veganerudition

[veganerudition]

Providing appropriate care for an ill-bred animal with congenital and hereditary issues doesn’t excuse those issues being present. These appear to be well-cared for, however you are mistaken in them being healthy for the below reasons.

Pugs and other brachycephalic breeds of animals are prone to several syndromes relating to their shortened airways and (frequently) stunted bodies. These animals are frequently seen by myself/my colleagues and nearly always have some form of breathing difficulties or other physical limitations reducing their ability to thrive and cope with their environments. 

German Shepherds look healthy, fit, and strong. But the stance depicted in that picture is one I see commonly in practice. Particularly when I’m trying to treat that very same animal for hip dysplasia and related osteoarthritis. 

Dachshunds? Intervertebral disc disease, osteoarthritis, and also generalised physical limitations from their stunted limbs and elongated back.

An arabian horse is a fine animal and often they are healthy and normal. However breeding for deep dished faces is not healthy, and is not desirable for these animals. Anything that impedes on the upper airways of a horse is extremely bad news, as they are obligate nasal breathers.

Quarter horses are just one well-worn example of poor conformation leading to increased incidence of degenerative joint disease and lameness. That horse pictured in question is exhibiting a post-legged conformational fault and excessively muscled hindquarters. These horses often experience hock or fetlock injury or osteoarthritis, or ligament and tendon injury. These injuries occur in other horses, in other sports, however are at higher risk of occuring with pre-existing conformational defects. 

Miniature animals of any form are predisposed to deformities and physically limiting conditions. This is not healthy nor humane. Miniature forms of any typical animal should not be bred to exist.

A dairy cow with a large udder like pictured may seem normal to you, however when you experience first-hand the rate of mastitis and their inability to nurse a normal calf comfortably due to being bred to produce too much milk, you start to realise that it’s not as healthy as it seems. These animals are often culled before they reach 10 years of age as they struggle physically cope with the level of milk they produce.

That bull has been genetically selected to be “double muscled” to produce more meat per animal and increase production. There is absolutely no reason any animal requires this and it is detrimental to their health in a number of ways including reduced fertility as well as increased susceptibility to dystocia, respiratory disease, and stress.

A broiler chicken has been selectively bred to reach market weight in just 7 weeks. This predisposes them to cardiac failure, stress, and inability to walk as their bodies struggle to keep up with their enhanced rate of musculoskeletal growth.

And lastly, the Merino breed of sheep is one that has been bred for increased skin wrinkling, the inability to shed their wool, and a finer character of wool. These animals experience an increased susceptibility to fly strike and are completely reliant on humans to remain healthy.

I care about animals deeply and my job is to help other humans keep them as healthy and happy as possible. Because of this, I make sure to be aware of the faults of particular breeds including those shown above. Caring about animals means we need to understand our effect on them and how we can possible rectify that. Reducing the breeding of these congenital and hereditary issues is the main way we can rectify this.

All it takes to understand the complete fuckery that is the human species is to just look at what we have done to just a few species of animals that we have domesticated:

Dogs

Horses

Cows

Chickens

Sheep

No animal deserves what we have done and continue to do to them. The best thing we can do for them now is to stop breeding them for profit or personal ideals. It’s time we learned we have no fucking right to manipulate anyone like this.

#reply

[veganerudition]

Vegans being the first to die in an apocalypse is something I have occasionally seen floating around on here. I’d like to dispute this.

A pathogen likely to instigate a true apocalypse would probably come from either a fungus, a virus, or a prion as these pathogens are often most contagious and have a higher chance of changing a person’s behaviour or genome. A virus has the highest capability of spread (i.e. what we’re seeing now with coronavirus). Fungi can be consumed or inhaled regardless of diet preference. Prions are dysfunctional proteins that cause erratic behaviour and changed mentation and are consumed through meat only.

A fungus or virus could affect anyone regardless of what they ate, it depends entirely on the person’s own immune system and concurrent illnesses. A vegan diet can be balanced and complete and thus have no impact on a person’s immune system if done correctly and if that person doesn’t already have a disease. A prion only affects people that eat meat containing said protein. So if a prion is the cause of an apocalypse, people who eat meat will be the first to go. If the others were the cause, anyone could be the first to go.

As for surviving after the initial wave of disease, plant based food can be stored and kept just as or longer than animal products. Vegan food can be grown in various places long-term without the need to hunt or keep animals and waste time slaughtering and sorting their meat and viscera. You run less risk of becoming sick from eating plants in a survival scenario as you would probably be pressed for time and resources in order to cook or process the food you ate. Vegans are not even physically weaker, which is a common misconception, so physical capability is not a playing factor between vegans and non-vegans.

