{"id":4116,"date":"2020-01-31T02:23:09","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T02:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ethosandempathy.org\/?p=4116"},"modified":"2026-01-28T19:28:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T19:28:46","slug":"environmental-impact-of-pet-food-vegan-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ethosandempathy.org\/en\/2020\/01\/31\/environmental-impact-of-pet-food-vegan-alternatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmental impact of pet food & vegan alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Countless Vegans have pets or take care of rescued dogs and cats. Whether or not pets can be vegan is still a matter of debate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can our Dogs and Cats Be Vegan? The answer is yes!<\/b><\/p>\n

Dogs and cats can live and thrive<\/strong> in a vegan diet. A vegan dog, Bramble<\/a>, has been one of the 8 oldest l<\/a><\/span>iving dogs (25 years old). He lived in<\/span> the UK, on a vegan diet of rice, lentils and organic vegetables and plenty of supplements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Andrew Knight,<\/i><\/b><\/a> a European veterinary specialist in animal welfare science, ethics and law, and a professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics at the University of Winchester, explains.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2018Dogs, cats\u2014and indeed all species\u2014require speci\ufb01c nutrients, rather than speci\ufb01c ingredients. There is no reason why diets comprised entirely of plants, minerals, and synthetically-based ingredients (i.e., vegan diets) cannot meet the necessary <\/span>palatability, bioavailability, and nutritional requirements of cats and dogs as well as the taste our beloved friends would like.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Cats require<\/span> taurine <\/span><\/a>which many people argue can only get from meat. The old method of isolating taurine was outdated in the 1920\u2019s, being replaced with a more efficient synthetic process. The irony of the whole taurine issue is most cats rely on<\/strong><\/span> synthetic taurine<\/a> anyway as most meat-based pet foods utilize the same synthetic taurine that the vegan cat food manufacturers do.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you thinking \u201cthat’s not what my veterinarian says!\u201d Truthfully, most vets aren’t educated about vegan diets for animals. The educational materials for the few nutritional courses that veterinarians do take are written by the meat pet food companies. They consist of the results from studies the companies themselves have conducted. Furthermore veterinary students receive very little information about plant-based\/alternative diets and in some vet universities even no information at all (like for example in Greece).<\/span><\/p>\n

How pet food is produced?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The pet food industry tells us that packaged slaughterhouse waste products are necessary for proper nutrition and many of us accept this at face value.<\/span><\/p>\n

50% of every animal slaughtered for food isn\u2019t used in producing human food. What remains – head, feet, bone, blood, brain, intestines, organs, fat and unborn babies- goes into your pet’s food. Pet food has also the \u201c4-d\u201d animals: the dead, dying, diseased & disabled<\/strong>.However, on citizens’ requests, on April 30, 2019, the FDA <\/span>announced <\/span><\/a>that it would no longer be allowed.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, FDA is not against the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pesticide contamination in excess of the permitted tolerance or action level.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Pesticide contamination where the pesticide involved is unapproved for use on a food or feed commodity.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Contamination by industrial chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Contamination by natural toxicants.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Contamination by filth.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Microbiological contamination.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Over tolerance or unpermitted drug residues.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Food adulterated with secretions of cockroaches, mice and birds.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Rot meat from supermarkets are also in cat & dog food. The worst part is that it is not required to take them out of the styrofoam packages before grinding them. Moreover, many ingredients contained in pet food such as meat, poultry and seeds are considered safe and do not require FDA approval before they are placed on the market.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In addition, FDA conducted <\/span>a study <\/span><\/a>in order to investivate the presence of\u00a0pentobarbital<\/span><\/a> in pet food (the most common euthanasia drug) and the results were that it was encountered as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pet Food Animal Testing<\/b><\/p>\n

    Some conventional pet food not only contain dead animals but it’s also <\/span>tested on animals.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

    The vast majority of food tests are conducted in laboratory experiments<\/a><\/strong> on rodents, but some are also performed on guinea pigs, dogs and rabbits.<\/strong>Feeding trials \u2013 legally known as \u201cfeeding protocols\u201d \u2013 is testing of a pet food to validate the nutritional adequacy.The unfortunate fact is that almost all feeding trials are performed in specialty kennels (laboratory kennels) often on animals that are \u2018purposely bred\u2019. Purposely bred cats and dogs are animals specifically bred to be test subjects; specifically bred to be calm under laboratory conditions. Most of these animals never have a home, often never see daylight. Most of these cats and dogs are born, raised and die within laboratory kennel settings.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pet food’s carbon footprint – a severe environmental issue\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

    It is not just what we feed to our pets, but also that what we feed them contributes to the environmental impacts of our pets. Pet food is estimated to be responsible<\/strong><\/span> for a quarter of the environmental impacts of meat production<\/a> in regards to the use of land, water, fossil fuels, phosphates and pesticides and a UCLA research<\/a> showed that d<\/strong>ogs and cats account for 25 to 30% of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the United States. <\/strong>Furthermore, the new trend for raw food (BARF) is, in environmental terms, a step backwards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    An average-sized dog consumes about 360 pounds of meat in a year and about 210 pounds of cereal. Taking into account the amount of land it takes to generate that amount of food and the energy used, that makes your dog quite the carbon hound. A 2009 <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> by New Zealand\u2019s Victoria University of Wellington concluded that pet dogs have carbon paw prints double that of a typical SUV. John Barrett of the Stockholm Environment Institute, in York, <\/span>Great Britain, confirmed the results of the New Zealand study. “Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat,”<\/em> Barrett told New Scientist Magazine.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A vegan diet is now scientifically proven to be safe and even benefits animal health when consuming safe vegan foods, designed with all the necessary supplements and far superior to conventional ones.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    What is worse?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

