Vegetarian Dog Food

Overview

As vegetarianism becomes increasingly common, there is growing demand for vegetarian dog food. However, feeding dogs on a vegetarian diet is a subject of hot debate, in terms of health and ethics.

The arguments for and against vegetarian dog food centre around several points:

Can a dog's nutritional and psychological needs be met by a vegetarian diet?
Is a vegetarian diet more or less healthy than conventional dog food?
Is a vegetarian diet more or less ethical than conventional dog food?

The following topics address each of these questions.

Nutritional needs

In a number of countries (e.g. India, Morocco) there are many dogs which are raised on a purely vegetarian diet, for religious and/or economic reasons. As vegetarianism becomes more common in Western countries, there are also a growing number of vegetarian dogs in the developed world. Studies have shown than many of these dogs live long and healthy lives. Consequently, there is no doubt that dogs can survive on vegetarian diets.

However, there are a number of potential health issues with vegetarian dog food. One of these is that some vegetarian dog owners feed their dogs the same food as they eat. Unfortunately, the nutritional requirements of a dog are very different than those of a person. For example, dogs require much more protein and calcium than we do. On the other hand, there are a number of nutrients that we require that a dog does not (for example, vitamin C, which a dog does not need to eat because it can manufacture it). Therefore, vegetarian dog owners must take into account the different nutritional requirements of dogs and feed them accordingly.

Another issue is that many vegetarian dog foods (including commercial vegetarian dog foods) miss out on some of the nutritional requirements of dogs. For this reason, there are a number of illnesses which are more likely to occur in vegetarian dogs. Some of the better known ones are:

Dilated Cardiomyopathy. This potentially fatal illness is linked to insufficient amounts of two amino acids: L-carnitine and Taurine. Ensure that your dog's food has enough of these amino acids, or provide supplements. Incidentally, some conventional dog foods have also been found to have insufficient amounts of these two amino acids (either due to low quality protein or due to destruction during processing).
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). The incidence of UTI is higher in vegetarian dogs than in non-vegetarian dogs. More investigation is required to determine the cause of this. However, some research has shown that vegetarian dogs have high urine alkalinity due to their diet. It is suggested that the addition of supplements (e.g. cranberries) that lower the urine PH would help address this issue. However, as the research to identify the exact cause is incomplete, this is still an area open to discussion.
Ear Infections. A number of dog owners have reported increased problems with ear infections upon switching to vegetarian dog food. Unfortunately, this area also requires more research in order for the cause to be understood and the required nutritional change to be identified.

Opponents to vegetarian dog food have argued that it is unnatural. They have pointed out that dogs are carnivores and have digestive systems suited to meat rather than plants. While it is true that the dog's natural diet and digestive system are mainly oriented to meat, a dog naturally consumes a certain amount of plant (in particular, through eating the stomach contents of prey animals). Provided that the food is properly prepared (e.g. grains must be well-cooked) and balanced, a dog's digestive system will cope well with it.

Opponents also argue that dogs like the taste of meat and derive little psychological satisfaction from eating plants. While it is true that dogs do prefer the taste of meat, the fact is that few dog owners feed their dogs meat as such. They feed processed commercial dog foods, which have a taste very different from fresh meat. I have not seen any evidence that dogs have a definite preference for commercial dog foods over a quality vegetarian diet.

More or less healthy

Some research shows that vegetarian diets are more healthy overall than conventional diets, others find the reverse. Unfortunately, little of the existing published research appears to be independent; research sponsored by vegetarian societies and by vegetarian food manufacturers typically concludes that vegetarian food is healthier which research sponsored by organisations opposed to vegetarian dog food typically find the reverse. Consequently, the research is not clear or completely reliable on this point.

However, it has been established that most dogs can lively healthy lives on either conventional or vegetarian dog food. Although there are a number of specific illnesses (such as Dilated Cardiomyopathy) which have occurred more frequently with vegetarian diets, these are related to specific nutritional deficiencies, which can be easily addressed through supplements.

Some dog owners have found that their dogs are healthier when they switch from a conventional diet to a vegetarian diet, others have found the reverse. However, this is often due to factors specific to the dog. For example, if a dog has an allergy to soy, his health may improve which switching from a vegetarian diet to a conventional (as soy is used more in vegetarian than in commercial products). However, the same benefit could have been achieved by leaving the dog on a vegetarian diet with the soy ingredient removed. Likewise, a dog with a beef protein allergy may do much better on a vegetarian diet, but the same benefit could have been achieved by switching the diet from beef to chicken. As the research comparing vegetarian to conventional diets has not thoroughly taken into account such individual factors, nor has it been extensive and thorough, the question of which is best remains unanswered.

