Our pet cats and dogs have evolved into omnivores, just like us. A nutritionally balanced vegan diet counters obesity and many ailments in pets, and weans them off medicines. Cats and dogs on a vegan diet live one and a half years longer than their peers on a meat-based diet.

To most of us, pets are family, and hence, we often refer to ourselves as pet parents. Thus, we are very careful to ensure that the choices we make for them help them live long and healthy lives. And the one major factor that contributes to their health is what we feed them.

Breaking the myths about meat-based pet food. 

Since time immemorial, we have associated dogs with bones and cats with fish. We believe that dogs are very similar to their meat-eating relatives – wolves – so it seems pretty obvious that they should be fed a meat-based Diet. However, Ann N. Martin’s 1997 book, Foods Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food, shed light on how pet food companies use disgusting and sickening ingredients to make pet foods. The meat from four categories – dead, diseased, dying, or decayed, referred to as the ‘4 Ds,’ constituted the meat in packaged pet food or kibble. This meat is also contaminated with countless bacteria and numerous antibiotics and medications. So, do we really want our beloved pet companions to consume this food?

Our pet companions are omnivores just like us humans.

Kelly Swanson, a professor of animal and nutritional science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, states, “Dogs are truly omnivores. They evolved from carnivores, but they’re not wolves.” Hence, they can eat everything that their human companions eat.

The healthiest and least hazardous diet for a pet is the nutritionally sound vegan diet. 

More and more human beings are embracing Vegan or whole-food plant-based diets (WFPB diets) to reap health benefits. (https://alotusinthemud.com/the-raw-truth-about-a-healthy-diet/) Does that mean that our pets might benefit from the same diet? Professor Andrew Knight, a veterinarian and director of the Centre for Animal Welfare at the University of Winchester in the UK, studied 2,500 dogs (the largest study done so far) to pinpoint the most beneficial diets for dogs. https://www.andrewknight.info/ 

The study concluded that a nutritionally sound vegan diet is the healthiest and least hazardous. Later, the Guelf Vet School in Canada arrived at the same conclusion while studying 1,000 dogs. Dr. Knight also found that dogs on balanced vegan diets live an average one and a half years longer than dogs on a meat diet. This is comparable to an extra decade in the life of human beings.

Rowdy, Rithika Ramesh’s jet-black mixed breed, thrives on home-cooked vegan meals. I asked Rithika, the India Campaign Manager of ‘Generation Vegan,’ if her veterinarian dissuaded her from feeding Rowdy vegan meals. She laughed as she stated that Rowdy has rarely ever needed to visit one, as he is always in good health, very active and playful all the time. 

Vegan diets can effectively counter the obesity epidemic in cats and dogs.

Dr. Arielle Griffiths has written about the time she was a veterinarian for the animal charity ‘People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals’ (PDSA). She said, “I had one particularly grueling day where I had to euthanize four animals due to obesity-related illnesses – cats and dogs.” That’s when she thought of putting an end to the pet obesity epidemic. She started by feeding her pet dog, Ruff, homemade vegan meals and is now the director of the ‘Just Be Kind’ dog food company. Dogs on this diet have been weaned off long-term medication, and owners see their pets enjoying much better health. https://vegan-dogfood.co.uk/about/ 

Are vegan diets nutritionally sound? 

I spoke to Hetal Sheth, who specializes in plant-based nutrition and wellness for pets. Her pet nutrition and holistic healing company, ‘Curry n Pepper,’ offers a special preparation called ‘Meal Balancer’ to be added to home-cooked vegan meals. This ensures that the total nutritional requirements of our pets are fulfilled. Hetal’s dog Curry is 17 years old, while her other dog Brownie will be 16 soon. Both dogs are aging gracefully, surpassing the expected age limit for dogs. Curry recovered from a heart condition and digestive issues, all thanks to Hetal’s whole-food plant-based (WFPB) diet.

Pet parent Jay Bipin Mehta, who runs a vegan food company called ‘Arigato,’ informed me that she feeds her adopted cat, Chutki, the balanced vegan cat food from Benevo and Ami. She nursed her cat back to health with the same diet and Chutki is healthy enough to donate blood to help another cat! Her veterinarian was so impressed by her shiny coat that he asked Jay to share the name of the cat food for the benefit of all other pet parents who visited his clinic.

Will my pet find his/her vegan food yummy?

Rithika Ramesh described how Rowdy loves lots of vegetables and plenty of fruits. He even relishes bitter gourd. I asked her if she was willing to share a photograph of Rowdy. She confided that only after being bribed with treats of muskmelon did he pose for her!

Shobha Malhotra, who works with an NGO called Wings and Tales in the Indian capital, Delhi, shared with me that when her rescued pets are fairly young, they are amenable to a vegetarian diet. However, when they are rescued at older ages, they have already tasted non-vegetarian treats and prefer the same in their food while refusing vegetarian fare. She believes in observing their likes and dislikes closely and respecting their food preferences. However, if you really want to understand your pet’s thoughts on the subject, try seeking the help of an animal communicator.

(https://alotusinthemud.com/animal-communication-read-your-pets-thoughts/) 

Another pet parent, Shefali Malhotra, an entrepreneur who runs ‘Bukmuk Library for Children’ in India, spoke to me about her Labrador, Litchi. Shefali avoids nutritionally empty packaged foods, except for occasional treats. She said, ‘Dogs risk obesity if fed packaged foods and become fussy about eating home-cooked meals.’ Litchi was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia (where the hip joint is a shallow saucer instead of a nice round cup), a condition that makes the dog less active and with difficulty in walking. However, at three-and-a-half years, her dog remains very active and playful, and relishes Shefali’s home-cooked meals, which are largely vegetarian with some chicken to help Litchi stay strong.

Hetal Sheth helps pet owners wean their pets off the non-vegetarian diet and enjoy vegan or WFPB diets for the sake of their health and longevity. Dr. Arielle Griffiths has also been instrumental in helping thousands of owners transition their dogs to a natural and balanced plant-based diet.

Bramble, the veggie-eating Border Collie from the United Kingdom, was awarded the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living dog at 25 years. Her parent claimed that it was the result of daily nourishment from a vegan diet that consisted of brown rice, lentils, yeast, vegetables, and soy.(https://wildearth.com/blogs/the-wild-times/bramble-the-vegan-border-collie).

Lead photo courtesy: Nataliya Vaitkevich/Pexels

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