Should pet owners feed their dogs and cats a plant-based diet?

The decision by a major veterinary organisation to end its opposition to vegan diets for dogs has sparked interest

Some experts claim that dogs on a vegan diet are healthier than their carnivorous counterparts. Getty

The debate over whether pets should live off a vegan diet appears to be picking up momentum.

This month, the British Veterinary Association, the UK's national organisation for vets, announced that it no longer advises against a vegan diet for dogs.

The organisation states that “it is possible to feed dogs a plant-based diet”, although it warns that pet owners take extra care if their canine becomes vegan.

Owners should, the organisation says, be aware of the “difficulties in balancing these diets for nutritional needs” and are advised to monitor their dog’s health.

Dr Martin Wyness, founder and chief executive of the British Veterinary Centre in Abu Dhabi, said his views were “exactly in line” with those of the BVA.

If people do want to feed dogs on a plant-based diet, he said they should carefully analyse what is in that diet to ensure all the necessary nutrients were present.

“You would have to consider very carefully which products and which plants and vegetables [are included],” he said.

While the BVA has not become a full-throated advocate of plant-based diets, warning that there is a lack of robust long-term data, its decision to no longer counsel against vegan diets for dogs has been welcomed by some researchers.

Balance is the key

Prof Andrew Knight, a veterinary surgeon and professor of animal welfare at Murdoch University and Griffith University in Australia, said that while the organisation’s position remained “overly cautious, it had “finally done the right thing”.

“They’ve looked at the evidence and dogs can be maintained on nutritionally sound vegan diets,” he said.

Plant-based diets for dogs are fine, according to Dr Sam Westhead, of Amity Veterinary Clinic in Al Barsha, Dubai, as long as owners ensure that the animals consume all the necessary nutrients.

“Dogs can have vegan diets without any bother, like humans, as long as it's well balanced and carefully thought out. They need a good range of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates,” he said.

“I've got clients who have vegan diets and think nothing of feeding their dogs vegan diets.”

What's more, Damian Eadie, co-founder of Benevo Vegan Pet Foods, which produces vegan food for dogs and cats, said domestic dogs had adapted to be able to digest foods that their ancestors could not.

“For example, they have more genes for digesting starches than wolves,” he said. “The key concept that people can get confused about is that animals need nutrients, not specific foods.

“All the nutrients that can be found in meat can also be found elsewhere – so we formulate our foods on the nutritional requirements of the animal, rather than starting with any particular food source.”

For cats, Dr Westhead said the picture was more complex, with the diet having to be supplemented to ensure that the animal received all the required nutrients.

“It can be done but it needs to be done very carefully with a great deal of thought and likely with the input of a veterinary surgeon to make sure you get it right,” he said.

The BVA too takes a more cautious approach when it comes to felines, saying that current research indicated that “it is not possible to form a complete vegan or vegetarian diet for cats”.

“They are obligate carnivores and there is a lack of suitable synthetic essential amino acids available,” the organisation states.

A key amino acid is taurine, which is found in animal-based foods but is not in plant-based products, unless added.

Taurine is an essential amino acid for cats and it is important for maintaining a healthy heart, a well-functioning immune system and good vision, among other things.

Prof Knight, who was awarded a PhD for his work on the pet health and environmental implications of plant-based diets, said there was “no scientific evidence” that synthetically produced taurine – which he said was added to both plant-based and animal-based cat food – was less digestible than that found naturally in meat.

He said numerous studies indicated that dogs and cats fed on plant-based diets were as healthy as or healthier than those who eat meat.

“If you produce a diet that includes the necessary nutrients but excludes certain dietary hazards, you should expect health outcomes that are as good or possibly better [than with] animal-based diets,” he said.

Such hazards may include, he indicated, an increased risk of pets suffering allergies that may cause itchy skin if they are fed a meat-based diet. He said such issues were “largely eliminated or greatly reduced” with plant-based diets.

One key study indicated that dogs fed on a plant-based diet lived, on average, an extra one-and-a-half years, Prof Knight said, which he added was the equivalent to an extra decade for a person.

Environmental impact

Aside from nutritional factors, another issue around plant-based diets for pets is environmental sustainability.

In its new policy position, the BVA states that pet food will often use organ meat and other parts that “are less appealing to humans but are safe and very nutritious”.

“Using by-products rather than cuts of meat more frequently eaten by humans significantly reduces a product’s associated emissions, and it can be argued that pet food helps to make the food industry more sustainable as it prevents these products being wasted,” the organisation states.

Prof Knight, however, said that his published research indicated that even food made from parts of the animal that would not be consumed by people had a greater environmental impact than plant-based foods.

Dr Katrin Jahn, owner and head vet at the German Veterinary Clinic in Abu Dhabi, said that, for dogs, the key thing was to ensure that all the required nutrients were present, regardless of the source.

“As long as we get the balance of what dogs need in regard to protein, carbohydrates and fats … in their diet, as well as all the vitamins and minerals they need, that's much more important,” she said.

“Whether we do get the protein from a non-meat source or whether it's insect protein, I think that probably plays less of a role than making sure we've got the right quantities and quality, and that it's the right balance.”

If plant-based diets for pets are to become more popular, it will depend on the choices made by pet owners.

Rupkatha Bhowmick, a UAE resident, said that a vegan diet would not be suitable for her 12-year-old beagle, Mr Popo, because he has a neurodegenerative disease that requires a protein-rich diet.

“I would not consider a vegan diet for my dog, because I don’t think it is species appropriate, especially if there are special needs, like my dog,” said Ms Bhowmick.

“I know many people back in India who feed their dogs a vegetarian diet – not vegan though – and they are doing very well. They are happy and healthy. There isn’t much research on vegan diets for dogs, it’s still early days.”

While he advocates plant-based diets for cats and dogs, Prof Knight said it was “really important people don't make their own diets at home”, instead advising pet owners to purchase specially formulated vegan pet food containing all of the required nutrients.

“People should check product labels and ensure the diet is nutritionally complete and not intended as a treat or snack,” he said.

A changing world

Aside from plant-based diets, the pet food sector is changing as “alternative proteins” grow in popularity.

“Some of the big pet companies are looking into insect protein, and I know some have started to use it in their diets,” Dr Jahn said.

Also, pet food companies that produce cultivated meat, which is created by growing cells, have emerged.

This month a cultivated meat pet food producer called Meatly announced that it had been given approval to begin sales of tinned cultivated chicken meat in the UK, which will be sold in partnership with sustainable pet food brand Omni.

Set to go on sale this year, the product is said to be the first cultivated meat pet food in the world to be given regulatory approval.

So, with plant-based diets gaining interest, insect protein coming on stream and cultivated meat becoming available, what our pets eat could change significantly in the years to come.