Vegan dilemma: I don't eat meat but my dog does...

If we stop eating meat because it is unethical, unhealthy and environmentally unsustainable, should we follow the same pattern when feeding our pets? Moreover, is the plant-based diet an adequate solution for the well-being of our animal fellows?

The study of pet nutrition has been formerly developed for already five decades but only in recent years its approach has shifted and adapted to the meatless needs in order to accompany the plant-based evolution of our human diet.

The vegetarian and vegan dilemma arises when we find inconsistency in our daily food decisions. On one hand, we decide to respect life of other sentient beings and the environmental health via ethical and/or health adoption of vegan diet, but on the other, we face up a challenge with respect to conventional carnivore diet of our beloved pets. It is also usual that vegetarians and vegans share more frequently their life and home with animal beings than their omnivore counterparts. Therefore, this vegetarian and vegan dilemma is very present with every feeding of their dogs and/or cats, which traditionally are fed on a diet that is neither caring for the life of other animals nor the planet.

Paradoxically, it seems logical that pets experience higher levels of well-being with meat-based diets rather than with vegan food. Comparing vegetarians and vegans, it is the case of vegans who actively seek for vegan solutions for their pets while vegetarians continue with deepening this paradox. In addition, vegetarians and vegans also share similarities as for their feelings of lack of guilt when they feed with meat their feline fellows but not when they feed with meat their canine friends. And the reason for this behaviour is supported by their perception of a higher adequacy of vegetarian diets for dogs than for cats. Thus, the vegan and vegetarian dilemma finds an apparent solution assuming that carnivore diet is adequate and necessary for cats; however, dogs can survive on a more flexitarian diet that attempts considerate meat and fish reduction.

But is plant-based diet a good option for dogs’ balanced feed? Well, the research shows that in what it refers to dogs, they do not actually need to eat meat, but what they need is an adequate provision of proteins, vitamins and other nutrients needed for the correct functioning of their metabolism and organism. But we may need to attend this shift in a cautious manner since not all plant-based food is adequate in the same way as not all omnivore dog feed is correctly balanced. This is especially a useful tip to consider when we opt for home made pet food instead of professionally designed pet nutrition, which eventually requires a more intense vet care to guarantee our beloved pets maintain optimal nutritional health, a result of a balanced plant-based diet.

Therefore, if plant-based food can be a great match for our dogs what if cats could also thrive on a meatless diet? Is it possible to feed our felines without the need of harming others? The answer to this question can provide even more clarity on the vegan and vegetarian dilemma. In line with this, an experiment focused on cats diet compared the effect of plant-based and carnivore diets (for a period larger than a year) on the levels of serum cobalamin concentrations, where all cats were within the range, and taurine concentrations, where 14 out of 17 had blood taurine levels within the healthy limits.

This evidence brings realistic possibilities to successfully solve the vegan and vegetarian dilemma and stay more consistent in our daily food decisions among all family members contributing thus to reduce other beings’ suffering and natural resources’ degradation rooted in the traditional culture that had decided to destine animals for food.

References

Dodd, S. A., Adolphe, J. L., & Verbrugghe, A. (2018). Plant-based diets for dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 253(11), 1425-1432.

Rothgerber, H. (2013). A meaty matter. Pet diet and the vegetarian’s dilemma. Appetite, 68, 76-82.

Rothgerber, H. (2014). Carnivorous cats, vegetarian dogs, and the resolution of the vegetarian's dilemma. Anthrozoös, 27(4), 485-498.

Wakefield, L. A., Shofer, F. S., & Michel, K. E. (2006). Evaluation of cats fed vegetarian diets and attitudes of their caregivers. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 229(1), 70-73.