According to a new study published in the journal Research in Veterinary Science, “dog owners feeding a plant-based diet did not perceive adverse health effects in their dogs”, while “dog longevity was reported to be greater for dogs fed plant-based diets.”
“Some dog owners elect to feed their dog a plant-based food either as part of or for their entire dietary intake”, states the study’s abstract. “Being omnivores or facultative carnivores, a strictly plant-based diet is not the natural type of food dogs evolved to consume, leaving some question as to whether this feeding management strategy is safe and healthy for dogs.”
With this in mind, researchers “surveyed owner perceptions of health and wellbeing of dogs and compared between those fed meat-based and plant-based diets.”
For the study, a web-based questionnaire was distributed to hundreds of pet owners to collect data on dog characteristics, husbandry, health and wellbeing.
“Owners feeding plant-based diets to their dog reported fewer health disorders, specifically with respect to ocular or gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders”, states the study. “Dog longevity was reported to be greater for dogs fed plant-based diets.” Additionally, owners feeding plant-based diets to their dogs “relied less on veterinary associates for nutrition information, versus dog owners feeding meat-based diets.”
The study concludes by stating that “Dog owners feeding a plant-based diet did not perceive adverse health effects in their dogs. The results might suggest an association between feeding a plant-based diet and perceived health and longevity, however inherent bias and limitations associated with surveys of owner perception must be considered, and objective research is required to determine if plant-based diets truly affect canine health.
The study’s full abstract can be found below:
Abstract
Background: Some dog owners elect to feed their dog a plant-based food either as part of or for their entire dietary intake. Being omnivores or facultative carnivores, a strictly plant-based diet is not the natural type of food dogs evolved to consume, leaving some question as to whether this feeding management strategy is safe and healthy for dogs.
Objectives: This study surveyed owner perceptions of health and wellbeing of dogs and compared between those fed meat-based and plant-based diets.
Methods: A web-based questionnaire was distributed to pet owners to collect data on dog characteristics, husbandry, health and wellbeing. Univariate comparisons between diet groups was made by chi square analyses or Kaplan-Meier tests as appropriate, with a significance cut-off value of 0.05. Multivariate models were negative binomial and logistic regression for count and categorical data, respectively.
Results: Owners feeding plant-based diets to their dog reported fewer health disorders, specifically with respect to ocular or gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. Dog longevity was reported to be greater for dogs fed plant-based diets. Owners feeding plant-based diets to their dogs relied less on veterinary associates for nutrition information, versus dog owners feeding meat-based diets.
Conclusions: Dog owners feeding a plant-based diet did not perceive adverse health effects in their dogs. The results might suggest an association between feeding a plant-based diet and perceived health and longevity, however inherent bias and limitations associated with surveys of owner perception must be considered, and objective research is required to determine if plant-based diets truly affect canine health.