I think we have as fair of a chance as anyone else. 

#shit posting #because im bored #vegans #i mean i think we would do pretty sweet in an apocalypse #especially since a fair few vegans are into growing their own food and seclusion #pandemic mood

[veganerudition]

A mini-story of indoor cat enrichment

I have two cats, Zak and Guen. I have spent the last 6 months slowly training them to walk on leashes outside, although Guen has only made head-way very recently on this.

Zak doesn’t mind harnesses since I started her in them as a small kitten, so that’s what she wears. Zak, who has gone on quite a few walks now since she has been more compliant, explores the outside world with slow, well-thought-out movements and spends most of her time sniffing around and eating leaves. I don’t mind letting her just do this, because she enjoys herself thoroughly and behaves better indoors afterwards.

Guen has been a free, naked, and independent spirit for whole 2-year life and hates being restrained by most things. She consequently does not like harnesses at all and will act like she has been slapped if you try to fit her into one. This has been a challenge in which there have been many failed attempts at positive conditioning - she just ends up hating the treats and attention I give along with any harness exposure. So we compromised and got her a collar today, which she tolerates. Guen also had her very first walk today, and promptly hauled ass as fast as she could go out the door and around the backyard in glee.

(This is honestly the best picture I could get; a still from a video).

I never would have thought these two would be interested in something like this as both of them are content being inside only. I strongly recommend finding a way to leash walk your inside cats, I would never have thought they’d love it this much.

#cats #indoor cats

[veganerudition]

I know this blog is mostly inactive, but thank you for its existence. It's always nice to see people stand up for the environment and animals but your replies and posts are exceptionally well-worded and logical.

Thank you for taking the time to send this. Advocacy isn’t something I do much of anymore even though I am still vegan, but I am glad the content I used to post still holds value. You’re a good person, Anon.

[veganerudition]

things vegans need to know!

(and anyone else, for that matter)

honey farming is really good for the bees

we have to shear sheep to keep them healthy

curling pigs tails stops them from hurting each other

chicken eggs (at least in the Uk) are all unfertilised if being sold to eat

do your research

meat is cheaper to buy than meat-substitutes

dairy is cheaper than dairy substitutes

all food is GMO

farm shops and ‘organic produce’ shops are incredibly expensive

if you have the money, go vegan all you want, but don’t shit on people who don’t, especially if they are poor, already have dietary requirements, or have a genetic disease like type one diabetes

going ‘fully vegan’ isn’t the best way of doing things

it is better to research what is good to farm (honey, wool, etc)

support local farms instead of industrial farming (yes, the forest is cut down to farm plants, too)

if growing your own plants, don’t use pesticides

don’t support golf courses near you

plant native species

don’t introduce non-native species into your gardens/forests 

protect wildlife!

industrial-scale stuff bad, local-scale stuff good

[veganerudition]

🔥 We NEED sharks alive and thriving if we want to ensure our own future. 70% of our oxygen comes from HEALTHY Oceans...and in order to remain healthy, sharks are a vital and irreplaceable key component! Despite how much we need them alive, more than 100 MILLION sharks are slaughtered every single year. We are witnessing ‘the end’ grow nearer every single day. It’s not a time to tone down the dramatic vibe. It’s time to yell louder, call for action, seriously nix the excuses, stop using single-use plastics, and do whatever we can to protect ALL sharks. Every moment counts. ©️Sharktopia

[veganerudition]

Just to give those who arent aussie or who dont live in Australia, an idea of just how bad this is. And it's only getting worse. This started in August. Our winter.

My country is on fire. I live in the Australian Capital Territory, or Canberra. My city is covered in smoke everyday from the fires that are all around us. Some towns are gone. Many people are stuck because the fires have surrounded them. People are dead and missing. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Today, it has gotten even worse. 4000 people are currently sitting on the water at the coast because the land is too dangerous. The fires are closing in everywhere. We are terrified. If this doesnt make the people in power, especially in my own country act on the climate crisis, I dont know what will. #ourhouseisonfire

[veganerudition]

You and dumbasses like you who advocate for animal rights and anthropormphise animals do such unbelieveable harm and I hope on day you manage to pull your head out of your ass to see how much damage you've done

What harm? 

The lady next door with her hoard of tiny chihuahuas who thinks they're all her children does more harm through anthropomorphism than an animal rights advocate does by acknowledging that animals can experience basic emotions such as fear, pain, sadness, and happiness. 

