You can get paid £5,000 to sniff your dog’s poop

Us dog owners know that our dog’s poop can reveal a lot about their digestive and general health! One bad dinner or lump of grass too much and you’re looking at a double-bagged nightmare.

Interestingly, we’ve had lots of feedback from dog owners who report that their dogs’ digestion, energy levels and general health are all improved once switching to a flexitarian or plant-based diet.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to look for a dedicated dog owner to sniff their dog’s poop, to test the effect a plant-based diet has on their dog's digestion, stool odour and general health.

Given how much mixed and confusing information is out there about diets for dogs we understand there may be some pre-existing and negative misconceptions about feeding your dog a plant-based diet. We hope that by hiring someone to transition their dog to a vet-formulated, plant-based diet - and analyse the effects that the diet has on their pup, both inside and out - we can take another step to proving the benefits it can have on dogs’ digestive health and general health, not least through their poop!

For the role to be successful we will ask the owner to record their experience of introducing their dog to a plant-based diet, monitoring their bowel movements, stool odour, health, energy levels, behaviour, sleep pattern and physical attributes, such as weight, skin, and fur condition. Both at the beginning and the end of the initial two-month period, the dog will receive a general exam from a registered vet to assess how the transition to a plant-based diet has impacted their digestive and general health.

In return for the diet change and their work, we will pay the successful candidate a sum of £5,000, for an initial two-month role (£2,500 per month) and will cover all food expenses for the diet change, as well as support from a dog nutritionist to ensure the diet transition is done properly.

As a thank you for their dog’s cooperation too and to support the fully plant-based lifestyle, we will also give the successful candidate a supply of sustainable dog toys and vegan treats to keep their four-legged friend happy between meals.

Applicants must be over the age of 18 and own a dog with a current non-plant-based diet

Job applications close on 31st March as we hope to hire someone early April. So, if you fancy making some money whilst hopefully improving your dog’s health and carbon paw print at the same time, please apply here:

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Shiv Sivakumar, dog lover and co-founder of OMNI said,

“We’ve had lots of feedback from dog owners who report that their dogs’ digestion, energy levels and general health are all improved once switching to a flexitarian or plant-based diet. Not only that, we are getting feedback that their dogs’ stools have improved in terms of colour, consistency and smell. So, what better way to demonstrate this than by being willing to pay a dog owner to sniff their dog’s poop once they’ve switched to our brand of dog food?

“We know that this is quite a peculiar vacancy but we also know that this is the way for us to put our money where our mouth is and show dog owners that plant-based dog food could improve their dog’s stool, general health and digestive health. The proof is in the poop and if you consider yourself to be the Gillian McKeith of the dog world, then apply now!”

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FAQs

But aren’t dog’s carnivores?

Dogs are in fact nutritional omnivores as demonstrated by a robust scientific study published in the reputable journal Nature (1,2) in which it was shown that they have 30 copies of the AMY2B gene responsible for digesting plant-based foods.

They have also evolved relatively long intestines (21) (almost as long as humans) and relatively flat surfaces on their molars (31, 22) which they use for digesting and chewing a whole range of foods.

The common misconception that dogs are carnivores probably arises from the fact that they are classified in the order Carnivora but so are plenty of other species like bears, skunks, racoons who are omnivores and even the giant panda who thrives on a plant-based diet (20).

Is plant protein digestible to dogs?

Absolutely yes, studies which have looked at how much protein dogs can absorb from plant-based and fungi-based foods like soya and yeast demonstrated over 75% digestibility which is on par with meat-based foods (23, 24, 34, 35 & 25).

Both these protein sources also contain all 10 essential amino acids (36, 37) that dogs need to thrive.

Isn't there too much fibre in plant-based food?

The average amount of fibre in a commercial dog food diet is between 2-4%. omni’s plant-powered recipe has a fibre content of 3% which is on par with meat- based diets.

In our survey with over 200 dog owners, 100% reported that their dog’s stool consistency was either ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ and there were no reports of any digestive upsets (data on file).

Can I mix omni with other meat-based diets?

We are proud that our recipes are nutritionally complete and so include everything your dog needs to thrive. This means omni can be fed as a sole ration. We also fully support a 'flexitarian approach' like meat free lunches or using omni as a mixer.

Every little helps to bring some of the health and environmental benefits of plant-power to meal times. Mixing omni with meat/fish will help to add variety into your dog’s diet whilst adding in healthy ingredients with a relatively low carbon footprint.

Can plant-based food provide the essential fatty acids dogs need?

All the essential fats and oils that dogs need, including omegas 3 and 6 are found in a variety of both meat and plant-based foods (31, 28).

omni’s recipe is rich in plant-based sources of these nutrients so your dog will get all the essentials they need.

I hear a lot about feeding raw meat, isn’t that better?

Feeding raw meat to dogs has become a very popular trend in recent years, but most vets will warn against this practise. This is because the cooking process is vital to help kill off dangerous bacteria like E coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter (9) that have necessitated several food recalls from the market and caused serious illness and even death in both dogs and their owners (40, 41, & 42).

There are also several worms and parasites that are only killed off when raw meat is cooked. Dogs are dogs, not wolves and thanks to their domestication over thousands of years, thankfully don’t need to hunt to get their grub nor do they need to eat raw meat, it's just not worth the risk.

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