I recently came across this vegan dog and cat food news articles on the Daily Mail.
On a positive note, I am happy to see more news coverage on vegan pet food because this is proof that veganism is growing and vegan pet food is becoming more popular as a result.
On a negative note, I am disappointed that the mainstream media still loves to pour cold water on vegan pet food and insinuate extremely negative consequences of feeding a vegan diet to your cat or dog.
I would like to summarise a couple of points made in the article.
Dogs are Omnivores
Ms Dallera has worked as a veterinary nurse for ten years, but had no idea dogs could be vegan, The Australian reported.
After coming to the decision she no longer wanted to support the meat industry, Ms Dallera looked into it and realised dogs are omnivores.
A lot of people do not know that dogs are not obligate carnivores. Even someone who has worked as a veterinary nurse for 10 years had no idea.
Plant-Based Pet Food = Lack of Protein, Lack of Amino Acids and Increased Volume of Food That Has to Be Fed
Vegan diets are especially harmful for cats as they’re obligate carnivores, but can also affect dogs.
The downside of vegetarian dogs is you can get some health-related problems. Some dogs can do quite well, but it does increase the volume of food that has to be fed.
The main concern for dogs on plant-based diets is the lack of protein and amino acids.
Some dogs would be better off with a vegetarian diet rather than purely vegan, so they can get a source of protein through alternative options such as eggs.
If dogs have a protein deficiency or amino acid deficiency, they can suffer from a reduced growth rate and milk production, poor coat and skin and severe weight loss that could lead to death.
Dr Mark Lawrie
CEO of the Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital
My main issue with statements like that is there seems to be an unfair condemnation of all vegan pet food diets.
Not All Vegan Pet Food Diets Are the Same
Some commercial vegan pet food products such as Veganpet in Australia meet the dog and cat food nutrient profiles established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
You may want to check out the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Animal Food Recalls and Alerts page to see a shocking list of all the meat-based pet food recalls in the USA.
I personally have not seen one commercial vegan pet food product recall because it lacked the essential nutrients as recommended by AAFCO.
Meat-based pet food does not automatically mean it is safe and nutritionally complete.
Conclusion
Do not be fooled by the blanket statements that claim vegan diets are harmful.
How is it morally justifiable to sacrifice thousands of other animals to feed your cat or dog when we don’t need to anymore?
Do your own research and find out why vegan pet food can be a safe and nutritionally complete option for your cat and dog.
