Can A Pit Bull Be A Vegetarian? 3 Reasons It’s a Terrible Idea

There is a lot of debate about whether Pit Bulls can be vegetarian or vegan. Is this diet healthier for them? Can they survive on that diet for the rest of their lives, or is it against their nature? So here we will be answering all these questions.

Can a Pit Bull be a vegetarian? A Pit Bull cannot be a vegetarian. Your Pit Bull will not survive for long on a vegetarian diet since their digestive system is way different from humans and they will not be able to digest vegetarian food properly or gain all the nutrients they need, which can lead to serious health issues.

Even if your Pit Bull manages to survive on a vegetarian diet, that doesn’t mean it’s going to thrive on it. Continue reading to learn more about how dangerous it is to feed your dog meat-less meals and how you can sufficiently balance your dog’s diet.

Can Pit Bulls Live On A Vegetarian Diet?

a photo of a pit bull eating to show if it can be a vegetarian

Pit Bulls, or any dog breed, cannot live on a vegetarian diet. It is simply not in their nature, and it will not be good for their health in the long run.

Pit Bulls come from wolves, and their ancestors used to live in the wild where they hunted other animals to eat. No matter how domesticated they’ve become, they still take after their ancestors and are carnivorous by nature, meaning they will only want to eat meat.

Imagine making your Pitbull live on broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and grains instead of meat or chicken. Of course, your dog might survive, but for how long? Would the vegetarian options provide them with enough nutrients for their bodies to grow and remain healthy?

Now imagine if you leave your Pitbull to live in the wild, what will they do to survive? They will hunt small animals to eat and survive on, and they may even thrive on this raw diet. Pitbulls are instinctively good hunting dogs, and it’s because their survival in the wild depends on it, and you can still see it today in them.

Can Pit bulls Live On A Vegan Diet? 

Pit Bull cannot live on a vegan diet as it’s even stricter than a vegetarian diet. 

Vegan diets do not allow meat as well as dairy products, which means that the dog will not be getting any nutrients from other animals. These nutrients include proteins and calcium, which are extremely necessary for the dog to fully develop and remain healthy.

Why Is A Vegetarian Diet A Bad Idea for Pit Bulls?

There are many reasons why a vegetarian diet is a bad idea for Pit Bulls, so let’s break down these reasons in more detail.

The Dog’s Digestive System Is Different from Humans

The digestive system of dogs is way different from that of a human. For instance, dogs have shorter digestive tracts, and they don’t take their time chewing, which means they cannot break down food the same way humans do.

If you give your Pit Bull a carrot to eat, you will find that the carrot came out of his mouth looking nearly the same, which means that the dog did not absorb any nutrients from the carrot.

This further proves that the dog’s digestive system can’t process vegetarian food properly or gain the nutrients needed.

The digestive system of dogs is also mostly acidic, even more than humans, and eating more meat will preserve that acidity. Meanwhile, plants are alkalizing, so eating more of them will have a neutralizing effect on the dog’s system, which could cause some health problems.

Grains are Super Harmful to Dogs 

The most common components of food that can damage your dog’s intestinal lining are the proteins found in un-sprouted and GMO grains that contain large amounts of anti-nutrients or nutrient blockers called phytates and lectins.

Julie Anne Lee

Toxins from some grains cause adverse effects on the dog’s stomach. They create a harmful overload in the organs and can damage the stomach lining.

If you don’t know, the stomach represents 70% of the dog’s immune system. It’s the primary defense against any toxins, and it also absorbs the nutrients from food and distributes them to the whole body to fuel it.

So, it’s important to avoid feeding the dog anything that will cause harm to the stomach as this will put it at risk of developing more severe health problems.

That doesn’t mean that meats are 100% safe and don’t have any side effects. For instance, some meats might contain toxins that are more harmful than toxins in vegetarian food, but since dogs have shorter digestive tracts, the meat doesn’t stay long enough inside their body to do any severe damage.

Dogs Are Carnivores By Nature

Dogs are carnivores by nature, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. As mentioned, they will take after their ancestors who lived in the wild and hunted other animals.

Even the dog’s anatomy reflects their carnivorous nature as they have strong jaws to be able to bite down on the meat and tear it apart.

Conclusion: Can A Pit Bull Be A Vegetarian?

If I was able to say to you, after all the research and information I did for this talk, that your dog should be vegetarian, it would make me the happiest person on the planet.

Julie Anne Lee 

A Pit Bull cannot be a vegetarian and it should not eat a vegetarian or a vegan diet. It will be very harmful to their health in the long run as their digestive system will not be able to properly digest vegetarian food or gain any nutrients from it.

They are also carnivores by nature, and it’s best to let them follow their nature instead of forcing them to eat something they do not want.

If you want to add vegetarian food to your dog’s diet, it’s recommended to mix it with meat so that the dog will still have its main source of nutrients. Make sure that meat represents the largest percentage of the meal.

It’s also recommended to consult with a vet or a nutritionist before making any changes to the dog’s diet to prevent it from developing any digestive problems. You can learn more about how to switch your Pit Bull’s diet here.

Related Questions 

Can Pit Bulls Eat Vegetables?

Pit Bulls can eat vegetables, but they will not always be able to digest them properly. It’s best that their meals contain a small percentage of vegetables alongside a larger percentage of meat to keep their meal balanced. Feeding Pit Bulls only vegetables will be harmful to their health.

Can Pit Bulls Eat a Raw Meat?

Pit Bulls can eat raw meat and should eat them because they provide excellent nutritional benefits for them, however, raw meat will be harder for them to digest than cooked meat which could cause some dogs to develop various digestive problems and may also put them at risk of developing bacterial infections such as salmonella, so it should be a part of your pitbull’s diet and not the only food on the diet.

Why Do Pit Bulls Have Sensitive Stomachs? 

Pit Bulls have sensitive stomachs because they have developed a disease that affects their digestive system or because they’re not eating a good diet. The symptoms of sensitive stomachs in dogs are chronic, and they include unstable appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, and lack of energy.

Are There Any Vegetarian Dog Breeds? 

There are no vegetarian dog breeds. All dog breeds are carnivores by nature, and they should eat mostly meat-based meals. Some dogs might be able to handle eating vegetarian food more than others, but they won’t survive for long on only vegetarian food.

Helpful Resources 

Lindblad-Toh K, Wade CM, Mikkelsen TS, et al, “Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog”, December 2005, Nature 438 (7069): 803–19

Diet adaptation in dog reflects spread of prehistoric agriculture

Is it safe to feed my dog a plant-based diet?

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