Vegan Pet Diets: Should Your Dog or Cat Be Vegan?

Vegan pet diets have been gaining popularity recently. The vegan diet emphasizes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. It's also known as a plant-based diet, as it completely excludes meat and dairy products.

The vegan diet is claimed to be associated with various health benefits, including lower inflammation, improved blood pressure, weight loss, and improved insulin sensitivity. Many of these claims have been studied by experts and scientists.

However, vegan pet diets are relatively new and haven't been studied well. In this article, we shall discuss whether a plant-based dairy-free diet is safe for your dog or cat.

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Can Dogs and Cats Survive Without Meat?

Dogs and cats are predominantly carnivores if we consider their evolutionary history. Dogs are biologically related to foxes and cats are biologically related to tigers.

Domestication of these animals has forced them to consume plant-based foods, including grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. However, the physiology of these animals differs from that of humans. They cannot synthesize certain nutrients in the body. The intestines of cats and dogs cannot absorb nutrients from every type of food. Vegan pet diets can deprive carnivore animals of obtaining all the essential nutrients.

Cats and dogs prefer meat and fish (Image via Unsplash/Eiliv Aceron)

Check out the six categories of nutrients and their importance.

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Vegan Pet Diets: Are They Safe?

Vegan activists often promote vegan diets for all pet animals. Though a plant-based diet is ideal for certain pet bird species, it can be dangerous for other animals.

The guts of dogs and cats are different from that of herbivores like horses and cows. Making your dog eat a meat-free diet can cause stomach issues, indigestion, and constipation. This is why most dog food and cat food products contain meat, fish, and other animal-based foods.

Vegan pet diets can be deficient in essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, iodine, selenium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.

Vegan pet diets can cause an imbalance of certain amino acids, such as taurine and L-carnitine. This kind of diet can also be deficient in certain essential fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (especially for cats).

A vegan diet might also be deficient in the overall protein required for the growth and maintenance of body tissues. Long-term diets lacking meat can lead to taurine-related dilated cardiomyopathy. It is a medical condition characterized by an enlarged heart with reduced contractions and poor pumping ability.

Packaged dog food often contains processed meat (Image via Unsplash/Ayla Verschueren)

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What Kind of Diet Is Ideal for Pets?

There are no specific guidelines when it comes to pet diets. First, ask your vet whether your pet is a carnivore or a herbivore. If you are a vegan and plan to give vegan pet diets to your pet, do not adopt an animal that cannot digest a plant-based diet.

It is best to plan well before adopting a pet. Buy only FDA-certified pet food for your dogs and cats, even if they contain meat in them. Consult with your vet before changing the diet of your pet dog or cat.