Dogs can adjust to a vegetarian diet quite easily, particularly if they begin on such a diet as puppies. In addition to the following recipes, they can be fed items such as Vegetarian Pedigree/Drools pellets, Threptin biscuits, bread, roti, grains, rice, pasta, porridge, lentils/beans, pulses/dals, milk, curd, cheese, paneer, butter, ghee, tofu, rusks, corn, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, apples, bananas, etc. They could even be healthy vegans by eliminating milk derived products. Cats can also be kept vegetarian. They can be given the same food as dogs. Supplements such as Marmite (to be mixed in their food), Threptin biscuits, Vegetarian Pedigree/Drools pellets, Complan and vegan/non-animal origin Taurine powder is very important in a cat’s diet as compared to a dog’s diet.
Do not feed them chocolate, almonds or tomatoes. Also, onions and garlic could be toxic for some.
Below are a few basic nutritious recipes for home and shelter animals.
Vegan Biscuits for Dogs & Cats
Approximately 24 biscuits, adapted for vegan animals from the
Vegetarian Biscuits recipe given below.
Method
Kneed the flours along with turmeric, oil, Marmite, Taurine and water into a smooth dough.
Roll out portions of the dough like chapattis. Using a round cutter about 2 to 3 inches in diameter cut the dough.
Place the cut rounds on a baking tray and bake them for 20 minutes at 120°C in a preheated oven. Turn the biscuits 2 or 3 times in-between baking.
Vegetarian Biscuits for DogsThe following recipe was specially formulated for BWC by the Protein Foods & Nutrition Development Association of India:
The mix may be cooked with sufficient water and made into small chunks or rolled out into chapattis and baked as biscuits.
Khichadi
Recipe used by Blue Cross to feed thousands of dogs daily in Chennai during the COVID-19 lockdown.
For 10-12 adult dogs
Ingredients
1 kg rice
300 grams tuar dal (Tuvaram Parupp)
2 tablespoons Turmeric/haldi
Salt
Ghee
Method
Pressure-cook the rice and dal after adding a little turmeric and salt for colour and taste. Mix in some ghee after it has cooled.
Serve sprinkled with Vegetarian Pedigree or Drools pellets.
Khichadi with Soy Chunks
For one big dog
Ingredients
100 grams raw rice
50 grams moong dal
100 grams soy chunks
1 carrot/cauliflower (optional)
1 teaspoon turmeric/haldi
1 teaspoon whole barley (optional in summer)
Salt
Method
In about 1½ litres of water cook the above for about 30 minutes.
Nutritious Broth with Rice or Rotis
For approximately 40 dogs
Ingredients Vegetables like carrots, spinach/palak saag, French beans, potatoes or cabbage
4-5 tablespoons mustard oil
3-4 tablespoons turmeric/haldi powder
Salt Method
Soup: Heat the oil. Add the cut vegetables and slow fry for 10 minutes, after adding the turmeric/haldi powder. Add salt. Add 4-5 litres of water, cover the lid, and allow it to cook till vegetables are tender and soup looks presentable. Keep it aside.
Either of the two is used in the soup to add variety to the food. Khichadi or atté ki roti is added to the above soup, which is mixed well, and then distributed to the dogs in their individual dishes, ensuring that there is enough soup for easy mastication.
Khichadi: 2 kilograms rice and 2 kilograms moong dal or channa dal (both are pulses) are boiled in water with some salt and turmeric/haldi to a soft semi-dry consistency.
Atté ki roti: These are flat ‘bread’ made of wheat/gehu flour and cooked over fire on top of a flat saucepan-like utensil. Approximately between 80 to 100 rotis are cooked for one meal and broken into pieces and mixed into the vegetable soup.
Diwali Crackers
Bach Flower remedies are known to help dogs cope with the loud frightening sounds of Diwali crackers. Available in pills and drops at some Homeopathy outlets, irrespective of the size of the dog, but depending on how frightened the dog gets, 1, 2 or 3 drops/pills of each of the following should be administered together, with or without water, no more than 3 to 5 times in 24 hours:
• Rescue Remedy
• Star of Bethlehem
• Mimulus
In severe cases it is best to begin giving 1 dose per day when Navratri begins and increase gradually – may be 2 doses a day from Dassera onwards depending on the number of crackers expected to be burst in the area.
Another precaution that could be easily taken is to keep dogs indoors but not alone in a room, and make them wear doggie ear-plugs or ear-muffs. Even a scarf would help if suitably tied.
