Vegetarian Diet for Dogs - Appropriate or Unhealthy?
Since the shift in dietary trends over the last 10 years, more and more people are giving up meat - and even eliminating animal products like milk, honey, and leather from their daily lives. Animal welfare and the protection of our climate are topics that lead many dog owners to question whether it is also possible to feed their dog a vegetarian diet. Rarely does a topic regarding feeding cause such a great divide - but what is the right answer?
In principle, a dog can be fed a vegetarian diet. The diet must contain a certain amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Anyone who has ever stuck their nose in a non-fiction book or paid attention in class knows that particularly plant-based products are full of nutrients. But is that enough to meet the needs of dogs?
Natural Feeding Behavior of Dogs: In the Beginning Was the Wolf - Or?
Anyone wanting to take a look at the natural feeding behavior of dogs must go far back in time. So far that you wouldn't encounter any of our current four-legged friends, but - exactly - the wolf. When looking at the wolf and its prey, it quickly becomes clear that primarily meat along with bones, cartilage, and organs was consumed and still is. Additionally, the stomach of the prey was also on the menu, including fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The claim that the ancestors of dogs ate meat and nothing but meat (Spoiler, →Myth!) around the clock is therefore not true, which is why wolves and dogs are considered meat-eating omnivores (Carni-omnivores).
As already mentioned, the origin of our dogs goes back far. More than 20,000 years ago, the wolves of that time approached humans, lived with them, and ate with them. The result: The wild dogs adapted to human food. During the domestication of wolves, not only did the appearance of our dogs change, but the gastrointestinal tract also adapted to living with humans. Today, our four-legged friends possess different digestive enzymes (e.g., amylase) that allow them to easily digest and utilize starchy components as part of their food.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Lecker, Gemüse! Viele Hunde snacken auch von sich aus gern und freiwillig fleischfreie Kost. Kein Wunder, denn ihr Verdauungsapparat ist u.a. darauf ausgelegt.
Does My Dog Get All Nutrients with a Vegetarian Diet?
With a vegetarian diet, it is definitely possible for your dog to receive all the nutrients it needs. As you have just learned, the bodies of our modern dogs are adapted to metabolizing vegetables, fruits, and other vegetarian components. Unlike a →vegan diet for dogs, a vegetarian diet does not exclude animal protein, as animal products can still be fed. The nutrition pyramid for your dog, where all nutrients are covered, can be roughly divided as follows. Note that the amounts are not the same for every dog and feeding varies depending on age. →Older dogs and also →puppies need adjusted food.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Wie für uns Zweibeiner gibt es auch für Hunde Empfehlungen bei der Zusammensetzung der Mahlzeiten. Du siehst: Fleischliche Proteine können durch pflanzliche leicht ersetzt werden.
As you can see, a large part of the pyramid is already vegetarian. There isn't as much to "replace" as you might have thought at the beginning. What is important for your dog is that it receives the nutrients it needs for an active daily life. Here’s where your dog can obtain these through a balanced vegetarian diet:
- Proteins: Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, shelled hemp seeds, eggs, cottage cheese
- Carbohydrates: →Sweet potatoes, →Potatoes, →Rice or pseudocereals like quinoa, amaranth, millet, or buckwheat, pasta
- Essential amino acids: Legumes, →Nuts, seeds, green vegetables like →Broccoli
- Essential fatty acids: Algae oil, flaxseed oil, hemp oil, olive oil, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds
- Vitamins, minerals, and trace elements: Vegetable and fruit varieties such as →Broccoli, →Pumpkin, →Celery, →Sweet potato, →Spinach, →Mushrooms, →Cauliflower or →Apple, →Banana, →Orange, →Watermelon, →Blueberries, →Blackberries, →Strawberries, →Mango
- Carbohydrates: →Sweet potatoes, →Potatoes, →Rice or pseudocereals like quinoa, →Amaranth, millet, or buckwheat
Did you know that our dogs leave a paw print behind too? One kilogram of beef consumes about 15,500 liters of water before it reaches your four-legged friend's bowl. Potatoes, on the other hand, consume only 210 liters of water per kilogram and carrots 110 liters. With our GREEN food, we contribute to a better environment and climate protection. 100% climate-neutral, really tasty, and also available as →vegetarian and →vegan food.
Grün, grüner, Pets Deli GREEN - entdecke jetzt unser vegetarisches & veganes Futter
Challenge Nutritional Needs: How to Successfully Feed Dogs a Vegetarian Diet
If you want to feed your dog a vegetarian diet, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your dog is supplied with all nutrients and that there is no under- or over-supply. If you are now thinking: Great, then I’ll just swing the cooking spoon myself and whip up a vegetarian menu for my furry friend, we need to slow you down. Even with meat feeding, it is not always the best solution to simply serve any food. A look at the ingredients is worthwhile, as the →quality of food and a →species-appropriate diet are important for your dog's health. Whether you feed your dog →wet, dry food, or BARF - it’s all about the content.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Gesundheit im Napf - dazu gehören hochwertige Komponenten wie knackige Obst- und Gemüsesorten, die Nährstoffe spenden und das Immunsystem unterstützen.
Before you →switch food to a vegetarian diet, consult your veterinarian to rule out any possible intolerances. Especially dogs with sensitive stomachs, who react even to →sensitive meat types, can gain many benefits from →vegetarian or vegan dog nutrition. Particularly if you want to cook for your dog yourself, it is important to seek advice from nutrition experts. Just like with BARFing, where you either buy pre-made menus or create and weigh the rations yourself, it requires a trained eye and possibly added minerals to ensure your dog is optimally supplied. But isn’t that artificial? On the contrary - with our →mineral mix, for example, we supplement the BARF so that no offal, bones, or cartilage are fed. The ingredients are of natural origin, including eggshell, green-lipped mussel, and yeast.
What Does Science Say About Vegetarian Dog Nutrition?
Due to the broad interest in the topic, studies on vegetarian and vegan diets for dogs of various breeds have been conducted in the past. In a studied sample of 2,500 dogs, it was found that among the meat-eating dogs, more than half required medications during this period, while the proportion among vegetarian or vegan-fed dogs was only about a third. The general health status can be considered better on average for dogs with this diet - provided it is strictly carried out in a nutritionally correct manner.
Studies by Murray and his colleagues on the digestion of plant components already showed similarly positive results around 1999, indicating that dogs are well capable of digesting and utilizing starchy diets.
Our Compromise: With Veggie Wednesday, a Vegetarian or Vegan Day Each Week
Don't want to go all in, but are still curious? Try having a meat-free day each week - you and your four-legged friend can do this experiment together. It not only strengthens →your bond, but also raises awareness of topics such as healthy and conscious eating or climate protection. Additionally, you can see that most dogs can find vegetarian food irresistibly delicious. Good taste doesn’t always need meat - and no four-legged friend can resist a fresh menu!
Are you interested in how we and our office dogs reduce the ecological foot and paw prints or want tips for a climate-friendly life with your furry friend?
