Are you also wondering if any studies have been done on vegan dogs and if dogs can be vegans?

 

To give you an in-depth look at the vegan dog diet, we are presenting the conclusions of three most comprehensive and well-known studies regarding vegan nutrition for dogs.

 

The study by a veterinarian Pia Gloria Semp (2014)

 

Veterinarian Pia Gloria Sempl has been studying dogs and their owners in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The participants in the study have been invited via ads on notice boards, at the veterinary clinics, via Facebook, and invited orally.

 

The owners who participated in this study of vegan dogs had to fulfill a questionnaire about their experiences with a vegan diet in their dogs. The study included a clinical evaluation (together with a blood test) of randomly selected 20 dogs.

 

A standardized clinical check-up included the estimation of the dog’s general health, the state of the body, coat and fur, lymph nodes, cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive vital signs, and proper excretion.

 

With the help of haematological and biochemical tests, the study determined the levels of magnesium, calcium, iron, protein, folic acid, vitamin B12, and carnitine.

 

All 174 dogs included in the research had to be on an exclusively vegan diet for at least six months. Because of the diversity of age and diet type, the average duration of vegan nutrition was 2.83 years.

 

29% of participants in the study used exclusively commercially available vegan dog food, 9% used only home-made, and the remaining 52% used mostly commercially available food regularly supplemented with home-made ingredients.

 

28 dog owners reported independently about brighter and healthier coat after transitioning to vegan food. Some dogs which were previously prone to skin problems, oily fur, etc., no longer showed signs of dermatological issues.

 

16 dog owners reported improved skin smell and more regular and easier defecation.

 

Standardized clinical examinations didn’t reveal any irregularities connected to nutrition. Blood tests showed that all 20 dogs that were examined had proteins within normal levels.

 

None of the tested parameters showed any difference or deviation compared to the results of dogs fed with regular food. Most importantly, there were no low levels of iron or vitamin B12 detected in vegan dogs.


 

The study by W. Brown and colleagues (2009)

 

In 2009 Brown and colleagues have researched and published their findings regarding 12 sprinting Siberian huskies. Half of them (n=6) were fed with commercial food intended for active dogs, and the other half (n=6) with adapted meatless dog food with the same nutritional value.

 

Commercial dog food contained 43% of poultry meal. In the meatless feed, it was replaced by corn gluten and soy mixture. The dogs consumed such food for 16 weeks, ten of which they were competing regularly.

 

Their health state was regularly monitored by a veterinarian who was unaware of the research and different diet of the dogs. All of the animals were checked and evaluated as being in excellent physical condition. No dog was anaemic or had any other medical condition.


 

A study done by PETA (1994)

 

In 1994 American organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has published the results of a systematic study of 300 dogs from different locations in America and Canada, all of them on a meatless diet.

 

The dogs were of different ages, from pups to 19-years-old dogs, of different breeds and sexes. 65.3% (196/300) of dogs were vegan, and the remaining 34.7% (104//300) were vegetarians.

 

The dogs included in the study have been fed a vegan or vegetarian diet from 2 years to over 9 years, with an average duration of such diet 5.7 years. The results showed that over 80% of dogs on vegan or vegetarian food spent between 50 and 100% of their lives in “good” or “excellent” health condition.


 

The conclusion

We hope that comprehensive research has helped you dispel any doubts you might have had about vegan food for dogs. With proper approach and controlled feed, your dogs can have at least equally healthy and delicious meal ;)