People who care for animals beyond using them as products are the main driving cause for everything that has helped animals up until today. No one cared about giving farm animals pain relief for invasive procedures until people started bringing attention to it. No one cared about what happens to chickens in sheds until someone spoke out about it. Same deal for racing, commercial dog breeding, and other similar areas. Without progressive change due to people like is, animals would be so much worse off. 

So what damage? Can you actually say what? 

[veganerudition]

I’m sorry, but what?

A main point backing your argument in favour of shaming a large group of people and slandering the integrity of a rights based movement is because you personally find skinnier people hotter? Why on Earth do you think it’s okay to bully other people because of their body shape or size?

Veganism is a moral movement and involves more than just not eating animals. It absolutely matters why people go vegan and you are a prime example of that. There is no room in this movement, which is having a hard enough time being taken seriously as it is, for discriminating against other people. You are not helping the animals by advocating like this, and you are harming people by bullying them into dieting or developing eating disorders.

best PETA ad i’ve ever seen

#imagine thinking this was an okay thing to write on a public forum #caring about people isnt being fake woke youre just an asshole

[veganerudition]

Guaranteed basic income to every citizen, whether or not they are employed to ensure their survival and that they live in a dignified, humane way, preventing poverty, illness, homelessness, reducing crime, encouraging higher education and learning vocations as well as helping society become more prosperous as a whole. 

[veganerudition]

This is exactly why I absolutely hate diet-based vegans, and hate PETA for perpetuating the idea that body shaming goes hand in hand with animal rights advocacy. It furthers mental illness such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders like anorexia. It sows hatred when the movement is meant to be based on respect and compassion. This form of advocacy is disgusting.

Fat is not shameful. Body shaming is horrific and skinny isn’t always best. Please do not support advertisements or advocacy like this within and outside veganism.

best PETA ad i’ve ever seen

#fat shaming #veganism #fucking stop it

[veganerudition]

So I’ve been sitting on some news... I rescued a stray kitten from a vet clinic!

She is the first animal I’ve taken in as part of my family. She’s a complete turd but I still love her to bits. She’s indoors only to protect her and the environment and I’ll be teaching her how to walk on a lead and harness as enrichment when she’s fully vaccinated. I am so excited that I am finally able to start giving animals in need a loving home.

#she is my world

[veganerudition]

Though I can't do much for the human slaves, children being abused, people dying of diseases, and countries at war, I can decide what I contribute to though consumer awareness. I can shed light on injustice and act in alignment with my values. My plate is the easiest place to start and though world issues have complicated factors, food as a resource and commodity is often involved somewhere in the chain in many of them.

That’s a great mindset to have, and one that helps lead onto other forms of rights advocacy and helps other people become aware of similar problems. I wish more people would understand a lot of advocacy is linked, and beginning where you are able to is not a bad thing to do.

[veganerudition]

rock on veganerudition! keep spreading the word

Thank you very much kind anon!

[veganerudition]

update on brianna and her calf :) brianna has gained a ton of weight and looks amazing now! (to my untrained eye at least) and winter is huge already and growing so fast. after reading those criticisms i had to check on them and i was so relieved. the sanctuary seems awesome

Thank you for the update! 

I just had a look myself and I’m so happy to see them both looking happy and healthy. I had every faith in the veterinarian and sanctuary workers taking care of them. Some people just don’t understand a cow under stress and being deprived of food (especially a dairy cow who has just experienced late term pregnancy, calving, and early lactation) can lose an astonishing amount of live-weight.

[veganerudition]

You: We should care more about the pig next door then our own species because CLEARLY a pig is the same as a human. Also, let's disregard health and medical reasons why people can't be vegan because MEAT EATERS ARE BAD, Plant eaters forever UWU!!!" Me, enjoying a chicken sandwich" Y'all hear something?

This is the funniest fucking thing oh my god how far from the mark can you honestly be. 

I’m not the one sending whack ass anonymous messages to random blogs you clearly know little about. Clearly you aren’t as care-free as you make yourself out to be.

[veganerudition]

It is fantastic you understand the ethical issues with the meat industry and I do not believe you are stupid.

But the industry is only part of the problem. It just adds onto the original ethical issue of exploiting and slaughtering animals if it is not necessary for you to do so. Industrialisation of meat production is only a means to facilitate the mass consumption of these animals. Hunting or free-range farming still involve similar principle actions, they just have more space and less human interaction prior.

A question to non-vegans

How

can

you

justify

this?