Once And For All, Can Dogs And Cats Be Vegan?
Our four-legged friends mean the world to us. We love them to pieces and there's nothing we wouldn't do for them – including feeding them a nutritionally adequate diet which they love and thrive on. But can that diet ever be fully plant-based? Vegans are divided on it, but many do endeavour to extend their animal-friendly lifestyle to their dogs and even cats.
By Sascha Camilli: writer, speaker, activist, and vegan fashion expert.
When you meet cocker spaniel Lily, the first thing you notice about her is her boundless energy (well, that and her gorgeous brown eyes). The dictionary definition of a happy pup, this six-year-old is just about the most joyful dog you'll ever meet. She is also a vegan. Her human guardian, London-based digital marketing manager Margarita, made this decision alongside her husband, a fellow vegan. "I stopped eating meat when I was four, as I didn't want to contribute to killing animals - so the idea of buying meat for my dog never appealed to me," says Margarita. "After doing tonnes of research and learning that dogs can be happy and healthy without meat, I chose a vegan diet for Lily – and she loves it!"
Lily's favourite foods include specially formulated vegan ranges from Omni and Lily's Kitchen – but she also loves cucumbers, bananas, potatoes and papaya as an occasional treat. "If you ever see Lily in the park, you'll notice that she is the fastest, most energetic dog ever," says Margarita. "She's thriving on her vegan diet and her check-ups at the vet confirm it."
Margarita and her husband are part of the increasing number of people who choose to feed their dogs a plant-only diet. A 2022 report by the Vegan Society showed that 45% of respondents who shared their home with dogs said that they were interested in vegan food for their companions. Like Margarita, other vegans cite a desire to shun the cruel and unsustainable factory-farming trade in all areas of their lives – including the foods they chose for their companion animals.
But how healthy is an animal-free meal plan for our four-legged friends? It appears that, when speaking of dogs, vegan food might be a winning idea: two years ago, a study published in Plos One found that among the 2,500 dogs surveyed, the vegan dogs required less medication and had to go to the vet less frequently. The percentage of dogs reported to have suffered from health disorders was 49% for the animals on a conventional diet, 43% for those on a raw-meat diet, and 36% for the dogs on a vegan diet.
Like humans, dogs are likely to be omnivores, meaning that they can thrive on a meat- or plant-based diet. And just like humans, vegan diets for dogs need to be carefully planned. The Vegan Society encourages looking for vet approval: "The Vegan Society will always encourage vegans to look for animal-free alternatives and it is possible to buy vegan cat and dog food that has been approved by veterinarians," says spokesperson Maisie Stedman.
What about cats? With felines, things are trickier. There appears to be scientific consensus that cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that their anatomies and metabolisms are built to receive the nutrients they need from animal flesh and tissues rather than plants. While we can synthesise substances such as taurine from plant sources, cats' bodies are not equipped to do so.
However, fresh research raises doubts. A study published in Plos One, mimicking the dog-focused one mentioned above, surveyed 1,369 cats and found that the cats on a plant-based diet scored higher on all health indicators. Although the differences were not statistically significant, the vegan cats did not do worse than the carnivorous cats – which was possibly the outcome that could be expected from a study like this.
On the contrary, they did better. Some cat guardians have also successfully had their cats on vegan diets for a long time, using some of the commercially available cat food that is entirely plant-based. So exceptions to the rule are rare but possible. Stedman says: "Animals, just like people, need specific nutrients rather than specific ingredients. This includes taurine for example, an amino acid essential for a cat’s health."
Switching your animal to vegan food can be a big commitment – ensuring they stay healthy and happy on the new diet can be trickier than some guardians anticipate, and might not always go as planned. "We would always advise to consult a supportive and knowledgeable vet before making any changes," says Stedman. "Feeding companion animals a vegan diet is an individual decision for each vegan, which should be done with ongoing support and monitoring from their vet.” Vegan guardians should always, always consult their vet before making any changes, and not berate themselves if their animals don't take well to a plant-based lifestyle. All animals are different, and making sure that they are thriving should be their guardians' biggest goal.
Choose the best accessories for your four-legged friend in our new companion animal section.
By Sascha Camilli
About Sascha
Sascha Camilli is a vegan fashion writer, speaker and activist. Her book Vegan Style is out now on Murdoch Books. For more about Sascha, you can read our interview with her or read her newsletter Kind of Wild. You can also follow her on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Cover image by Krista Mangulsone. Second photo by Freestocks. Third photo by Noelle J Lee.
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