New Study Bolsters Confidence In Vegan Diets For Dog Health

A recent study has bolstered confidence in the benefits of vegan diets for dogs. This new research reanalysed data from a key 2022 study involving 2,536 dogs, the largest published study in this area. The original study concluded that nutritionally-sound vegan diets were the healthiest and least hazardous dog foods. However, owner opinions of health were included, which might not always be reliable.

For instance, owners committed to feeding vegan or meat-based diets might sometimes fail to recognise or report subsequent health problems. The new study employed additional statistical methods, including machine learning, to analyse owner opinions of health. It found these opinions were minimally affected when vegan diets were fed. Prof. Andrew Knight, lead author of the original study, stated, "I was relieved to see confirmation that feeding vegan diets had minimal impact on owner opinions about health. This increases my confidence in the reliability of the owner opinions we used."

The new study specifically focused on subjective owner opinions of health, unlike the original study which examined seven general indicators of illness. These included more objective data such as the frequency of medication use, therapeutic diet use, and veterinary visits. The original study also analysed veterinarians' assessments concerning dog health and the prevalence of 22 common health disorders in dogs.

Prof. Knight noted, "The large number of health parameters we studied, and the very large number of dogs included, provide a high degree of confidence in the results." By May 2024, there were ten studies in dogs and three in cats demonstrating equivalent or superior health outcomes when vegan diets are fed, as well as one systematic review covering both species.

In April 2024, the longest and most comprehensive peer-reviewed study demonstrated that dogs fed nutritionally-sound vegan diets maintained health outcomes as well as those fed meat. This study comprehensively analysed blood cells and biochemistry, blood nutrient levels, urine, veterinary clinical parameters, and monthly pet owner questionnaires. It studied 15 dogs fed solely vegan diets for an entire year – just under one tenth of an average dog lifespan or around seven human years.

Another 2022 study demonstrated that 1,052 dogs fed vegan diets lived 1.5 years longer on average than dogs fed meat. Prof. Knight stated, "This equates to around an extra decade of life for a human. Additionally, dogs fed vegan diets appear less impacted by certain health problems that impair quality of life. However, it is essential that any diets fed be nutritionally-sound."

Environmental Impact

Prof. Knight also analysed the environmental benefits of vegan pet diets in a major recent study. This research demonstrated that if all the world’s pet dogs went vegan, more greenhouse gases than those emitted by the UK would be saved. Knight stated that "Climate change is becoming a major threat to life on Earth. With the livestock sector a leading cause, substantial dietary change is now essential, and that includes pet diets."