats.
Oops, I guess I can't copy a photo here. Anyway, they are adorable.
Haha, great names! 🙂
Hello! I just found you through Viet Vegan. Your dog is adorable and I am glad you made the decision to feed her a vegan diet. We have a six year old hound/boxer mix who has been on a vegan diet since he was several months old and we adopted a chihuahua/jack russell terrier mix have been feeding her a vegan diet since her adoption three years ago. I did find that some of the vegan dog foods are somewhat low in protein, but V-dog at 24% protein seems just right. We also occasionally feed them peanut butter to add a bit more protein to their diet. And they love the stuff.
Haha, yes, Chickpea LOVES peanut butter. So great that you are raising your dogs vegan as well! Good to note about the protein. Welcome to my blog, and I'm glad you found me 🙂
Amazing, rescue is the way to go. You did such a good thing! I know this is an older post, but hopefully you have had a wonderful year together!
Thank you so much, Kayla! We sure have. So happy to have wonderful Chickpea in my life, she makes me laugh everyday 🙂
Chickpea!! I love the name. And I learned a lot form everyone about vegan dogs! Healthy strong vegan dogs! Well, as a newbie vegan I will have to check out some of the links listed for dogs. Thanks for all the great info! You rock Girlfriend!!
My pleasure! There are lots of new vegan dog food brands coming out on the market all the time now to 🙂
Hey there,
Your dog is beautiful and I'm so glad you adopted an older pup. All 4 of mine have been older when I adopted and there's never been an issue with learning. Dogs are so adaptable.
And Chickpea is so super adorable!! I wanna just snuggle her.
As far as the vegan diet for dogs, though, I have to fully disagree with your vets. I am actually very surprised that you had so many recommend it. Though it is totally fine for humans to go vegan, Dogs are not omnivores, they're carnivores....just a little more able to eat plant matter than cats (never should a cat be vegan or even vegetarian).
Here's some information from a source I've grown to trust.
Part 1: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/09/27/pet-vegan-vegetarian-diet.aspx
Part 2: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/10/04/pet-vegan-vegetarian-diet-part-2.aspx
Please, at least look into it further for your pup's sake.
Hi there,
I appreciate your concern, and I knew that there would be some people who would be against the vegan diet for Chickpea. As a vegan, the last thing I would want to do is hurt an animal. I personally know some dogs on a vegan diet and they are thriving, so with that, the vets recommendation, and a bit of research on my own, I was comfortable trying a vegan diet. I have made the transition to a vegan diet for Chickpea and am keeping a close eye on her, but so far I'm thrilled at the results. (I plan to write a post about this after a few months).
When I got Chickpea she had skin issues, she was excessively shedding, had bald spots, and had teary eyes. My vet suspected that this was due to allergies and recommended the vegan food which happens to be for dogs with allergies. Since she has been on it her shedding has decreased to a normal amount, her bald spots are growing in, and her eyes no longer tear. On top of that her white fur used to have a yellow tone to it, it has now gone crispy snowy white, her fur is softer, she has put on a bit of weight (which she needed), and she is just bouncing around non-stop with playful energy and smiling at me. So far she truly seems to be thriving on this diet. If she wasn't I wouldn't keep her on it. Here's an article that supports vegetarian diets for dogs if you are interested. (There are plenty articles for both view points).
Chickpea is so cute! My family also adopted a dog about 4 years ago, and he was about 2 years-old. He was instantly so grateful and is such an amazing companion.
On a slightly different note, I'm transitioning into being vegan and your recipes really inspired me to start cooking. I've done a few of them and they haven't disappointed me or my omnivore family. Thank you so much for all the effort and thought and love you put into everything, it really comes through! I can't wait for your cookbook and wish you a lot of success <3 love from Brazil
Thank you so much Liv! I feel very lucky to have found Chickpea. Congrats on your transitioning to veganism!! Please let me know if you ever have any questions or need any support. <3 from Canada 🙂
Chickpea is adorable and I love that you took a chance on an adult dog, they are the best! I've been heavily involved in rescue for years and am always encouraging everyone to consider an adult dog over a puppy (even though we have a lot of those too). It is a common misconception that they won't bond to you the same way as a pup but it's just the opposite, they are grateful and appreciate you. Wishing you many years of happiness and look forward to updates on Chickpea's vegan journey!
