Is a vegan diet for your dog a healthy decision? If you're eating a vegetarian or vegan diet, you might feel the need to transition your pet too. Before making this lifestyle change for your pet, it's important to assess the pros and cons and familiarize yourself with your dog's digestive system.
Vegan Dog Diet
Is a vegan diet healthy for dogs? While many Americans are choosing to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, it may or may not be the best diet for your pets. These types of diets contain less cholesterol and rely on plant proteins rather than animal proteins, which can be high in fat and contain growth hormones. Feeding your pet a vegan diet has both pros and cons that need to be considered before switching your dog over.
Pros of Vegan Dogfood
A vegan diet is free of animal proteins and animal byproducts. This includes eggs and dairy products, but it’s even stricter than that because vitamins and minerals also cannot be derived from animals. If you avoid animal proteins because of ethical and health reasons, it’s natural to want to extend this thinking onto your pet, especially when you know it can reduce your bad cholesterol and fat.
Another reason to switch your dog might be out of concern for bacterial contamination, which can and often occurs with meat ingredients. This contamination could cause a disease in your pet. Also, if your pet has allergies to certain meats, a vegan diet may provide a safe alternative.
Cons of Vegan Dogfood
Vegan products for humans have evolved and become tasty and nutritious, but is this the same for dog food?
When creating a dog food without meat, it becomes challenging to ensure that the proper amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals are in it. Often manufacturers have to incorporate synthetic ingredients simply to meet the nutrition requirements. For instance, soy is a high protein plant source, but it lacks vitamin B12, which is not found in most plants. Synthetic substitutes are expensive and might not be processed by the dog’s body as effectively as the real thing. You can also never be too sure how nutritious a vegan dog food recipe is.
Another reason why a vegan diet might not be the best option lies in your dog’s dentition. The domestic dog is considered an omnivore, and its teeth show that it’s designed to eat meat. Your dog also has a short intestinal tract, which is not meant to process diets high in plants.
Finding a Balance
Before choosing to feed your dog a vegan substitute, it’s important to weigh your decision (your ethical dilemma vs. your dog’s health and well being). Maybe a vegan dog treat every one in a while is a better option.
If you want to try a vegan dogfood, choose a feed that has been labeled by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and avoid homemade diet recipes that lack nutrition facts. After a month or two with the new diet, assess your pet’s weight, skin, coat, energy level and stool volume and consistency. It’s also a wise decision to speak with your veterinarian about this option and follow-up with him/her as you transition.
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