Can an American Bully Be Vegetarian? A Vet Explains...

My friend Emma has an American bully, and as a vegan herself, she decided her dog should also be on a vegetarian diet. This may not have been the smartest idea she has had, and she has had some pretty not-smart ideas before.

After a while, she noticed some changes in his physical and mental health.

She was wondering what was wrong with him, although he was eating well.

Was the reason behind that his new vegetarian diet? And if yes, how could a vegetarian diet turn an energetic, healthy dog into this state?

Can an American bully be vegetarian? An American bully cannot be a vegetarian, as their digestive system can’t digest the fibers in vegetarian food. Bullies may survive for a short period on a vegetarian diet, but soon it will likely cause them some serious health issues such as Heart, liver, metabolism, and bone issues.

So, yes, any diet that doesn’t contain meats is going to be bad for bullies. You may think that this will only happen if the diet doesn’t have enough protein, but it’s a bit more than that, so let’s see why putting a Bully on a vegetarian diet is not such a smart idea and how to keep your bully healthy and strong…

This article has been reviewed and edited by a vet, but it doesn’t replace your own vet. Please see your vet for specific and trusted advice. This site DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and all the information provided here is meant for informational purposes only.

Can American Bullies live on a vegetarian diet?

“Those who feed their dogs a vegetarian food are unknowingly torturing them,”
said Dr. S Venkateswaran, a consultant at the Cotton City Pets Poly Clinic.

American bullies can never live on a vegetarian diet. And here are the main points why they can’t thrive on one:

American Bullies Structure

An American bully’s teeth and jaw structures are designed to devour meats.

The strength that they got in their skull is not a coincidence. They easily crush meats, chicken, and bones to get all the benefits out of it.

Although dogs are both carnivores and omnivores, their wolves’ nature is taking over. Meats are crucial to their health.

Imagine leaving your dog in the wild; what will they live on? Meats. They are not going to be eating grass or picking veggies; they are going to be hunting rodents and small animals and feeding on them.

The Nutrients They Need.

American bullies, and dogs in general, need many fatty acids and amino acids that mainly come from meats, which are the main key to their bodies’ health.

Meats are rich in proteins which are the main source of their energy, body and muscle building, and hormones and enzyme generation.

And those nutrients in meats are not found anywhere else.

However, they can eat vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and plant-based food in general, which are rich in fibers and antioxidants that their body needs. But they can’t substitute meat nutrients.

It’s good for bullies to have some organic food for a balanced diet. But it can’t be their lifestyle.

Vegetables can be an additional source of vitamins and proteins, and they can survive without them. However, their body can’t abandon the proteins, fats, and vitamins they get from meats.

It’s a must for their physical and mental health. I explain this further in my article on why Pitbulls need red meat here.

The Digestion Process

It’s easy and flexible for an American bully body to digest meat and get all benefits out of it, unlike vegetarian food.

Their body cannot process and digest vegetarian food through the liver and guts. Some dogs can survive for a short-term period, but sooner or later, bad consequences are going to appear.

Can American Bullies be vegan?

American bullies can’t be vegan; their bodies need specific fats, proteins, and vitamins that they can’t gain from a vegan diet but meats only.

As a vegan diet is mainly a plant-based food only and excludes any animal products such as meat, dairy, chicken, and eggs, it can’t take the function of meats for the dogs’ bodies.

And it can cause serious health issues.

Why can a vegan diet cause health issues for American bullies?

A vegan diet can cause health issues for an American bully because his digestive system hardly digests plant-based food, and that’s because dogs don’t chew plant-based food properly, so they take less time to extract nutrients from it, unlike meats. They easily and quickly digest meat and absorb all its benefits of it as their jaws and teeth are made to crush meat into pieces easily.

A vegan diet is an unnatural diet for them. Their bodies can’t survive for a long time without meat.

Why are Vegetarian and Vegan Diets bad for Bullies?

A Vegetarian and vegan diet can lead to bad consequences for the bully’s body. They can’t digest the high fiber of plant-based food, and they can’t get the nutrients of meats from eggs and dairy products.

So they can’t be their main diet. Unlike meat, their digestive system is suited for it, and they digest it easily and get all the benefits out of it.

They might survive with a vegetarian or vegan diet for a very short period, but eventually, things will get worse.

Here is How Things Could Get Worse with a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet for your Bully:

Your dog will not take enough amount of fat and protein his body needs to consume from meats.

Poor digestion, weight loss, and overall weakness due to protein deficiency.
Due to vitamin deficiency, Your dog’s energy will decrease, and his skin coat and hair will become dull and unhealthy, in addition to weakness in his bones and teeth.
Diabetes, cardiac, liver, eye, and obesity problems will occur.

Your bully’s mental health will get worse due to the changes he is facing in his body. He will stop playing around and being energetic too.

What’s the best diet for American Bullies?

The best diet for American bullies is to mix animal and vegetarian food.

Make 80% of the meal is meat-based, and the other 20% is the additional vegetarian food.

Meats should be essential and have the largest percentage in his meal. Your bully should get all the proteins and vitamins from all food. He is not supposed to be a 100% vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

What is the best food with the best nutrients for the American bully?

The bits are everything to them, and the bits are the parts of meat that the butcher throw away, the organ meats like the brain, hooves, eyeballs, feet, beaks, testicles, etc.

They contain a rich nutritional value that can’t be gained from plants, and without them, dogs can’t fight health problems.

And some portions of vegetarian food, like eggs, dairy products, fruits, beans, corn, soy, and wheat, are also great sources of protein for them unless your dog has allergies to any of those.

But watch out! Don’t overfeed your bully. They can get overweight and suffer from many health issues.

Can an American Bully Be Vegetarian? A Vet Explains…