A veterinary expert has claimed dogs on a vegan diet "appear to have health outcomes which are as good or better than many of animals on conventional meat-based diets".
GB News' Liam Halligan was joined by the co-founder of pet care brand, Hownd, Jo Amit, to talk about her vegan alternative dog food.
The UK based company who produce plant-based pet products launched in 2015.
There could be a number of reasons dog owners choose unusual diets for their pets, including concerns for the environment, the treatment of animals used as food and the health of their furry friends.
Addressing questions about the nutritional values of the dog food, Amit said: “It’s giving the dogs everything they need to survive."
Addressing questions about the nutritional values of the dog food, Amit said: “It’s giving the dogs everything they need to survive.
"All the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that dogs need but it’s a different source, not a meat source.
“There are other brands, we’re not the only ones in the category which is a great thing.
"Competition for us is a good thing, we’re all doing vegan food slightly differently.
“When we first launched our only customers were people who owned dogs and were vegans themselves.
“We’re all vegan so it made complete sense, we’d never fed our dog vegan food because there wasn’t on on the market that was balanced yet.
Pointing to her dog Magi, a rescue terrier mutt, Amit said: “She’s a rescue, she arrived with a patchy skin and coat. She didn’t have her wet happy nose back then… she is doing fantastic.”
Magi, a rescue terrier mutt
Turning to Professor Andrew Knight - a veterinary expert and Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics at the University of Winchester, Halligan discussed the research into putting dogs on a meatless diet.
Knight said: “We know from our research if we do this, the animals appear to have health outcomes which are as good or better than many of the animals on conventional meat-based diets which is fascinating."
Researchers found that overall, dogs on conventional diets were less healthy than dogs on raw meat or vegan diets.
Knight and colleagues found that while the animals on raw meat diets appeared to be healthier than those on vegan diets, several factors prevented them from concluding raw meat diets are healthier.
The veterinary expert claimed dogs on a vegan diet "appear to have health outcomes which are as good or better than many of animals on conventional meat-based diets".
According to the study, dogs on raw meat diets were significantly younger than dogs on vegan diets, which could help explain why they appeared to be healthier.
Additionally, those on raw meat diets were less likely to be taken to a vet.
“The animals consuming the vegan diet seem to be enjoying their food as much as the animals consuming their meat-based diets on average.
“We can safely assume this isn’t cruel to a dog.”