Analysis of the comparisons are also complicated by the fact that 'vegetarian' can be defined in several ways. As a minimum it usually means that meat (beef, pork, lamb, etc.) is excluded. More strict definitions exclude fish and may exclude egg and dairy products as well. The most strict are 'vegan', excluding anything derived from animal sources. Likewise, there is tremendous variety in the types and quality of conventional dog food. Comparing vegetarian dog food to economy commercial dog food (which is likely to include many chemical additives and may contain meat of a questionable nature) is not the same as comparing it to Premium Dog Food or Healthy Dog Food (which have far fewer additives and higher quality ingredients).

In people, consumption of meat (and the saturated fat associated with meat) is associated with a number of diseases, including bowel problems, high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. By switching to a vegetarian diet, the severity and incidence of these can be reduced. However, such diseases are relatively rare in dogs, probably because their carnivore digestive system and metabolism are more suited to the consumption of meat.

Ethical

There are a number of ethical questions associated with vegetarian dog food.

The dog's health. As discussed above, a vegetarian diet is not necessarily better or worse on a vegetarian diet. With both conventional and vegetarian diets the key points are to ensure that the diet is high quality and as complete as possible. One should also monitor the pet's health, in particular when one switches from one diet to another.
Dog's rights. It has been argued that dogs naturally eat meat and that it is unethical to make them live on a vegetarian diet. This point can be argued back and forth. However, as virtually no dog owners feed their dogs a 'natural' diet (when was the last time you saw someone feed their dog the unwashed stomach of a herbivore, still full of stinking partly digested plants), this is a mute point. Most dog owners feed their pets on kibble or canned food, which is far from natural, so the argument that a vegetarian diet is unnatural is not strong.

Suggestions

Changing your dog's diet to vegetarian dog food is not a decision to be taken lightly. Some owners report that their dog's health is much better on a vegetarian diet, while others report that it is much worse.

In many cases, the result of this dietary change will depend on individual dogs. For example, if a dog has a protein allergy or an intolerance to one of the chemical additives in conventional dog food, switching to a vegetarian diet may result is a dramatic improvement in their health. On the other hand, if a dog is fine with its conventional diet but has allergies to certain common elements of vegetarian dog food (e.g. soy), then switching to a vegetarian diet may quickly cause issues. Neither of these examples are an argument for or against a vegetarian diet as it is always possible to identify the problem ingredient and remove it from both conventional and vegetarian diets. Rather, these examples merely illustrate that a change of this significance can result in unintentional benefits or unintentional problems.

The result of the dietary change will also depend largely on the quality of the vegetarian diet. If the diet follows the latest scientific information on dog nutrition, it will likely provide the essentials. However, if the dog owner tries to feed a dog based on human vegetarian requirements rather than dog vegetarian requirements, the dog may suffer serious health issues. It should be noted that a number of commercial vegetarian dog foods do not appear to meet all the nutritional requirements as we now understand them.

If you are switching your dog from a conventional diet to a vegetarian diet, like any major dietary change it should be done gradually. Begin by providing a small amount of vegetarian food, then each day increase the amount of vegetarian food while decreasing the amount of the dog's conventional food. This should be done over a period of several days or longer, in order to avoid a shock to the dog's digestion and associated illness.

You should also monitor your dog's health in the weeks and months after the switch. If his health (skin, coat, activity levels, etc.) appear to be the same or better, you can continue. If however he appears less healthy or happy, one needs to investigate to determine if the cause is the dietary change.

Summary

The evidence of whether a vegetarian diet is better or worse than other diets is hotly disputed, but the research in unclear. However, it is certain that many dogs live long and healthy lives on vegetarian (or even vegan) diets. Furthermore, many dog owners find that their dog's health has improved after switching to a vegetarian diet.

A number of specific illnesses occur more often with vegetarian dogs. However, these appear to be related to specific nutritional deficiencies, which can easily be addressed through supplements.

Perhaps the major issue with vegetarian diets is that it requires a greater understanding of dog nutrition to ensure that the dog obtains all the necessary nutritional elements in sufficient quantities. If one is willing to put in the extra effort, and monitor the results, a vegetarian approach to feeding one's dog seems quite reasonable. If not, conventional diets are likely a simpler and safer option.