Conventional biology, as taught in schools and universities, teaches us to assume that consciousness only exists in the human mind. The idea that animals aren’t intelligent, emotional or self-aware has long been used as an excuse for their exploitation. These prejudices are rapidly breaking down in the face of a growing body of scientific evidence, and a study by the University of Warwick research team. “The study answers a very old question: do animals have a sense of self? Our first aim was to understand the recent neural evidence that animals can project themselves into the future. What we wound up understanding is that, in order to do so, they must have a primal sense of self,” said Professor Hills,...
New Canadian study shows plant-based diet is excellent for nutrient absorption in dogs! How does a plant-based diet affect mineral absorption in dogs? Recently, a group of researchers at the University of Guelph, Ontario, conducted a study that compared dogs on plant-based and meat-based diets, to determine whether digestibility of added minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron and potassium varied.[1] This study found that digestibility of supplemented minerals were similar or greater in dogs fed diets that were vegetable based. In other words, minerals essential for health and growth were absorbed similarly or better in dogs on a vegan diet vs. meat-based diet. Kate Shoveller, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph focuses...
Canadians killed more than 771 million land animals for food in 2016 We know that veganism as a global movement is on the rise - self-reported 6% of Americans are now vegan, and the number is probably similar among Canadians. More and more vegan restaurants open every year, vegan food is more accessible in hospitals and university campuses, and research on veganism is being funded and published. This is great, however.. We also know that Canadians killed 20 million more animals for food in 2016 than they did in 2015.[1] The report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada indicates that we killed 771,625,940 land animals for food in 2016—up from 750 million farmed animals killed in 2015. Here are the numbers...
[article updated with Dr. May's video below] The word vegan for many is associated with tomatoes, cucumbers and other veggies. When thinking of cats we think carnivores, hunters and sharp instincts. No wonder then that putting the two words - vegan and cats - in the same sentence has been the subject of many heated debates. In this blog post we'll reconcile the two words in 3 ways: by comparing two formulas - a meat-based formula and a vegan formula by peaking into a recent study by looking at other considerations Comparison of two formulas The meat-based formula in our comparison is a typical cat food formula - Purina Friskies Savoury Selections. The vegan cat food formula is Evolution Diet Gourmet Fondue. To help with the comparison we'll group the...
According to Nationwide, pet insurance agency, the #1 illness for cats is FLUTD1 - Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Much like diabetes and heart disease are the leading illnesses in humans, urinary health issues are the leading illnesses in cats. This article is pays particular attention to the urinary health of cats with regards to plant-based diets. With the lower tract urinary disease, the urinary bladder and the urethra (see diagram below) are affected the most. Image 1. Feline Urinary System - Male and Female The most frequently cited cause of urinary tract disease is improper hydration3, 4. In Canada, 1/3 of all food that is fed to cats is wet food, while the remaining majority (about 2/3)2 is dry food. Since cats get water from their food, when the food is...
