As in the human practice of veganism, vegan dog foods are those formulated with the exclusion of ingredients that contain or were processed with any part of an animal, or any animal byproduct.[1] Vegan dog food may incorporate the use of fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes including soya, nuts, vegetable oils, as well as any other non-animal based foods.[2]
The omnivorous domestic dog was originally primarily carnivore but has evolved to metabolize carbohydrates, fat, and fiber and remain healthy on a diet lower in protein, with as little as 10% of calories derived from protein, of whatever source, for younger dogs, rising to 50% or more for older dogs. Research shows that dogs can remain healthy on a vegetarian diet.[3][4]
In theory a vegan diet is also nutritionally adequate for dogs if properly formulated and balanced.
The American Kennel Club highlights risks factors of a vegan diet such as ensuring adequate protein intake, imbalance of certain amino acids, such as taurine and L-carnitine and potential vitamin or mineral deficiency.[5] To offset these risks, supplements may need to be added to the dog's vegan or vegetarian diet, most importantly those that provide taurine, L-carnitine and vitamin B-12. According to this advice, dogs in the wild prefer animal-based protein, so matching their diet more closely to what they would eat if getting food on their own is more reliable for ensuring health. This dietary advice for dogs resembles that for humans on balanced vegan diets, where it is also important to ensure inclusion of essential nutrients, such as calcium, iron, iodine, and selenium and vitamin B12 and vitamin D, possibly in the form of supplements, especially in pregnancy and early life stages.[6]
Motivations for vegans diets include animal welfare and environmental impacts of animal agriculture.[3] As of 2018,[update] there are around 470 million pet dogs.[7]
^Ruby, Matthew B. (February 2012). "Vegetarianism. A blossoming field of study". Appetite. 58 (1): 141–150. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.09.019. ISSN 1095-8304. PMID 22001025. S2CID 30991920.
^Sabaté, Joan; Wien, Michelle (April 2015). "A perspective on vegetarian dietary patterns and risk of metabolic syndrome". The British Journal of Nutrition. 113 (Suppl 2): S136–143. doi:10.1017/S0007114514004139. ISSN 1475-2662. PMID 26148917.
^ abDomínguez-Oliva, Adriana; Mota-Rojas, Daniel; Semendric, Ines; Whittaker, Alexandra L. (January 2023). "The Impact of Vegan Diets on Indicators of Health in Dogs and Cats: A Systematic Review". Veterinary Sciences. 10 (1): 52. doi:10.3390/vetsci10010052. ISSN 2306-7381. PMC 9860667. PMID 36669053.
may need to be added to the dog'svegan or vegetariandiet, most importantly those that provide taurine, L-carnitine and vitamin B-12. According to this...
which would make them unsuitable for a lacto-vegetarian or vegandiet. The history of the vegetarian hot dog is not clear, but Worthington Foods' Veja-Link...
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status...
incomplete list of vegetarianandvegan restaurants. Vegetarian cuisine refers to food that meets vegetarian standards by not including meat and animal tissue...
Retrieved 5 January 2008. "AVAR position statements: VeganandVegetarian Cat andDog Food Diets" Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights Freeman...
lacto-vegetariandiet includes dairy products but not eggs. As the strictest of vegetariandiets, a vegandiet excludes all animal products, and can be...
non-dairy vegetarian, started a newsletter called The Vegan News, sub-titled "Quarterly Magazine of the Non-Dairy Vegetarians". Watson coined the term vegan to...
maceration and suffocation using carbon dioxide. One of the main differences between a veganand an ovo-vegetariandiet is the avoidance of eggs. Vegans do not...
religious arguments for the vegetariandiet include the requirement for compassion imposed on Muslims by Quran and sunnah and the concept of stewardship...
This is a list of vegetarian or vegan organizations. Vegetarian organizations are located in numerous locations and regions around the globe. Their main...
A lacto-vegetarian (sometimes referred to as a lactarian; from the Latin root lact-, milk) diet is a diet that abstains from the consumption of meat as...
consumption of meat and eggs. The Sikh Gurus have indicated their preference for a simple diet, which could include meat or be vegetarian. Guru Nanak said...
Vegan cheese is a category of non-dairy, plant-based cheese analogues. Vegan cheeses range from soft fresh cheeses to aged and cultured hard grateable...
Vegetarian Times is an American publication focused on food, culture, health and lifestyle for vegetarians, vegans, and all people interested in plant-based...
ethics, moral character, and health as reasons for adopting a vegetarian or vegandiet. Vegetarianism was not traditionally a component of mainstream...
Vegan organic (or veganic) agriculture is the organic production of food and other crops with minimal animal inputs. Vegan organic agriculture is the organic...
mushrooms to "taste, and even feel, like your favorite meaty meals" according to Men's Journal. In his role at Tesco, where vegetarianandvegan product sales...
suppressant; a vegan substitute for gelatin; a thickener for soups; in fruit preserves, ice cream, and other desserts; as a clarifying agent in brewing; and for...
Studies called Black veganism an "emerging discipline". Research has found that about 8% of Black Americans are vegan or vegetarian, which is much higher...
paper on veganandvegetariandiets, Vegan & Vegetarian FAQ (2001), The Dietitian's Guide to VegetarianDiets (2004), and The Everything Vegan Pregnancy...
is followed by monks and many believers from areas historically influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. It is vegetarian or vegan, and it is based on the Dharmic...
In 1994, ALA developed a booklet called And Justice For All. It focused on the reasons to adopt a vegandiet, focusing on the abuse of the animals involved...
in film and television and on stage. A vegan, Silverstone has endorsed PETA activities and published two cookbooks: The Kind Diet (2009) and The Kind...
Global Information