Thank you so much! I feel very lucky to have found her, she's the sweetest dog ever. And being able to skip over the house training and chewing on things phases was really nice. I would definitely recommend to anyone considering getting a dog to adopt an older one! 🙂
Chickpea is absolutely adorable - and she is so lucky to go to such a great home! - Looks like she is so happy and has settled in well!!
Thank you so much Katie! She loves her new home... isn't too thrilled about strangers, cars, or strollers yet, but is getting better! Haha. 🙂
Congrats Sam and Chickpea for finding each other. I must say you both look adorable! Sam, your new best buddy is super cute. I know you will both enjoy each other immensely. Thanks for raising the point about vegan dog food. We have cats and a dog and all are on extremely high-quality, 100% Canadian food made in small batches for utmost freshness; however, they are meat based. I appreciate your response about cats being carnivorous, but that dogs are omnivores. I'm going to check out the two brands you reference. Happy puppy-love, Sam.
Thank you so much Srivani!! I feel pretty lucky when I get to wake up and see those cute eyes looking at me. 🙂 Awesome! I hope your pooches enjoy the vegan dog food as much as Chickpea seems to be so far. She literally wags her tail the whole time she is eating. Haha!
Chickpea is adorable glad you guys found each other. I feed my dog V-dog it's one of the best vegan food I've found. She also loves their V- breathe bones
Thanks so much Luci! I have heard great things about V-Dog, looking forward to trying it when it comes to Canada. 🙂
Awwww! I lost my dog this winter and my heart still breaks. He died of lymphoma. Before that, my other dog died of a pancreatic tumor. Both very young 5-6 years. My heart is like (vegan) "hamburger." The only thing preventing me from getting another dog is what to feed as I feel the raw chicken we fed Stanley led to his tumor and well, Mojo ate everything from organic turkey and beef to boca burgers - we kept changing it up because of Stanley. So who knows there other than perhaps the Golden breed. I would very much like to have a furry compadre again - they are the best! - but I would need to feed him/her a vegan diet. It's great to hear your vet was on board with that! Congratulations on your furry friend. She seems so so sweet and I know you two make a great pair! Such a cute name, too.
Always so sad to loose our furry family members 🙁 Yeah, I was surprised at how every vet I called seemed totally on board! Made me very happy. So far Chickpea seems to be loving it as well. Thanks so much for the well wishes Kathy 🙂
So proud of you doing this and for adopting a dog. My aunt in India gave her dog vegetarian food and there were no issues. Glad you are sticking to your guns with the pet food
Thank you so much Savita! So far Chickpea seems to be really enjoying it, so I am thrilled 🙂
I use Natural Balance vegan kibble I currently have 2 labs and 2 min pins. My two Jack rRussells lived to 15 and 16 years old on this food. I also had two labs live to 14 and 16 I feel it is a good quality kibble. I add fruits and veggies to it as well
Great to hear Joan! I have a sample of the Royal Canin brand that my vet gave me, but the Natural Balance is available at my pet store which seems a little more convenient so I was going to try that one as well. Glad to know it works for your pooches 🙂
Hi from India 🙂 I am so glad you adopted chickpea 🙂 very sweet of you ..God Bless you and Chickpea
Thank you so much Jemima! Hello from Canada 🙂
She could NOT be more cute. She's pathologically cute. Are you sure you aren't just using her to manipulate us into total loyalty towards you and your blog?
