As the rise in consumption of vegan food and leading a sustainable lifestyle continues, it can also be applied to your dog’s diet. But, is it actually possible to feed your dog meatless, plant-based food?
Contrary to what most people think, dogs are omnivores that benefit from consuming meat and plant-based food. There have been recent studies that confirm that you can incorporate an all-plant-based diet for your dogs, and feeding vegan meals can be more beneficial for them as well. In addition, studies have shown that a meatless dog diet can be healthier and safer for them.
Choosing and curating a vegan meal that is nutritionally balanced can benefit them more, compared to a non-vegan diet. Read on further to learn more about how feeding your pet meatless dog food can positively affect their health and the environment in the long run.
Incredible Benefits of Meatless Dog Food
What is Meatless Dog Food?
Meatless dog food or vegan dog food is an alternative to providing daily sustenance to your dog without having to add animal products. They are produced with special formulas that help provide your dog with the required nutrients, proteins, and vitamins. Dogs mostly benefit from consuming protein in their diet, and there are many vegan options available to provide that! Protein can be extracted from selected plants, fungi, algae, and insects.
In addition to providing your dog with meals that are healthier, there are other positive benefits that feeding your pet meatless food can do.
Hypoallergenic
Most of the common food allergies come from meat, dairy, gluten, corn, grains, and eggs. They may be the primary source of protein, however, dogs can be allergic to them. On the other hand, vegan diets are allergen-friendly and can help reduce or eliminate skin issues as well as stomach problems.
Good for the Gut and Joints
Plant-based diets are naturally anti-inflammatory and can easily be digested. They prevent common issues such as diarrhoea, stomach acidity, constipation, vomiting, and bloating. Furthermore, they can also affect your dog’s legs by relieving inflammation and pain in joints (especially in older dogs). It also helps improve your dog’s mobility, energy, metabolism, and endurance.
Weight Management
Some dogs find it hard to lose weight because of what they eat. Common dog food sold contains unhealthy amounts of calories that contribute to weight gain. That’s why eating meatless dog food is better since it’s easily digestible and contributes to shedding weight. They can also maintain their optimal weight, become healthier, and live longer.
Optimised Protein Formulations
Meatless dog food brands in the market nowadays have come up with innovative ways to produce optimised protein formulations. Through this, it is easier to digest while providing your dog with the protein intake requirements it needs. They make use of replicating essential nutrients and amino acids in meatless dog food.
Health Benefits
Recent studies have shown that reducing harmful dietary choices and choosing the meatless dog food option can contribute to a healthier, stronger dog. In the findings, those fed meatless dog food have reduced their vet visits in the year compared to those with meat-based diets. Consuming this alternative diet can improve your dog’s metabolism, prevent sensitive skin issues and diseases, increase energy levels, reduces health problems, and better digestion.
More Environmentally Friendly
Switching your dog’s diet to a vegan formula contributes to lessening the carbon footprint caused by the pet industry. It helps reduce the damage to the environment caused by unsustainable farming practices, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption through the production of meat-based dog food.
Nutrition Tips
In planning your vegan diet for your dog, make sure to include a balance of protein, carbs, vegetables, fat, and other nutrients needed. You want to make sure you prevent insufficient nutrients and going overboard with salt, sugar, and other spices. Dogs cannot function properly without the needed nutrients in their diet, so we want to avoid that. Make sure you are aware of the food that is allowed and what is not allowed to be given to your dog.
You may consult with your vegetarian to help plan your dog’s meatless diet, how to switch to it, and the best way to prepare it.
Conclusion
Switching to a meatless dog food diet for your pet is now possible, thanks to the rise of sustainable diets and innovative dog formulas. This means that you can properly feed your dog without animal products, but still reap the health benefits and maintain the required nutrients needed to stay healthy. Just make sure to plan and feed your dog the right amount of nutrients to be able to function properly and stay healthy. Aside from that, it can help positively affect your dog’s health in many ways – from the inside and out. Lastly, by switching to meatless dog food, you can help lessen your carbon footprint and help make a difference in the environment.