Study was published this month by academics at Western Australia’s Murdoch University School of Veterinary Medicine and three other universities.
Dogs can be healthier on a vegan diet than a meat-based one, according to a study published in the journal Heliyon this month.
The study, supported by ProVeg International, analysed the health outcomes of 2,536 dogs, including 336 fed a vegan diet, for at least one year.
It is the first study of its kind to calculate the size of the health benefits that might occur for average dogs, after controlling for age, sex, neutering status, breed size and exercise level – all factors that can affect a dog’s health.
Researchers found that the odds of dogs fed a vegan diet suffering from six specific health disorders fell by between 50 and 61% compared to dogs fed conventional meat. These included common health disorders in dogs, such as problems with weight, ears, and the musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal system, which can cause conditions such as lameness and diarrhoea.
Dogs on vegan diets were less likely to need medication, medical diets or make unusually high numbers of visits to the vet. Dogs on the vegan diet were also more likely to be assessed as healthy by dog owners and their vet, had lower rates of illness, and fewer cases of health disorders when they were unwell.
The study was co-authored by Professor Andrew Knight, a qualified vet and Adjunct Professor at Murdoch University’s School of Veterinary Medicine , with Hazel Brown, Associate Dean of the University of Winchester’s Faculty of Health and Wellbeing and Alexander Bauer of Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich.
“Dogs fed vegan diets clearly had the best health outcomes in this very large-scale study, and these results are consistent with prior studies in this field,” Professor Knight said.
“Nutritionally-sound vegan diets offer extremely large environmental benefits, so this is very good news for dog owners who want to protect the environment whilst also maximising their dogs’ health. However, care should always be taken to ensure diets are nutritionally-sound, by checking package labelling and purchasing from reputable pet food companies,” he added.
A previous study, also supported by ProVeg and authored by Professor Knight, came to similar conclusions, finding that the healthiest and least hazardous food for dogs is provided by a nutritionally sound vegan diet. Dogs are biologically omnivores, and many companies now produce vegan dog food using plant, mineral and synthetic ingredients to supply all necessary nutrients.
Environmental benefits of vegan dog food
In a separate study, published in the science journal PLOS ONE last year, Professor Knight found that the environmental advantages of vegan diets for pets were very large.
Pet food consumes at least 9% of the world’s livestock, rising to 20% in nations such as the US which has high pet ownership.
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Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected]
About ProVeg International
Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet. ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040