Hahahahahaha!!!! Maybe..... haha 🙂
Awwww, Sam and Chickpea! You've rescued one another from any possible future dreary days! Congratulations to both of you on your expanding family. Chickpea...you've even got little chickpea goggles! You;ve got a face that will launch a million zillion kisses. XOXOX Debbie and Sierra
She does have Chickpea goggles!! Haha. I keep leaving pink lipstick marks on her head when I kiss her. Haha!!
What an adorable choice, Sam. Lucky Chickpea! Congratulations to you both!
Thank you so much Erin 🙂
What brand dog food have you chosen? The store that offers it here (michigan) is horribly expensive.
Chickpea is so cute, what a sweetie! Dogs are the best!!! They rescue US!!! 🙂
So true! Thank you Tricia 🙂
She is such a cutie!!! and I love her name 🙂
Thank you Leigh! 😀
COngrats Sammie...enjoy your new baby! Xo Caron
Thank you so much Caron!! She's the cutest. 🙂
What a sweet looking dog. I actually had never considered a vegan diet for my animals. I didn't even know there was such a thing. However I will look into it, as I have a cat (Squeak) and a dog (Willow) and would be super pleased if they were vegan. Thanks for the heads up and wishing you many happy years with Chickpea (really cute name)
Thank you so much Sandi! From what I understand, as dogs are omnivores they can thrive on a plant based diet, but cats are obligate carnivores and cannot. That said, I am not a vet! I have found several different companies that sell vegan dog food and I am testing them all out on Chickpea to see what she likes best. So excited that my household can remain vegan!
Sammi, something else very interesting about her name. In the Movie 'Nell" Jodi Foster played the lead role. She was a mountain woods cabin girl who was left entirely on her own when her twin sister died. She had extremely limited language skills but would look in the mirror and say "Chick a pay" to her own image. It was the endearing nickname "Chickadee" that her mother had called her. So here is our Jodi who is now Chickpea. I l
just love it. Auntie Arlene
Hahaha! What a coincidence! Love it. 🙂
I may not be able to resist calling her Chick-a-pay. I think she night like it. We'll see.
I love that you now have a Forever Home, Chickpea!!! You and your new Mommy are going to be very, very happy!! Sending lots of love to you both and especially to your Mommy for "going that extra mile to find you"!!
Aww thanks Nancy!! She is the best little companion I could ask for 🙂
Congratulations Sam! Chickpea is adorable! Like you, we adopted a dog who was a year old because I knew puppies had a much better chance at finding a home. Probably the same reason we are suckers for black cats too. 🙂 Our sweet girl is almost 7 now, and absolutely one of our best decisions ever. I look forward to more Chickpea stories and pictures. She's a lucky girl!
Oh I love black cats too! So elegant. Thank you so much Kristi! So excited to share my life with her. 🙂
PRECIOUS! i'm a big proponent of adopting dogs and you found yourself quite a cutie!
Yeah, she's pretty cute all right... Once I look into adopting dogs, I just knew I couldn't go any other way 🙂
Like Albert above, I also feed my dog a raw meat diet. After loosing Scrappy, and knowing food is medicine for my own diet, and I only bought him the best dry food out there - or so I thought - him getting sick really shocked me. So for my newest addition, he is getting raw. I am not completely vegetarian myself, but do like to eat that way as much as possible. Saying that - have you thought of giving your dog bone broth??? A new company in Edmonton called "Bo & Marrow" are making bone broth for people but also have one for dogs. (www.BOANDMARROW.COM)
Yes, I have put my dog on this because in the wild, they would eat the bones of animals and to me, this is how he can get the bone benefits without eating the bones! (the bones they sell in pet shops just do not seem right to me..... I do not buy them.)
I think Chickpea is just a perfect fit for you. I am glad you went and got her, you both will be very happy together and the pictures are soooo cute!!! Thanks for sharing the new addition to your family with us!!!
Thank you so much Brenda!
