Vegan dog food is quite popular nowadays, and i truly believe that is a healthy "diet option" for our furry friends.
I personally feed my dogs 2 days a week vegan dog food, and the other 5 days i prepare different recipes (meat, fish included).
There are many benefits, reasons, and ways to make your best friend eat meatless food and go for a homemade vegan dog food diet .
This Article is a complete guide about vegan dog food, is quite long, and detailed.
Please, Take a deep breath, relax and let's start.
Introduction:
Vegan food not only benefits humans but is very healthy for your dearest dog too.
Yes, you heard it right; Your pet will Love vegan food.
And in this post i will answer as many question as possible to help you deciding if a homemade vegan food diet is something that fit your case or not.
A meatless diet for human lowers the risks of :
- heart attacks,
- diabetes,
- cholesterol,
- blood pressure,
- obesity,
- and many other problems.
Just as we know that our dogs are so dear to us, our partners in crime , We care about them more than anything in every aspect, then
why not making them eat healthy food?
Have you ever wondered if our dogs can benefit from a vegan food diet as we humans do?
Will our dogs love to go meatless?
The simplest answer is, “it depends.”
As we all know that meat is the main source from which dogs get their protein, however, still they can get their essential nutrients from plants and other vegan foods.
This means that dogs can rely on vegan food. Moreover, according to studies related to dogs, it is found that most of the qualities of dogs are that of omnivorous.
Therefore, as studied omnivorous have the quality to digest plants and meatless food.
1. What is a vegan diet ?
The vegan diet does not include any animal product or produced by animals.
The vegan diet completely eliminates the consumption of meat, fish, dairy products, eggs and honey, out of respect for the animals. In this way, a vegan only feeds on products of vegetable origin.
2. dogs can safely enjoy the following vegan food
However, one thing to ensure that there are huge numbers of plant-based food that your dog cannot digest.
So, before starting with a vegan dog food diet, you seriously need to go in-depth research so that you don’t harm it in any way.
Moreover, you need to make sure that you incorporate all various nutrients while making or buying vegan food for your dearest dog.
To know even more you can research different vegan dog foods along with consulting a pet nutritionist to ensure you are doing the right thing.
3. Dangerous food for dogs infographic
![Homemade Vegan Dog Food Guide [+ 6 Recipes] 1](https://thecollienois.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Human-Food-Your-Dogs-Can-And-Can-Not-Eat.jpg "Homemade Vegan Dog Food Guide [+ 6 Recipes] 5")
4. Philosophy behind the vegan food diet
Vegans act this way because they argue that animals are sacrificed prematurely or abused to use them as food or to take advantage of their resources.
Veganism is not strictly a diet, rather it is a lifestyle that wants to avoid the suffering, mistreatment and death of animals.
In this sense, it also rejects the use of any product of animal origin, such as furs, silk, feathers or any product that has been tested with animals.
5. Is a vegan dog food diet healthy for my pet?
Well, dogs can live on a vegan diet, but that does not mean that they should or completely live on a vegan diet.
6. What Expert Says about vegan dog food diet for dogs
Experts and dog nutritionists suggest, that it is a healthy choice to feed your dog with a Homemade vegan diet, But:
Only if done with the support of an expert;
and you have to be very, very careful while or preparing vegan food for your dog to make sure that all the nutrition and vitamins requires are being met;
And don't forget! it is very tiring to really stick with this diet, Because you have to cook a lot.
In case your dog is not meeting the required nutrients from the vegan diet it can lead to the following problems:
Protein intake can be adequately met from various plant-based foods;
However making other nutrients like amino acid being met can be somehow a bit challenging, as most of it is met from meat.
Quick Tip
Variety And Quantity Is Much More Important Than Quality, In This Case.
The task of incorporating all the required supplements and minerals is very thought full! Take it seriously.
7. Pros of a homemade vegan dog food diet
Vegan dog foods offer a wide range of health benefits, which make them highly suitable for your dog.
These vegan foods can be beneficial in a way that it can treat a lot of diseases of dogs, such as itchy skin, joints pains, eye problems, digestive problems.
Moreover, let us look at some of the health
benefits of healthy dog food:
#1 Vegan food helps with the allergens
According to a recent survey, dogs suffer most of their allergies from milk, dairy, beef, mutton, and chicken. Many people don’t know that as compared to these food lentils and plant-based food cause no allergies at all.
Therefore, these meaty products are the main causes of many types of allergies like:
- rashes,
- itchy skin,
- loose stool or constipation,
- yeast infections,
- eye problems and
- inadequate loss of fur.
#2 Vegan food is easy to digest
Whether it is homemade vegan food or the one you buy from stores, they have easily digestible formulas that let your dog digest food properly to avoid problems like :
- constipation,
- Vomiting or regurgitation
- acidity,
- Flatulence,
- Diarrhea
- and other problems.
Therefore, plant-based food items are free of allergies and prove to be beneficial for your dog.
#3 Vegan dog food contains anti-inflammatory properties
Meaty items are hard on the stomach and can cause inflammation and cause various problems like joints pains and weak bones.
On the other hand, plant-based foods are light on the stomach and help relief issues which can be caused by the meat items.
#4 Dogs’ energy levels will rise
Due to clean, homemade and light food your dog will be able to feel like a puppy again and will feel light and remain active like anything else.
The energy levels will rise, and your dog will remain active for longer time.
