Lots of people think dogs require meat in their diet but there is scientific evidence to prove that dogs thrive on plant-based diets (7, 11, 31, 54). In fact some of the longest living dogs on record were fed entirely plant-based, like Guinness World Record holder Bramble, who lived to the age of 25 (16, 17). In one study reported by world renowned vet and professor of animal welfare at The University of Winchester Dr. Andrew Knight, the median life expectancy of plant-based dogs was reported to be almost 13 years old (11), which is above average (32) and in certain parts of the world like India and Sri-lanka dogs have also been thriving on plant-based diets for generations (18).
Moreover, a recent peer reviewed study that monitored thousands of dogs eating various diets found that those on vegan diets lived up to 18 months longer than those eating conventional meat-based diets (54). Another research group found that dogs eating vegan diets required fewer lifetime medications and needed to visit the vet less frequently for health concerns (55). There’s now even data to show that plant-based dogs experience health benefits that their meat-eating counterparts don’t, such as improvements in gut health, resolution of skin complaints and reduction in anxious behaviours like aggression (59). One study also showed that dogs suffering from vitamin D deficiency after being fed a variety of popular meat based diets saw a resolution in their deficiency after switching to a vet formulated vegan dry food diet (72). The take home message is that dogs do not require meat, they need protein but this can come from delicious plant-based sources too (4, 5, 6, 31).