I am going to try and raise Chickpea completely vegan if I can, if I have to make the food, I will do so, but since my vet recommended this brand of food to me, I am going to try the pre-made stuff for now and watch her health carefully. Thanks for the recommendations 🙂
I love that you adopted a dog! AND they do know when they are rescued. I have had cats and dogs all my life, till recently (both have gone to puppy heaven, they had long (16 years and 18 years), love filled lives). It's weird not having a dog or cat around. I'm glad you adopted. You are right, there are too may out there that need loving homes. I'm not sure what end of town you are in, but if you need vet recommendations, the one we went to in Forest Hill was amazing!
Thanks so much Lizzie 🙂
Yeah, it felt pretty weird to me too when I first moved out of home. I had to get in the habit of actually picking up the food I dropped on the floor. Haha!
So awesome! I adopted a 2 year old standard dachshund about 4 weeks ago and he gets better every day. He makes me laugh and I believe that I am his emotional support human!
Awww I love that! I think we defiantly support dogs emotionally as much as they support us. 🙂
She is a lovely and very smart dog. The time that you spent grooming her has really paid off, she looks great, is soft and fluffy, and I just bet that the hair shedding will end.
Well done Sammie, and welcome Chickpea
DAD
Thanks dad!
Apparently the shedding was due to her lack of grooming before me, poor diet, stress, and the hot weather, but the vet also thought it was a bit of allergies and the new food should help!
She is super soft and fluffy now for sure!
I have a 15 year old black lab who's still going strong, and I credit her 12 year Vegan diet! Go Veg-pets (I just made that up!)!
What brand do you use?
My vet recommended Royal Canin as that's what his clinic sells, and I am also trying Natural Balance. V-Dog is not yet available in Canada, but when it is I will look forward to trying that one as well 🙂
Love it!! So happy to hear of so many healthy, happy vegan dogs. Go Veg-pets!
She is darling. I have 4 dogs all vegan
Congratulations on your new babe
Yay! Congrats on your vegan pooches! Do you have any recommendations of brands of food or treats they love?
D'awwww Yay for rescues!!! XOXOXO
Agree! 🙂
I love every possible element of this post. You so warmed my heart. Thank you for saving a life - and such a beautiful one, at that. 🙂 Much luck and love to you and your new little sweetheart.
xoxo
Aww thank YOU Becky!
Awww, what a cutie. My girls are jealous! Love the name, too. Congratulations!
Haha thank you so much Scott 🙂
congratulations !!, her name is very sweet, I feel very happy for both. we have at home 7 dogs and 5 cats; It is a bit difficult to get vegan pet food here but we try to give them a food with more vegetables than meat, plus they love fresh vegetables and fruits!
Wow! You have a lot of furry company, you must never get bored! I love that they eat fresh veggies and fruit! So far Chickpea is a bit picky of an eater, but likes frozen banana slices as a treat. 🙂
I am so happy to see that another dog has been saved and placed in a safe and loving home. I have two shelties now and before I got them I had one sheltie and her name was Tazzie. She taught me many lessons about life and about treating dogs with modern medicine verses holistic (homeopathic) remedies. She had recurring ear infections and then had surgery on her ear to relieve pain and infection. We had to bring her back for a check up on her ear and since she didn't like to ride in cars I asked if she could have her annual shots while we were there. So the vet gave her the shots that she needed and she got sick the next day and we rushed her to the University Animal Hospital. She was there for a week in ICU and in a oxygen kennel. She died 6 days after receiving her shots. I learned a lot about vaccinations and the impact that they have on the immune system and that they should NOT be given if the animal is sick. Its been 9 years and I still feel the pain of not knowing that she should not have had the shots. I try to spread my story about losing my fur baby to as many people as I can in her memory.
Becki, your story broke my heart. I lost my Scrappy due to cancer when he was still very young and loosing an animal you love is always hard. But, you did not give her the shots - people who should have known better did - and they should have said 'no' to your request and told you why. And then Tassie was healed from her operation, then you could have gotten the shots. This is not your fault, but that does not make it an easier to bear the loss.
I am sorry I spelt Tazzie wrong in the above post. I hit the 's' by mistake.
