Veggie Burgers

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I gave Samantha veggie burgers with her kibble for dinner. Anyone have any thoughts on the nutrional issues of them? She loves them.

Ingredients:
VEGETABLES (MUSHROOMS, WATER CHESTNUTS, ONIONS, CARROTS, GREEN BELL PEPPERS, RED BELL PEPPERS, BLACK OLIVES), TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, WATER FOR HYDRATION), EGG WHITES, COOKED BROWN RICE (WATER, BROWN RICE), ROLLED OATS, CORN OIL, CALCIUM CASEINATE, SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, SALT, WHEAT), CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF ONION POWDER, CORNSTARCH, SALT, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (CORN, SOY AND WHEAT), AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS FROM NON-MEAT SOURCES, SUGAR, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SPICES, GARLIC POWDER, DEXTROSE, JALAPEÑO PEPPER POWDER, CELERY EXTRACT.
Allergen Information:
CONTAINS SOY, WHEAT, EGG AND MILK INGREDIENTS.

350mg sodium

I didn't see the wheat gluten in them.
I know not to give her onions but is onion powder okay?

[Adina P]

Possible GAS...watch out! But mainly due to soy..and other fiber. Anyone else know for sure?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, I'm wondering what vegetable proteins are in them; usually, meatless burgers have an awful lot of soy in them. People who don't eat animal proteins need to get a combination of vegetable proteins in order to obtain all the essential amino acids, so they have things like veggies burgers for them. To me, they really count more as a protein food than as vegetables. There's nothing wrong with adding extra protein to the kibble meal, but since Sammie's not a vegetarian, lol, I'm wondering why the veggie burgers rather than just some veggies or some meat. I don't think they could hurt for a once in awhile treat, but I would check on how much soy is okay for dogs...it seems to me I've read that soy isn't the best thing for them. I know it's one of the big food allergy culprits. Too late to research it tonight, I'll look into it tomorrow.

[Adina P]

Cuz they are TASTY that's why ;-)
Veggie burgers aren't called "veggie" due to the vegetable content as much as the 'vege(tarian)' focus.
Yeah...I would think a bite as a treat would be okay...but not as a regular meal.
But just as an FYI...it is no longer thought that vegetarians must 'combine' proteins in a meal....as long as they get a variety of sources of protein in the day, that is adequate. Soy is also a high quality protein in that it does have adequate quantity of all amino acids. But not necessarily right for dogs of course.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"it is no longer thought that vegetarians must 'combine' proteins in a meal....as long as they get a variety of sources of protein in the day, that is adequate."
LOL- I know. And I knew you were going to say that! I almost typed it in when I put in my response. It was meant just to be informative re: the "incomplete" aspect of vegetable proteins & the need to take in a variety of them,... for laypeople, not for you! :-D

[Adina P]

LOL =)

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

You have to look at the sodium levels, too. I've used Salmon Burgers occasionally but they do have a lot of sodium in them. I wouldn't make them a regular thing but if no problems, probably as a once in awhile thing they are probably OK.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

.I was looking for something that was healthy for her and easy for me to have in a miniscule freezer/refrigerator here in Florida. No room for large packages of chicken (barely big enough for a quart of milk) which meant going to the market every other day. We were out to lunch with 2 Florida DK families Sunday and on the menu they had a veggie burger so I ordered her one. She loved it, I haven't been giving her the dinners like I do at home so I thought it might be an answer to my guilt. I guess I have lots of reading to do - Morningstar Veggie Burgers (no funky spices added). Thanks!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Adrianne, salt is mentioned several times in the ingredient list, along with soy mentioned FOUR times. Here is a bit of info on feeding soy to pets:
"Soy is another common ingredient in many pet foods. It is used by the manufacturers to boost the claimed protein content and add bulk so that when animals eat a product containing soy they will fell more sated. Tofu is suitable for humans, but most forms of soybean do not agree with a dog or cat's digestive system. Like many other pet food ingredients, soy is virtually unusable by an animal's body. Being obligate carnivores, cats have little ability to digest any nutrients from soy. The problem is worse for dogs because they lack the essential amino acid to digest soy products. Soy has also been linked to bloat and gas in many dogs."
Between the heavy amounts of soy, the salts, the wheat gluten, other wheat sources, cornstarch & other corn sources, I would have to say this doesn't seem like a great food for Sammie. It contains large amounts of the most common allergens for dogs, and remember that food allergies are developed over the first year or two of a dog's life, based on what they are eating. In addition, since the soy is difficult or impossible for a dog to digest, she is not getting much in the way of nutrients from this.
Wouldn't some plain ground beef or turkey burgers fit in the same space that the veggie burgers take up? Also, if you need some people food add-ins, how about canned tuna, salmon, or chicken? That wouldn't take up any refrigerator or freezer space.

[Trowby]

I second canned meats and fish. I have fed Sage Trader Joes canned beef, pillar Rock wild caught salmon, and canned turkey from Costco. The price is reasonable and this is good food. I
mix it with her Embark from Honest Kitchen. She loves it. We are staying away from chicken at the moment but there are lots of good products there. I will also give her a scrambled egg occasionally
And yesterday part of my breakfast banana. In her own dish of course.

Trowby

[Adina P]

"The problem is worse for dogs because they lack the essential amino acid to digest soy products"
Ooooh...I wonder what part of soy is the tough part for dogs...the fiber you think or is there some other substance?
I've been tempted to give Rosco or Thule a bite of my veggie burger or other veggie meat before, but it doesn't take much to make them stink up a room...LOL!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I read about soy being difficult for dogs to digest in "Pet Food Nation", but it was returned to the library. Maybe Lynne will read this & look it up...she owns her copy.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I feel so guilty! Here I thought I was giving her something good for her. I am glad that I thought to ask before giving her anymore. Thank goodness she has had no adverse reaction to it. I will have to pick up frozen beef burgers while we are here.
Samantha & I very much appreciate and we Thank You all for your input on this.