*YES OUR DOGS WILL LIVE LONGER ON A VEGAN DIET – EXACTLY WHAT WE ALL WANT!!*
As a vet, I have an enormously soft spot for our elderly dogs. One minute they are young and full of energy and the next minute they seem to suddenly have grey patches over their eyebrows and we have to stop on walks and let them sniff the hedgerows for ages. Dogs can thrive on a nutritionally complete and balanced plant-based diet. Research has shown that plant-based pet food diets can be supremely health protective. A leading study by vet Dr Andrew Knight, linked plant-based diets to decreased incidences of cancer and infections, as well as seeing regression in arthritis, cataract resolution, healthier teeth and gums, reduced eye discharge and other health-related benefits.
Having lower incidence of illness can improve a dog’s longevity and provide them with a better quality of life, especially as they get older.
Dr Sarah Dodd is a board certified veterinary nutritionist and vet and her groundbreaking studies have shown that dogs on a nutritionally complete vegan dog food diet could live up to 18 months longer than a dog fed a meat-based diet!
Plant-based diets also contain a number of antioxidants that protect the cells in the body. Beta-carotene is a natural antioxidant found in bright orange sweet potato, blueberries and fresh carrots for example. Humans on a plant-based diet can add 10 years to their life, and exactly the same can be applied to our dogs with their much shorter lifespan!
We give much much more advice with home cooking and supplementing the diet of elderly dogs in the very first Plant-Based Dog Nutrition Course.
An inspiring example of a 100% plant-based dog is that of Bramble, a 25-year-old Border Collie whose wholesome diet of organic brown rice, red lentils, vegetables, and some additional ingredients like yeast extract and herbs earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest living dog in 2002!
Bramble’s owner is Anne Heritage – a devoted animal lover growing up in the South West of England in the 60’s. Read her remarkable story here.
In her words she not only had Bramble, but “I’ve had seven dogs – three of them lived to 19-years-old, one lived to 20-years-old (a German Shepherd), and then Bramble lived to 25-years-old.”
This is remarkable and can definitely be attributed to a life dedicated to feeding a healthy plant-based natural diet as well as the freedom of exercise and kindness.
We should all aim for this……and it IS achievable as we all want our most loyal companions to live as long and as healthily as possible.
How much oil should you feed your dog?
Something that so many owners who transition to plant-based notice with their dogs – how soft the fur becomes!
What should you be aware of when choosing to homecook?
I have been contacted by so many owners feeding their dogs plant-based and some of their dogs have had issues with painful urinary crystals…..
Poisonous foods NOT to feed your dogs
The majority of foods we eat and feed to our pet (especially plant-based) are healthy and good for them, but these are the few exceptions to be aware of
How To Transition Your Dog Safely
Gradual changes allow the appropriate changes of digestive enzymes and intestinal microbiome
The most effective Omega 3’s for your dog
We recommend these Omega 3 capsules above the other brands as they …..
Will a vegan dog food diet affect my dog’s behaviour?
Owners of dogs on plant-based diets do report that their pets appear happier and calmer
Never use the word VEGAN!
Only by convincing vets that it is the way forward, will we together have any success as plant-based feeders of ensuring that it becomes a very viable and superior option to feeding our dogs
Am I alone wanting to feed a vegan diet to my dog?
An online survey in 2019 revealed that around one in three owners may be willing to consider switching to a vegan diet for their pet in the future
How do I get my dog’s plant-based diet fully balanced?
This is one of our biggest concerns as pet owners that we are not getting the balance just right for the health of our pet
I am just so worried about what other people think
When we choose to change our dogs onto a vegan diet, worrying about what other people think is a huge concern to us
Am I being a cruel owner depriving my dog of eating meat?
You are being a compassionate owner by feeding your dog a plant-based diet
Will my dog’s poo change on a plant-based diet?
The change will be for the better as plant-based food may mean that your dog poos more but it also means that…..