In a study from the New University of Illinois, researchers have found that specially formulated vegan diets can positively affect your dog’s health.
Namely, the study’s objective “was to evaluate the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD)” of canine diets with different protein sources. As pet owners become more scrupulous, said the study, “demand continues to increase for both plant- and animal-based options”.
However, there’s not much research on how dogs respond to vegan and plant-based diets. Study co-author Kelly Swanson said, “it’s important they be tested like all other foods to make sure they’re safe and ‘complete and balanced'”.
Is It Okay for Dogs to Be on a Vegan Diet?
According to Phys.org, researchers fed a group of Beagles different types of dog food for three weeks. Specifically, the research team tested two “human-grade vegan formulas” against a name-brand chicken-based kibble diet. Notably, one of the vegan foods contained a grain ingredient, while the other did not.
For three weeks, the dogs ate only their assigned foods. Throughout the trial, researchers analyzed their blood chemistry, fecal quality, and microbiome. Besides that, researchers also analyzed the ingredients and nutritional quality of each food.
“One thing to remember is that animals don’t have ingredient requirements, they have nutrient requirements,” said Swanson. As such, she said that vegan diets can work for dogs as long as they have the correct nutrient content.
How Do Plant-Based Diets Affect Canine Health?
Significantly, Swanson and the team found that the vegan dogs had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in their blood. As a result, Swanson said plant-based diets could help obese pets manage their weight.
Additionally, researchers found that vegan diets positively affected the dogs’ intestinal microbiome. As one example, Swanson said that chemicals like phenol and indole, responsible for fecal odor, were lower in dogs fed vegan diets. Overall, Swanson said there seemed to be tangible benefits to feeding dogs vegan diets.
Although Swanson said these diets work because they’ve been specially formulated by veterinarians, aspiring vegan dog owners shouldn’t feel left out. Thankfully, the plant-based dog movement is a growing one, and there are plenty of guides and even cookbooks to help dog owners create a balanced, nutritious diet for their four-legged friend.
