Austrian Study Finds Yarrah and Benevo To Be Nutritionally Complete Pet Food Brands

We all want what is best for our pets. When it comes to vegan pet food, it is very important to understand which brands will give our fluffy friends all the nutrients that they need.

A 2014 study undertaken by the Vienna Institute for Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, sought out the composition of a variety of vegan dog and cat food brands, both wet and dry, to assess the nutritional value of them. The study examined two of the vegan pet food brands that are stocked on our website, Yarrah and Benevo, against a few others.

The paper reviews the basic nutritional needs of cats and dogs and explains what vitamins and minerals are essential to their health. One of the most important ones being protein and the amino acids that it is composed of. Dogs need the intake of 10 different amino acids to create the protein they require, whereas cats depend on an eleventh amino acid, called taurine. For additional reading, check out our recent blog post where we go over the nutritional needs of cats in detail.

Method

Participants for the study were gathered over a period of two years from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, through online message boards, Facebook groups, veterinarian offices and word of mouth. Participants initially completed a questionnaire about their experience feeding their pets a vegan diet, its implementation and any consequences that arose because of it. 233 owners completed the questionnaire and from that 35 animals were selected to participate in the food study, 20 dogs and 15 cats.

The selection of the vegan pet food products was determined by what pet food brands were most often mentioned in the questionnaire and included wet food Benevo Duo for dogs and cats and dry food Yarrah Organic Vegetarian Pet Food for dogs.

Nutritional Analysis For Dogs

Yarrah Dry Organic Vegetarian Pet Food hit all the marks for recommended nutrient levels for dogs. It exceeded nutrient levels for crude protein, crude fat and crude fibre and was well under the maximum recommended levels for moisture and crude ash.

Table 1: Guaranteed Analysis of Yarrah dry diet for dogs

Benevo Duo was similar in that it was within the recommended nutritional limits for dogs in all the assessed nutrients, showing that it will meet the required nutritional needs for your vegan dog.

Table 2: Guaranteed Analysis of Benevo Duo wet diet for dogs

The study also examined the fulfilment of daily dietary requirements for 20kg dogs and the percentage of what dry pet foods were able to supply. The calculations below are based on the recommended daily amount provided on the packaging for a 20kg dog.

Table 3: Fulfillment of requirements of Yarrah Organic vegan dry diet for a 20kg dog

Analysis of Yarrah Organic Vegetarian Dog Food in this study showed all parameters were conforming with the scientific comparison chart (MEYER and ZENTEK, 2010) as well as within the minimum necessary allowances published by F.E.D.I.A.F (2013), and mainly providing the nutrients excessively.

Benevo Duo met most of the nutritional requirements needed for a 9kg dog’s regular diet. It was only found to be lacking in energy and calorie requirements, which are easily met with vegan dog food supplements. Each of the other nutrients was exceeded in fulfilment percentages and will supply more than enough for a 9kg dog.

Table 4: Fulfillment of requirements of Benevo Duo vegan wet diet for a 9kg dog

Nutritional Analysis For Cats

The guaranteed analysis for wet cat food did not include a baseline for recommended nutrient levels for cats, so there was no way to compare Benevo Duo to what’s necessary for daily consumption.

Table 5: Guaranteed analysis of Benevo Duo vegan wet diet for cats

Benevo Duo for cats was also found to meet most of the minimum fulfilment requirements for cats consuming this vegan pet food. These calculations were based on the feeding instructions as indicated on the packaging for a 4.5kg cat.

Table 6: Fulfillment of requirements of Benevo Duo vegan wet diet for a 4.5kg cat

The majority of daily nutrient requirements were met, with the exception of energy, kilocalories and crude protein. It is suggested to meet the total of these requirements with the help of vegan cat food supplements to ensure the health of your cat.

Every other requirement was easily met and provided enough nutritional value for your vegan cat. We suggest that you keep an eye on the energy of your cat and take note of any changes.

Overall, the study also showed that there were no adverse effects in the participant pets’ blood or behaviours as a result of consuming a vegan diet, proving that vegan diets don’t change temperament or cause blood-related issues.

Conclusion

Feeding dogs and cats strictly plant-based diets often raise questions about supplying an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. It is important to do your research about vegan pet foods and ensure that you are feeding them the right way. We at vpets are here to help you navigate through this by offering a selection of vegan pet foods and vegan supplements that are proven to be the best for your fluffy companion.

Benevo Duo wet dog food was found to be almost nutritionally complete and Yarrah Organics dry dog food was found to be nutritionally complete. These two brands have shown that they are committed to creating vegan pet food that is good for your pets and have plenty of vitamins and minerals to ensure the health of them. Vegan dog supplements are a great way to complete any missing requirements for your dog’s daily diet.

For cats, the Benevo Duo wet food was found to not contain enough energy, protein or kilocalories. For vegan cats to use this as their primary source of food, they will need vegan cat supplements to ensure that all their dietary needs are met. This is not to say that you shouldn’t feed your cat this particular food, but more as guidance to ensure your vegan cat gets all the nutrients and energy it needs.

We at vpets offer a large selection of vegan dog food and vegan cat food, vegan dog supplements and vegan cat supplements, and vegan dog treats. If you want to take your pets’ veganism journey a little further, we also sell vegan cat shampoos and vegan dog shampoos. Check out our entire range today!