Why Vegan Dog food is not animal cruelty

 

"An experimental meat-free diet maintained hematological characteristics in sprint-racing sled dogs." - British Journal of Nutrition

 The study: Compared highly athletic huskies on meat-based and meat-free diets to determine whether nutritional requirements are met with a meat-free diet.

The results: "Hematology results for all dogs, irrespective of diet, were within normal range throughout the study and the consulting veterinarian assessed all dogs to be in excellent physical condition. No dogs in the present study developed anemia. The present study is the first to demonstrate that a carefully balanced meat-free diet can maintain normal hematological values in exercising dogs."

"The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet"  - Nature

The study: Compared the genomes of wolves and domestic dogs.

The results: "Novel adaptations allowing the early ancestors of modern dogs to thrive on a diet rich in starch, relative to the carnivorous diet of wolves, constituted a crucial step in the early domestication of dogs."

"Amylase activity is associated with AMY2B copy numbers in the dog: implications for dog domestication, diet, and diabetes" - Animal Genetics

 

The study: Looked at copy numbers of the AMY2B gene in dogs and wolves to assess amylase activity and starch digestion capabilities.

The results: "Evidence for selection at the entire pathway responsible for starch digestion and glucose absorption indicates that efficient use of energy stored in starch was crucial to the survival and fitness of dogs during the domestication process. Increased amylase activity in dogs relative to wolves is associated with high AMY2B copy numbers in dogs, arguing that efficient starch digestion is linked to high copy numbers at this locus."

Vegan Dog Nutrition

"Dogs are biologically omnivorous but can thrive on a balanced plant-based diet," says Dr. Armaiti May, DVM. "Animals do have requirements for nutrients, but not necessarily ingredients."

It is well known that most of the meat is produced in factory farms. Livestock is injected with hormones and antibiotics and kept in unsanitary conditions. These animals are fed non-GMO diets. Pet food manufacturers use 4-D meats or meats from animals that are dead, disabled, diseased, or dying. All body parts unfit for human consumption are used to manufacture pet food.

It’s not surprising that the food that makes it out of our plates is full of contaminants. Many allergies and health conditions in our pets can be attributed to this practice. Some pets are even experiencing resistance to antibiotics because of this.

Dr. Armaiti May recommends using an AAFCO approved and nutritionally balanced diet. AAFCO standards are only awarded to foods that meet the required nutritional guidelines of our pets. A third party tests the food to confirm that the diet is balanced and complete. Many plant-based pet foods are AAFCO approved.

This means that the nutrients dogs obtain from animal products, such as taurine, L-carnitine, protein, and vitamin B-12 are available from plant-based sources and needn’t be provided in the form of meat. Vegan or vegetarian dog foods that are AAFCO approved must meet the same guidelines as meat-based foods.

Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, began recommending plant-based pet foods when he noticed that high levels of toxins were accumulating in patients’ bodies from animal products. "Results outweighed expectations," he says. "Many dogs noticeably improve in their condition with this change alone."

Many of Dr. Armaiti May's canine patients come to her with skin issues and allergies. "Most of the time a dog has a food allergy it is to a meat protein such as beef, chicken, or one of the other common meat sources," she says, and from her experience allergy symptoms typically clear up on a vegan diet.

In addition to allergies, health issues like joint pain, obesity, and diabetes can often be improved on a plant-based diet.

Anecdotal evidence