Can snakes be fed a vegan diet?

[[starla]]

I know - this sounds ridiculous.
However, I do know of cats raised vegan that are perfectly healthy.
So I will throw it out there incase anyone has heard of such an idea.

 

[Emily1188]

It would be an awful thing to do to a snake.

1.) Would they even eat it?
2.) Would they survive?
3.) Would they thrive long term?

And I think it's an awful thing to do any carnivore, cats included. They may appear healthy, but I have my (enormous) doubts)

 

[[starla]]

Sure, I understand.

I just wonder what kind of life the frozen mice have had before being purchased. That's where the vegan idea originated. My snake was adopted from a previous owner. I wonder if for the greater good it would be more humane to painlessly kill my snake rather than buy frozen mice from the petstores in my area. Not because of the cost but because I don't like supporting petstores that sell animals.

 

[SquamishSerpents]

i really, really don't think so. any dog or cat that you think is healthy more than likely isn't. they probably have skin conditions, yeast infections in their ears, goopy eyes, bad breath, etc. these are all related to allergies (to all the corn/wheat/peas/potatoes/whatever else is in the food) that their digestive systems are NOT designed to handle.

i work in a pet store, you wouldn't imagine how many people (vegans/vegetarians) come into my store and want a vegetarian diet for their animal...their CARNIVORE. it is absolutely unfair to deprive your animal of their proper diet just because YOU want to impose your beliefs on them...and they're not even human! they can't make a choice for themselves, and it is your responsibility to provide it with the proper nutrition, as close to their "natural" diet as possible.

i'm sorry, this is not a rant directed at you, just your question reminded me of how frustrating it is to see people neglect their pets needs.

 

[SquamishSerpents]

oh i get it, a troll.

 

[[starla]]

I wouldn't fed my snake a vegan diet if it was unhealthy. I posted here to find out if it could be and so far it seems to be the wrong thing to do. By the way I'm not trolling.

 

[[starla]]

My dog eats a raw meat diet from roadkill and hunting. If my pets must be eat I aim to get it from a good source, where animals aren't treated as commodities to make money.

 

[tstephe3]

Snakes need protein and calcium.. Simple as that, and a Vegan diet wouldn't provide that. So no, definitely not healthy. And I don't think there is even a way you could have a Vegan diet. I really doubt a snake will eat vegetables.

 

[[starla]]

if my pets must eat meat*

 

[[starla]]

well then, fair enough.

 

[tstephe3]

My dog eats a raw meat diet from roadkill and hunting. If my pets must be eat I aim to get it from a good source, where animals aren't treated as commodities to make money.

Well, I'm not sure why you try to fight it. Thats the way it is and your just making it harder for yourself. :shrugs:

 

[Shiari]

I know - this sounds ridiculous.
However, I do know of cats raised vegan that are perfectly healthy.
So I will throw it out there in case anyone has heard of such an idea.

You have been told wrong. Cats on vegan diets = sick and dead cats. They are OBLIGATE carnivores. Absolutely 100% require taurine and arachadonic acid in their diet, and those come from *meat*.

 

[jenneses]

It disturbs me that you'd rather "painlessly kill" your snake rather than feed it the diet that is best for it. Why get an animal if you're just going to "kill" it? Also, feeding your dogs "raw" meat from roadkill and hunting might not be the best idea. I'd be concerned with parasites. I'm going to stop now... I really am, because if I don't I might get banned.

I'm really hoping you're a troll.

 

[Emily1188]

From a utilitarian point of view, killing the snakes makes sense. One death vs. hundreds to feed it over its life time.

And that's why utilitarianism spawned the mental disease that is animal rights.

 

[SquamishSerpents]

It disturbs me that you'd rather "painlessly kill" your snake rather than feed it the diet that is best for it. Why get an animal if you're just going to "kill" it? Also, feeding your dogs "raw" meat from roadkill and hunting might not be the best idea. I'd be concerned with parasites. I'm going to stop now... I really am, because if I don't I might get banned.

I'm really hoping you're a troll.

that's exactly what screams troll, the fact that someone would deliberately come onto a SNAKE SPECIFIC, snake loving forum and say they'd rather kill their snake.

 

[jenneses]

that's exactly what screams troll, the fact that someone would deliberately come onto a SNAKE SPECIFIC, snake loving forum and say they'd rather kill their snake.

That's what I'm thinking... But there are some people who think this way.

 

[Shiari]

That sort of stuff definitely does happen. Had a client at my work declare that it would be more humane for him to shoot and kill his cat than get it neutered.

 

[Emily1188]

That sort of stuff definitely does happen. Had a client at my work declare that it would be more humane for him to shoot and kill his cat than get it neutered.

:roflmao: Wow....

 

[bitsy]

My snake was adopted from a previous owner. I wonder if for the greater good it would be more humane to painlessly kill my snake rather than buy frozen mice from the petstores in my area.

Your heart's in the right place, but it's possible that you haven't thought this through enough before taking the snake on, and you're now over-thinking the wrong things. I may be wrong, but you don't give the impression of someone with a lot of snake-keeping experience. Do you have the basic husbandry aspects right?This is a more immdiate concern than getting in an ethical tangle over food sourcing. You can always come back to that.

I just wonder what kind of life the frozen mice have had before being purchased.

Breed your own mice - that way you could be absolutely sure that they'd had a decent life and a quiet, peaceful end (CO2 chamber at home)

I don't like supporting petstores that sell animals.

Breeding your own mice would resolve this concern as well.

If breeding and despatching your own mice truly worries you and buying them presents an ethical problem, then you may be better off rehoming the snake to someone else.

 

[Lennycorn]

Sorry but this just dosen't work for me.

My dog eats a raw meat diet from roadkill and hunting. If my pets must be eat I aim to get it from a good source, where animals aren't treated as commodities to make money.

"""""My dog eats a raw meat diet from roadkill and hunting."""""
OK

"""""If my pets must be eat I aim to get it from a good source""""​

I'm guess you think a road kill is a good source then.