Scientists claim dogs should be fed Vegan diets for better health

Scientists claim dogs should be fed Vegan diets for better health.

A study showed the diet was less hazardous than conventional or raw meat-based diets.

THE results of a survey study of the guardians of more than 2,500 dogs have revealed that dogs should be fed Vegan diets for better health, suggesting that nutritionally sound vegan diets may be healthier and less hazardous than conventional or raw meat-based diets.

Researchers at the University of Winchester reported that although raw meat diets appeared to be healthier for the pets as opposed to those on conventional and vegan diets, “several factors prevented them from concluding raw meat diets are healthier.”

Noting that research into the health effects of conventional versus unconventional dog diets has been limited, Andrew Knight and his colleagues at the university set about to help clarify the potential health effects of different dog diets.

The survey, which included questions about the dogs’ health, including the number of veterinary visits, use of medications, and specific dog health disorders, revealed that dogs on conventional diets were less healthy than dogs on raw meat or vegan diets, however, dogs on raw meat diets appeared to be healthier than those on vegan 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, as noted in the study, dogs on raw meat diets were less likely to be taken to a veterinarian; while this could be a sign of better health, prior research has indicated that guardians of dogs on raw meat diets are less likely to seek veterinary advice.

Andrew Knight and his colleagues noted: “We believe our study of 2,536 dogs is by far the largest study published to date, exploring health outcomes of dogs fed vegan and meat-based diets.

“It analysed a range of objective data, as well as owner opinions and reported veterinary assessments of health.

“It revealed that the healthiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs are nutritionally sound vegan diets.”

The study concluded by noting that “further research is needed to confirm whether a raw meat or a vegan diet is associated with better dog health outcomes.”

To do this, the researchers have suggested that large-scale, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies of dogs, maintained on different diets, which “utilise data such as results of veterinary clinical examinations and veterinary medical histories, could yield results of greater reliability,” as per the study.

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