Almost all commercial dog food contains meat. The dog species has evolved mainly from wolves and thus would be considered carnivores, as are wolves. However, the domesticated dog does eat non-meat products such as barley or rice and is able to digest these products, thus making the dog partially an omnivore as well, yet healthy dog food should contain meat such as beef, chicken or turkey as the first ingredient.
Poorer quality commercial food will state that it contains meat-byproducts. A dog's digestive tract is shorter than that of a human, and plant material isn't as easily digested, and with their large teeth a dog is clearly predisposed to be a meat eater.
Just as choosing a dog is important, so is choosing the right dog food. If you are a vegetarian and you want to feed your dog the same meatless diet, then researching and studying what types of foods a dog can eat, how much it will cost to get specially prepared food, and planning your budget around the added expense of vitamins and supplements that are available for dogs is required.
Good dog food nutrition will help to ensure a long and healthy life for the animal, but if you do decide that you don't want your dog to eat meat, then be ready to shop around and pay higher prices.
It is far better to focus upon the dog's needs than to impose your views upon an animal that can't verbally complain about his/her diet.
To read more Purchasing The Right Dog Food