Wow what a sad sad story... loosing our loved ones is always hard. I agree with Brenda, it wasn't your fault, so try not to beat yourself up about it. A good lesson to have learned and to spread. I will always make sure Chickpea is in full health before getting any shots. Thanks so much for sharing your story!
Chickpea is utterly adorable! Those eyes.... No wonder you fell in love! I hope you have a wonderful (and very, very long) life together! Enjoy!
Yeah she's pretty cute all right! Thank you so much Heleen 🙂
Chickpea is a very lucky girl. Good for you for adopting... Just one more reason why I love you and your blog Seriously, I've been following you for your recipes and your brave life choices. Congrats girl!
Aww shucks, thank you tamara! I's been an exciting adventure, I feel so lucky that I get to share it with you... and that my feet are currently being warmed by my new furry best friend 😀
OH MY GOD SHE'S SO CUUUUUUTTTTTEEEEEEEAEHFBUZeigfhqeipruqgs! <3 <3
Yeah..... she's pretty cute all right. 🙂
So are you feeding her a particular brand of vegan dog food or making your own? My dogs will eat green beans and they absolutely love Brussels sprouts but I've never given them anything else.
I would be too nervous to make my own as I want to make sure Chickpea gets all of the nutrients she needs and in the right quantities. My vet recommended to me Royal Canin because that's the brand they sell in the clinic. I have also seen Natural Balance in my local pet store, and heard great things about V-Dog, which isn't yet sold in Canada, but when I emailed them, they said it will be coming soon. So I will definitely try V-Dog when it comes out! I also noticed there were many dog treats that are vegan (accidental or not).
JUST FYI.....vet brands are garbage. like really poor quality. i would highly recommend against listening to any vet with regards to food unless they've actually done their research. they have to go out of their way to learn as it's not really taught in school. for example: my vet is all gung-ho against raw diets but her arguments are more to do with safe handling practices than anything else. i've met many dogs on raw and had my boys on raw and saw nothing but improvement despite what my vet thinks.
generally speaking, what the vets know about food they carry is what they're told by the companies that are providing them food. biased much??
here's a note - do old adage of keeping your dog on only one type of food was created by the dog food companies so you'd keep buying from them. it's actually detrimental to keep a dog on one type of food forever as it can lead to sensitivities and won't provide a healthy, balanced diet.
i've had to do a LOT of research because my dogs are allergic to so many things (including broccoli and flax). they are allergic to the hypoallergenic vet foods - previous owners were giving them this along with ridiculous levels of prednisone that actually shocked my vets and immunosuppressants.... vets treat symptoms, they do not find out the cause.
vet brands and many (many) commercial brands are about as healthy as eating lucky charms for breakfast every day. just because they've fortified them with a pile of vitamins and minerals does not mean it's actually healthy in anyways. and the quality standars that need to be met are so low.
the newest "hypoallergenic" food is now made from the very first part of a bird that any animal removes first....the feathers. i'm pretty sure the companies did not look to find a new, alternative protein for our allergic pets. i'm pretty sure they went, "hey, all of those feathers are just being thrown out. how can we profit off of them?"
yeah, garbage and my vet is telling me that's healthy.
no.
again, i would really recommend you do a lot more research just on pet foods in general. there are a lot of resources out there.
if you do eventually wish to make your own, you need to make sure it's balanced....which is a little harder to do with our pets.
there is a company out of guelph that has recipes and supplements to give a complete, balanced diet.
http://completeandbalanced.com/
i haven't tried it because, as i said, my poor pups are allergic to so much...i will have to get specific recipes for them.
sorry, i'm very into pets and proper diets. too many times i've seen people always purchasing corn-based, chemical-filled purina and science diet and it makes me so sad.
(sorry - i just wanted to note that the previous owners of my girls were doing exactly what their vets told them to do. in no way were they diagnosing the dogs themselves. the vets put the dogs on obscenely high prednisone.)
