Paws for thought... Should your companion animals be Vegan too?

I frequently read online that people who are vegan have successfully transitioned their companion animals (aka 'pets') primarily cats and dogs, to a vegan diet.

When David and I rescued our two lovely chihuahuas we were vegetarian at the time and didn't even consider the prospect of attempting to feed them either a vegetarian or a vegan diet. We did however initially feed them what they had been used to [Royal Canin small dog kibble and occasionally Pedigree Chum wet food) whilst looking into the content of dog foods (a real mine field if you ever do it - and a real eye opener!). We wanted to find the best, most nutritious content (i.e. not full of 'fillers' and mechanically recovered hoof) with the most ethical aspect of meat sourcing we could find.

What we came up with was Lily's Kitchen foods - which contain organic meats, no fillers and a range of more holistic-type ingredients for animals' health and wellbeing. The foods were an instant hit with our girls! 

Please can we go home and have dinner now mum??!!

They gained weight (they were underweight when we got them), grew glossier coats and were the proverbial 'bright eyed and bushy tailed' dogs they were meant to be. It was, and is, a joy feeding them.

However, when we moved on from being vegetarian and became vegan, it was surprising how one of the first questions many people asked us was whether the dogs were going to be vegan as well? We always replied no, because it was my instinct that dogs are meant to eat meat. Although I did not, and do not, want to support the meat industry in any way - where the dogs were concerned it was my one concession to using other animal products.

BUT the questions did get me to thinking about it and to doing the inevitable research to find out more.

I came across articles like this one which told of one of the world's oldest dogs having been vegan - whilst also stating that dogs are omnivores, much like humans, and can therefore cope with either diet. And I took advice on the matter from some of the larger organisations such as Peta who advocate the change, with a caveat to revert to meat if your dog doesn't get on with it! and from the Vegan Society who simply say: "Dogs can be fully nourished by a well-balanced vegan diet. There are several complete vegan dog foods on the market, but watch out for animal-derived Vitamin D3." As for my vets? Well it would come as no surprise to hear that they don't agree with dogs being fed a vegan diet - but then they don't tend to agree with feeding anything other than the foods which pack out their waiting rooms...

[I really do wonder at the fact that more vets aren't vegan - it's very curious to me... but I digress...]

The advice for feeding cats however, is slightly different. Most experts seem to agree that they are most definitely carnivores, designed to eat meat and although it is possible to feed them a vegan diet, it needs to be carefully created and some supplements will be vital.

Of course the issue does attract the odd newspaper headline now and then - such as this sensationalist one in the Aussie Herald Sun about a kitten who nearly dies from being fed a vegan diet - but when you read the article and see she was simply being fed potatoes, rice milk and pasta - it's hardly surprising the kitty was poorly! This would nearly kill most humans too. Sadly this type of negative coverage does little to dispel the perception that we vegans are all fanatically deranged hippy lunatics. Great.

Still wanting to know more before changing my dog's food I next looked for information on the physiology of dogs - as one of the arguments that vegans often quote re the human need NOT to eat meat, is that our bodies simply aren't designed for it. Our entire digestive system and gut flora is far more suited to a plant-based diet. The information I came across seemed to suggest that Dogs, even though omnivores, are much more suited / evolved to eat and digest meat.

It's with this in mind and seeing that my dogs are thriving on their meat-based diet, that I have, for now, decided to stick with feeding them meat-based foods. Their food is supplemented with some fresh vegetables from our own meals.

Wild Campfire Stew - one of the girls favourite!

But despite using a brand of dog food that I believe is one of the best and most ethically-sourced we can get (they are fabulous people too when you talk to them on the phone) I do feel a pang of conscience every time I open a tin. I do feel a slight wave of nausea every time I smell the contents.

So, I'm not going to end my research there.

The next step for me will be to look into any RCT (randomised controlled trials) / scientific studies to see if there is any hard evidence either for or against, which will help me to make an even more informed decision. 

I'll keep you posted...

The rest will then be down to the palate and the well-being of my dogs. What suits them best is what I shall feed them, because, after all - they're animals too and part of the very reason I became vegan in the first place.

Chantal xx

Are you vegan? Are your companion animals vegan? I'd love to hear from you and about your experiences with this issue. Please contact me using the form on the RHS of the page, or tweet to me @vegsoup4thesoul

Further info:

You can read more from advocates of vegan dogs (and authors on the subject) here and here. Oneof the most popular foods used in the UK seems to be Veggiepet - which you can find out more about here.