Reported Health Benefits of a Vegan Dog Food – A Likert Scale-type Survey of 100 Guardians

Abstract

Introduction There has been a surge in feeding plant-based foods to pets and advocates extol the health benefits of this practice. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support health claims for vegan diets in dogs. Aims This study aimed to quantify perceived health changes by dog guardians following the feeding of a single brand of UK-produced vegan food for a period of 3 to 12 months. Methods Dog guardians registered as feeding the vegan food for 3 - 12 months were invited to participate in an online Likert Scale-type survey of observations reflecting health status. Results 100 guardians completed the survey. The vegan food was acceptable (palatable), and appetite and body weight were not adversely affected. Changes, including improvements, were reported in the following areas: body condition score (BCS), activity, faecal consistency, faecal colour, frequency of defaecation, flatus frequency, flatus antisocial smell, coat glossiness, scales in haircoat (dandruff), redness of the skin (erythema, inflammation), crusting of the external ear canals (otitis externa), itchiness (scratching; pruritus), anxiety, aggressive behaviour and coprophagia. Conclusions This is the first study to quantitatively document guardian reports of specific positive health benefits associated with feeding a UK vegan dog food. Further prospective, randomised, controlled clinical trials are needed to validate and determine the significance of these observations.

Have the environmental benefits of insect farming been overstated? A critical review

“…Regarding health and palatability, while there are numerous methodological limitations with the existing literature, the latest systematic review found that plant-based pet foods are comparable, or perhaps slightly more advantageous, for the health of pet dogs and cats (Domínguez-Oliva et al, 2023). However, a cautious approach is warranted, as further validation and controlled clinical trials are required (Davies, 2022). Important uncertainties remain, but the same is more true for insect diets; data on the nutritional quality of insects is less well-documented, with limited available data (Bosch et al, 2014;McCusker et al, 2014;Mouithys-Mickalad et al, 2020;Acuff et al, 2021).…”