New study reveals vegan diets for dogs may be linked with better health

Dr. Andrew Knight, of University of Winchester UK, published the largest study to date comparing meat-based and plant-based diet health outcomes for dogs in PLOS ONE on April 13, 2022.

The study asked 2,639 dog owners to share information about their pup over the course of a year and looked at health patterns across dietary choices. The researchers looked at veterinary visits, medication use, necessity of therapeutic diets, owner opinion, and reported health disorders. 

 

From the abstract, the researchers state that "significant evidence indicates that raw meat diets are often associated with dietary hazards" such as nutritional deficiencies, and "the pooled evidence to date indicates that the healthiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs, are nutritionally sound vegan diets".

Read the full study results here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0265662