#5 better management of weight loss
A plant-based and vegan dog food let dogs maintain their right weight.
Also loosing weight fast, will be an easy task.
#6 a homemade vegan diet for your dog is cheap!
As mentioned earlier on average dogs eat 1 kg of raw meat every day, and that cost a hell lot of money to buy those.
On the other hand, vegan food is less expensive, and even if you decide to make homemade food by yourself, the ingredients it requires are even cheaper.
So a vegan dog is very light on your pocket too.
#7 easy to make recipes
The vegan food is quite easy to make and takes much less time then other diets.
"Wash, cut, cook and Buon Appetito!"
#8 Vegan dog food Boosts immune system
Vegan food is quite beneficial for your dogs’ immune system too.
It helps them get better digestion, and the metabolism of your dog improves too.
8. Cons Of A Homemade Vegan Dog Food Diet
If the vegan food diet for your dog is not chosen or made wisely the results can be negative too.
An improper vegan diet can lead to following illness in your dogs:
#1 Obesity
About 40% of the dogs in the United States fall victim to obesity.
It is important to search for the healthy ingredients ( high of nutrients an protein) to make sure that your dog is getting lean and stronger instead of fat.
#2 Stones in the bladder
Sometimes, lack of hygiene, cleanliness and giving the wrong vegan food can build up stones inside your dog’s bladder.
Bladder Stones can be the most painful thing ever your dog can experience.
Always consult an animal nutritionist or your Vet to know what meatless foods prevent bladder stones .
#3 Vegan dog food Can cause pancreatitis
If your dog is already suffering from pancreatitis then an improper diet will worsen the situation.
The digestive enzymes break down certain proteins and nutrient in the pancreas that can be a bit dangerous. So, be careful and pay attention also to small details in this diet.
9. Cons Of "Traditional" Dog Food
There are different kinds of dog food available on the market, and all of them have many pros and cons of it.
However, we are considering the vegan dog food.
Let us see some of the disadvantages of dog food other than vegan;
9.1 Cons of canned food
Canned food is one of the easiest form of food to feed your dog. They are readily available and are considered to be palatable and delicious for dogs.
There are many disadvantages to it:
9.2 Cons of dry food
Dry food is easy to carry and can be used for a longer period.
It is quite handy, as all you have to do is take a packet with you anywhere without loading much stuff in your car.
It is better for dogs’ dental health then canned food.
There are many disadvantages to it:
9.3 Cons of Raw Food
Raw food is even easier than dry food.
You just buy and give it to your dog, no hard work needed.
Cleaner teeth, easily secretion of stools, improvement of the dog’s skin and healthy metabolism are some benefits of The B.A.R.F diet.
There are many disadvantages to it:
10. Best vegan dog food recipes
Let us see some of the delicious and yummy recipes that you can make to feed your dog vegan.
Recipe 1 - Chickpea stew
Ingredients
Preparation
- First of all mash the chickpeas well in a large bowl.
- Now make a mixture of oil, peanut butter and one cup of the stock or water.
- In a blender add the remaining stock, celery, carrot, and beet and blend well for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Mix all the mixture into the chickpeas and serve.
Recipe 2 - Rice and millet with vegetables
Ingredients
Preparation
- In a large bowl mix millet, rice, stock or water and oil,
- Next blend all the vegetables in the blender and blend well to make a thick creamy like paste.
- Add this paste to the stock mixture, warm it up just a little bit and serve.
Recipe 3 - Vegetable fusion for little pups
Ingredients
Preparation
- Blend the entire ingredients in a blender on medium speed for two to three minutes or until well combined.
- Transfer to your dog’s bowl and serve. Very Easy right?
Recipe 4 - Barley and lentil loaf soup
Ingredients
Preparation
- Bring the water or stock to boil, add in lentils and barley, turn the heat to medium and cover the pot, and let it simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.
- Blend celery in little water.
- Add celery mixture and sea kelp to the lentil and barley stock,
- let it cool and serve.
Recipe 5 - Meatless dog cookie
Ingredients
Preparation
- Mix all the ingredients and then add 3 cups of water in it knead well to make the dough.
- Make different sizes & shapes and bake it for 10 to 15 minutes in the oven.
- Let it cool and serve it to your dog
Recipe 6 - Sweet potato and peanut butter delight
Ingredients
Preparation
- Boil water and add in rice, quinoa, lentils, and sweet potatoes,
- Reduce heat to medium, let it simmer and cover the pot for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until everything is tender.
- Once cooled, mash the ingredients and add in peanut butter.
- It makes about 3 to 4 servings and you can distribute in different bowls and refrigerate.
- Just when you are about to serve warm it u a little bit and add flaxseed oil and cranberry extract over it.
11. Cool Homemade vegan dog food recipe video on youtube
related resources
12. Conclusion:
After analyzing every aspect of the vegan dog food diet, we can say that our dogs can live on a vegan diet and be healthy.
Protein amount and other important nutrients can be met. Moreover, the best part is that the vegan dog food helps in preventing and curing many harmful and toxic diseases in dogs.
However, you should be careful while preparing the meals so you don’t miss a single nutrient your dog needs.
In case you miss nutrients during the diet it will hurt your dog’s health and cause various diseases.
Consultation with an animal nutritionist is the key as they will let you know the best deep details about YOUR dog needs. .
