Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-06
THE FOOD OF DOGS.
VEGETABLES AN INFORMANT ARTICLE
 -.. OF THEIR DIET.

An Enthusiast Who Disputes tie Claim That the Dog of Today Is a Carnivorous
 AnlmaI-supported by the Testimony of
 Veterinarians and Observation. It seems strange to me, strange that, In the light of such broad, everyday evil lence, there are those who still main tain that the dog is a carnivorous ami mal exclusively, and that vegetable diet is injurious to him, or at least un- healthfu1 and improper, and that the dog in his nature is much the same as he was in wild state-a meat eating, bloodthirsty animal, ever vigilant to kill and destroy. The life of the dog to- day, the practical, everyday habits of the dog as a companion to civilized peo- | pie, is enough of itself to refute this theory. Dogs eat vegetable food and thrive omit. Many eminent physicians and vegetarians teach us that animal food fed to the dog without large pro- portion of vegetable food is sure to pro- duce vitiated blood, organic trouble of the liver, stomach and kidneys, and to certainty obnoxious skin diseases mango. eczema, etc. These results, com ing as they do directly from feeding meat, are proof of the unwholesome- ness of meat as an article of diet. We have the testimony of the best vegeta- rians-Glover, Sherwood, "Ashmont," " Mills, etc.-which should settle the sci entific phase of the question.
 We have the evidence of the dogs fondness for vegetable food to settle the natural features of the question. It is true that at some time ill the past, so far back that the mind or knowl- edge of man cannot reach, when the dog | was in the wild state, and when he was forced to eat meat, or starve to death, he was carnivorous. While he has the ca pabilities of living on vegetable food, ! nature seems to be remiss in furnishing | him with the correct teeth for grinding, such as we observe in the horse, OK, sheep and goats. This is surely re- markable instance of adaptability, as we observe in only one other animal, and that is man himself.
 No doubt all these changes in the na- ture of the dog have been brought abo t by domesticity; the association w: man and the consequent impressions | education which have been transmit i from generation to generation throu. l centuries, till at last what was mo | education became natural and here .i- tary.
 Man himself has changed greatly in his nature from civilization or the as- l sociation in a state of society, which has beneficent effects in enlarging his mind, ! improving his body and adding to his knowledge.
 | These effects, while not so pronounced, are quite noticeable ill all the animals under his dominion, the horse, the ox the dog and the cat, which in its wild state is the most bloodthirsty and cruel of all animals and has withstood the beneficial effects of asspciating with man to degree exceeding that of any other animal. Still the nature of the cat has been much softened and improved by its life ill domesticity, and it, too, is grad ually changing from a meat eating ami nal to an eater of vegetables.
 With the testimony of our best pro- fessional men, the testimony of many owners of dogs and the testimony of the dogs natural craving for vegetable food, and the good health which follows liv ing on a vegetable diet, is it not aston ishing that there should be any person who claims that diet of meat alone is proper for our dogs? In the light of modern science and experience the old fashioned notions are gradually being swept away to the oblivion which over takes the misbeliefs left ill the rear by progress
 It is possible that the habits of the dog as they are acquired about the home of his master may not be considered as containing complete evidence of his whole nature Then I offer one or two traits which observed while on a visit
 in the south in the past year, and which was informed were so common and we'll known in that section as to occa- sion no remark.
 The native negro dogs and hounds will visit the Cornfields and tear off the green ears from the growing corn and eat them with relish and avidity. They also will visit the pcrsimmon trees and eat the ripe fruit which has fallen to tho ground. Dogs have regular route
 from one persimmun tree to another,
 sometimes long distances from home,
 which they travel daily, so dearly do the
 crave for the fruit. All this evidence
 convinces mo that the dog 10 naturally a
 vegetarian now, no matter what he was
 in a wild state.-Forest and Stream.