British Veterinary Association (BVA) have recently announced that they are supportive of “meat-free diets”.

Pet owners are increasingly opting for non-traditional diets for their cats and dogs. Our latest BVA Voice of the Veterinary Profession research showed 94% of companion animal vets have clients who feed a raw diet, 42% have clients who feed meat-free diets and 29% have clients who feed insect-protein in place of meat.

All animals must be fed a diet which meets their nutritional needs, to be protected from any pain, suffering, injury or disease that may result from being fed an inappropriate diet. However, with a range of factors to consider, including nutrition, safety and sustainability, choosing the most suitable pet food can be complex. It can also be difficult to access clear, scientifically sound information, making these important decisions around diet choice even more challenging.

What this means is 42% of vets the BVA surveyed have clients that have told the vets that they are feeding their cats or dogs a vegan pet food diet.

BVA have emphasised that they do not recommend which diet is the best diet but recommend a diet that meets the nutritional needs of the animal.

The BVA want people to trust their vets and it is becoming increasingly difficult for vets to simply say cats and dogs need meat when there is an abundance of vegan pet food products that can provide all the nutritional needs of cats and dogs.

Will the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) follow the BVA’s example and declare the same level of support?

We can only hope and pray that they do.