Plant-based and meaty kibbles may both lack some important nutrientsSnizhana HalytskaAlamy Vegetarian and vegan dog foods just need a few tweaks to make them nutritionally complete diets. Analyses reveal that meat-free dry kibbles meet dogs protein and fat requirements, lacking only sufficient iodine and B vitamins.
With supplements or better yet improved commercial preparation, plant-based dog food could keep the animals healthy while reducing the environmental impact of the pet food industry, says Rebecca Brociek at the University of Nottingham, UK. Read moreVegan pet food: Can cats and dogs be happy and healthy without meat? Advertisement As long as theyre getting all of the essential nutrients from those ingredients, then the dogs are going to thrive, she says.
Many vegans and vegetarians who own dogs struggle with the ethics of feeding meat to their omnivore pets, says David Gardner, also at the University of Nottingham. Responding to that concern, pet food manufacturers have started offering plant-based foods to consumers.
Government organisations like the European Pet Food Industry Federation and the Association of American Feed Control Officials require standardised testing of commercial pet foods and additives to ensure they meet nutritional standards. Even so, most pet foods worldwide do not go through robust nutritional testing by independent research teams, says Gardner.
*Reporting by Newscientist.*
Plant-based dog foods provide almost all the nutrients pets need
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