Now DOGS told to go vegan! Plant-based foods better for environment

"In their study, the team set out to assess the environmental impact of popular pet foods sold in the UK. The researchers selected 31 commercially available dry dog foods and categorised them as plant-based, poultry-based, veterinary-renal, or red-meat based. They then analysed the foods across a range of environmental measures - including the land needed to produce them, greenhouse gas emissions, the polluting effects of production on soil and water reservoirs, and freshwater withdrawal."

"'While domestic dogs and cats are now different in their behaviour and physiology from their wild ancestors, they have specific nutritional needs that must be met to avoid dietary deficiencies and associated diseases,' explained Justine Shotton, past president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA). 'Dogs are omnivores, which means that they eat both meat and plant products. While it is theoretically possible, it is much easier to get the balance of essential nutrients wrong than to get it right.'"

Thirty-one popular dry dog foods sold in UK supermarkets were analysed and categorised as plant-based, poultry-based, veterinary-renal, or red-meat-based. Foods were compared across multiple environmental measures including land use, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution of soil and water reservoirs, and freshwater withdrawal. Plant-based foods demonstrated the lowest environmental impact, poultry-based foods showed intermediate impacts, and beef- and lamb-based foods exhibited substantially higher impacts. Nutritional experts emphasise that dogs have specific nutritional needs; dogs are omnivores and while vegan diets can be possible, they pose a higher risk of nutrient imbalance and dietary deficiencies if not carefully formulated.

Read at Mail Online