Seriously, seriously adorable! And good for you for adopting! We currently have four dogs ranging from 12lbs to 120lbs, plus parakeets and pet rats (all adopted). Crazy, noisy household at times, but makes us feel good that we've saved them and brought them into a secure, loving home. Puppies ... adorable, but they get adopted quickly and quite frankly, I prefer older dogs; no potting training, no chewing, and no having to constantly keep your eye on them to make sure they're not getting themselves into trouble! Lucky Chickpea for having you choose her! Beyond cute and I just love her name; suits her fabulously! Enjoy!!
Yes, the no potty training, no chewing, no babysitting, were all so nice!! I'm too busy for a baby, so it was great to just welcome Chickpea to her new home without her needing my full attention at all times. Haha, so happy you love her name too! It does suite her. Congrats to you and your furry family Trish, you are saving so many lives!!
I would love to hear more about the vegan diet you are aiming for for her. I am vegan but feed my dogs a raw meat diet, ugh! I know animals are still being killed so that I can feed my dogs.
I have read tons about how you should not feed dogs vegan, so your your insight would be really great on that topic, thanks!
I'm not a doctor of course so make sure you check with your vet. But the way I see it is for every anti-vegan dog article there is also a pro-vegan dog article, which is why I was a little sceptical myself. I decided the best bet was to call around local clinics and ask the doctors myself. I was pleasantly surprised that not only did all my local vets say it was totally doable, but they didn't even seemed that phased by the question. Apparently, when dogs suffer from allergies the food the give them is vegan. The funny thing is my cousin (who is a butcher) has a her dog on a vegan diet because of it's allergies. She said the pooch has never been happier or healthier! As a fun fact, the longest living dog in the world according to the Guinness book of world records was vegan. As long as you put your dog on a high-quality vegan dog food (so that all the proteins, amino acids, and everything else they need are balanced properly) your dog should thrive! Chickpea is just transitioning over right now, but so far she seems to love it 🙂
Thanks so much for your reply. I already include Spirulina, fish oil, tumeric, eggs in their raw meat diet, and knowing what we do about what nutrients humans need, it is not hard to do the same for dogs. I wouldnt feed a commercial brand as I know from inside contacts that they are not in it for the betterment of your animal. I know a rep for Ryal Canin... they have had issues and are scrambling to get out of them still. Its a profit game for them, so be super nosey about what ingredients are included.
I think I will slowly cut back on the meat until it is 100% veggie, etc. Thanks!
Yes, interesting to consider. I noticed there were sweet potato treats in the pet store, that were simply dried sweet potato and they charged $8 for it! I decided I should make my own for a fraction of the price. I am hoping V-Dog is a better company, as it is operated and owned by vegans. I can only imagine they have the animals best interest at heart.
Congratulations, Sammi. You are in for 15 + years of happiness and joy with Chickpea. So happy for the two of you and can't wait to meet her. I'd be delighted to be her Auntie Arlene. xo
And Auntie Arlene you shall be! I know you will love her 🙂
I already do. Chickpea Turnbull.
Congratulations! Sweet, smart, beautiful and vegan... matchy-matchy!
Thanks for all your great recipes and your infectiously positive attitude. You've helped make my transition to veganism this year downright easy. 🙂
Haha thank you so much Patricia! I'm so very happy (and flattered) to hear that. Congrats on your transition 😀
Aw, she's adorable!
Haha yeah... she's alright I guess. 😉
Congratulations! You two look like a great match! I am enjoying your blog. First time posting. Keep up your fabulous work!
Hi Fred! Welcome 🙂 Thank you so much, I think we're a pretty great pair. So happy you are enjoying my blog, look forward to seeing you around 🙂
She is just adorable! Congrats! I just got a kitty a few weeks ago, and totally thought about named him Chickpea. #veganproblems
Haha! Did you? That's hilarious! What name did you end up going with? And thanks so much, I love her so much, I just wanna squeeze her all day!
I ended up going with Leo, but at first I was totally going to go with something food-related. 'Cause, ya know, food. <3
haha! Food blogger problems... haha