Is it safe to put your dog on a vegan diet? Why experts are divided over plant-based pets

There might be no clear-cut answer, but here's what to consider if you're planning to cut meat from your pooch's diet

Experts are divided on whether or not it's safe to put your dog on a vegan diet. Unsplash

American singer-songwriter Katy Perry recently announced in a tweet that she was ready to become vegan.

In the social media post, the star revealed her dog, Nugget, may also be adopting a plant-based lifestyle.

"I'm about 95 per cent ready to be 100 per cent vegan," she wrote to her 109 million followers. "My dog Nugget has been joining me on this journey for the past 4 months. Pray for us OK."

The announcement was met with mixed reactions.

"I hope Nugget has only been joining you for emotional support! Dogs shouldn't be vegan, so please continue providing their necessary requirements!" wrote one follower.

"Please stop spreading misinformation," added another. "Dogs absolutely can thrive and vastly improve their health on plant-based diets. I urge people not to read silly comments like this and please do actually research on the topic."

So what's the truth? Is it safe to put our pooches on a primarily plant-based diet?

Well, yes, no and maybe.

'No diet is perfect'

"It's tricky to give a hard and fast opinion on whether or not to feed dogs a plant-based diet as research remains fairly limited," says British veterinary surgeon Dr Mairead Skirka.

Sarah Dodd, a veterinarian who studies plant-based pet diets, told Wired the same thing. "There really isn't a lot of research on this."

While vets will often recommend meat-free diets for dogs and cats when they're suffering from digestive issues, it wouldn't be their first preference.

Domestication has exposed dogs to a wide variety of food products and made them better at processing different types of foods

Skirka explains why it's become such a grey area. "Historically, dogs were regarded as carnivores and not thought to be as efficient at processing plant material, but their domestication has exposed them to a wide variety of food products and made them better at processing different types of foods, effectively moving them into the 'omnivore' category."

Studies that have been carried out on the suitability of plant-based diets for dogs have raised some concerns, however, she adds. This includes "reduced amino acid concentration, low folic acid and potassium levels or an increase in the pH of dogs’ urine, which can leave them at risk for urinary stones or blockages".

On the other hand, feeding trials have also proven that many dogs can thrive on a plant-based diet, says Skirka.

Wild Earth is a technology startup developing clean protein and vegan dog food

No diet is perfect, she adds, but what is imperative is that anyone thinking about putting their dog on a vegan diet must fully research the foods they choose to ensure a complete diet that's safe and healthy for their furry friends.

"This needs to include all the necessary amino acids and – if feeding a plant-based diet – should also include added taurine and L-carnitine, which can be lacking in vegetarian or vegan plans," says Skirka

'Dogs are carnivores'

Katherine Cebrowski, co-founder of UAE pet food company Furchild Pet Nutrition, as well as dog mum and longtime vegetarian, staunchly disagrees that pets should be put on a plant-based diet.

"Simply put, dogs are carnivores," she says. "Their mouths, jaws and whole bodily systems are designed to consume and process foods that are predominantly high-quality animal tissues. Although dogs may be able to 'survive' on different types of diets, a vegetarian or vegan diet is biologically stressful, risky and even dangerous.

"If someone was adamant, in theory, a vegetarian dog food diet would be better than vegan, but definitely not a vegan dog food diet as eggs and / or fish and insect protein would need to be incorporated into the diet."

Furchild Pet Nutrition is a pet food company that was born in the UAE.

When introducing a home-made vegetarian diet, Cebrowski says it's imperative to consult a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to ensure all the needs of your meat-eschewing dog are being met.

The rise of the vegan pet food market

Despite the lack of clarity on the matter, vegan dog food has become more and more popular over the past few years. Wild Earth, V-dog and Ami, which is sold at the UAE's Organic Foods and Cafe, are just three brands that create what they claim is nutritionally complete food for plant-based pooches.

Cailin R Heinze, a veterinary nutritionist, says most dogs can still do well on a carefully designed vegan diet, in an essay for Cummings Veterinary Medical Centre at Tufts University.

But it's not an easy thing to do.

"While a number of commercial vegan and vegetarian diets exist on the market for dogs, not all of them are equivalent in quality," she writes. "In general, diets that include eggs or dairy as protein sources are less worrisome than diets based only on plant proteins.

"Home-prepared diets always fare worse, as the vast majority of home-cooked meat-based diets dog owners are feeding lack essential nutrients, and the vegetarian and vegan ones typically have all the same deficiencies and then some additional ones, such as protein."

That doesn't mean it's impossible, though.

Bramble and Lexi: the dogs that thrived

One dog that is said to have thrived on a veggie-fuelled diet is Bramble Heritage, a border collie that lived to the ripe of age of 25, the equivalent of 189 in dog years.

Her owner, Anne, said Bramble lived on a diet of organic vegetables, rice and lentils, ate once a day and exercised a lot.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bramble has become something of a folk hero for dog owners looking to transition their pets on to a vegan diet.

One of those people is Tamar Krikorian, who lives in Dubai and also found her dog, Lexi, responded well to a vegan diet, as it cleared up her life-long skin conditions.

"One thing I noticed after turning vegan myself is that my eczema, which I had suffered with for 10 years, completely disappeared. So I thought why not try a vegan diet for Lexi, to see if it would help with her skin condition? I did my research to make sure it was safe and found out that dogs are omnivores just like us and, as long as it is done properly, they could thrive on a vegan diet."

Krikorian introduced Lexi to vegan kibble by Ami, and she loved it. "And just like that, her skin problems went away. No more bumps or bald patches. And she also lost a bit of weight and had more energy than ever. Her bowel movements were also the best they have ever been in her life, probably due to a higher fibre diet."

Despite her success on the diet, Krikorian received a lot of stick for her choice. "If humans are still receiving criticism for turning vegan, you can only imagine how much criticism I received for making my dog vegan. Many of my friends found it cruel and I remember my vet rolling his eyes at me when I told him that Lexi was vegan."

However, due to unrelated health issues that require Lexi to eat a lower protein diet than a normal dog would, Krikorian now mixes vegan kibble in with specially formulated, non-vegan, lower-protein kibble, to ensure her pet continues to thrive.

"Not every dog can be vegan," says Krikorian. "I am really lucky that Lexi enjoys vegan food, but I know other pickier dogs that would not touch vegan kibble or a plate of lentils and rice. So you cannot force your dog to eat a vegan diet if they do not like the food."

Going eco-friendly

If your choice to turn your pet plant-based is eco-related, then there are other ways to make sure your pet is environmentally friendly, says Cebrowski.

She suggests opting for brands that use ethically sourced and organic ingredients procured from ranchers and farmers around the world who use natural, humane and sustainable farming methods.

You can also choose brands that use plastic-free and recyclable packaging, buy pet supplies that are created sustainably, and donate any unwanted products to your local animal shelter instead of throwing them away, she adds.

So, what should you do if you are planning to put your dog on a vegan diet?

The advice from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, more commonly known as Peta, is to introduce dogs to any new food gradually.

"After switching dogs to a vegan diet, monitor them closely to make sure that their new diet agrees with them, especially if they are still puppies," the non-profit writes in an article, advising dog owners to watch for chronic gastrointestinal and skin problems, and note any other new health problems.

"Most dogs’ health improves on a balanced vegan diet, but occasionally an animal may not thrive, so use common sense if this occurs."