    Providing cats and dogs a vegan diet that is formulated for their nutritional needs or giving them a highly processed meat-based food consisted of tumors, nerve tissues, styrofoam and a poison designed to kill them?<\/span><\/p>\n

    If everyone stopped eating meat but continued to create a demand for meat-based pet food, the animal slaughter industry would continue to be profitable and\u00a0 animals would continue to suffer unnecessarily<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

    In a veterinary conference in Finland two years ago, ithe set up of chicken farms exclusively for pet food production has been mentioned, so the pet food not always comes from the remnants of animals slaughtered for human consumption. Likewise there is a Greek family farm of calves and lambs, which are exclusively bred for BARF food.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The moral choice of what to feed the animals is on us, not on our pets. There is a variety of vegan dry food, canned and delicacies for dogs and cats. If you try some and your pets are not satisfied, don’t give up, try other brands until you find the one that suits them the best.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Brands<\/b><\/h3>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Cat and Dog food\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Italian pet food Ami cat & Ami dog<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In Greece we can get them from the German online shop Simply Vegan.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Spanish pet food Veggie animals \/ pienso natural<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Biopur<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Dog Food<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The best quality of vegan dog food and dog treats can be found here<\/a>,<\/strong> it’s a German company that packages the dog food in paper bag, they have treats with turmeric that are good for elderly dogs with arthritis, supplement like vish oil which is good for dogs with sensitive kidneys that need more omega 3 etc. They ship to most EU countries.<\/p>\n

    Greek wet canned dog food supplement Naturest.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    The majority of the following options can be found at the online pet store Zooplus which has different addresses for each EU country (zooplus.gr for Greece, zooplus.es for Spain etc):<\/em><\/p>\n

    Dutch dog food & dog treats Yarrah.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    German dog food Veggie Dog<\/strong> which come in paper bag although there is a thin plastic membrane in between the papers.<\/p>\n

    The German cold pressed pellet Lukullus Veggie.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The cheapest among all is Pitti Boris<\/strong> which does not contain though L-carnitine & taurine so only with a supplement can be given with safety.<\/p>\n

    Two more Italian choices: V.E.G. Vegan Ethical Gourmet<\/a> &\u00a0 Benevo<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>For dogs with allergies the dutch ones\u00a0Denkadog Hypo-Sensitive<\/a> and finally one more German option the Terra Pura Bio<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Supplement for dogs made in Germany here<\/a> (From the same website, you can order the dry dog food Greta<\/strong> and the wet dog food Pauline<\/strong>) and here <\/a>(from the same website you can buy Vegdog dog food, plant based oil for omega 3 based on hemp, flaxseed and algae).<\/p>\n

    If you live in Sweden, you can get dog food, treats etc. from Vecanis.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Dog treats made in UK here<\/a> (Soopa healthy bites).<\/p>\n

    If you live in UK, you can find a wide range of vegan dog food and treats and supplements, at doctor Arielle’s website Just be kind<\/a>. She is a vegan vet, specialized in nutrition.<\/p>\n

    Greenwoods veggie<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Vegdog\u00a0<\/a>(not available through zooplus, but through Simply Vegan)<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Cat food<\/b><\/p>\n

    English Benevo<\/strong><\/a> which can be purchased by the German e-shop Simply vegan<\/a> too.<\/p>\n

    Swiss Vegusto<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Italian V.E.G Ethical Gourmet <\/a><\/strong>and Amic Cat <\/a><\/strong>of course.<\/p>\n

    American Evolution<\/strong><\/a> which is the oldest.<\/p>\n

    Wild Earth pat\u00e9<\/a><\/strong> (only found in USA sadly).<\/p>\n

    Wet food option<\/a><\/strong>s from an online shop in the Netherlands. They ship abroad. FYI only this option<\/a><\/strong> is complete food. The others need kibble complementary.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Here<\/a> you can find all vegan pet food suppliers worldwide.<\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Update 2023<\/strong>: I started ordering cat and dog food from a German, exclusively vegan, online petfood store named Simply Vegan.<\/a> I prefer ordering from there for several reasons: 1) The package comes plastic free, 2) It’s always better to support exclusively vegan (and small) businesses.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Vegan Canine Nutritionists<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Germany – Lisa Walther – website\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

    U.K<\/p>\n

    1) Arielle Griffiths (she is primarily a vet<\/strong>) – website\u00a0<\/a>& 2) Shevega team – website<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Books<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The plant-powered dog – Unleash the healing powers of a whole-food plant-based diet to help your canine companion enjoy a healthier, longer<\/a> and a link for the ebook here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide Natural Health for dogs and cats – the 4th edition includes vegan recipes!\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Relevant scientific publications<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    For cats<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Cats and Carbohydrates: The Carnivore Fantasy?<\/a><\/p>\n

    Vegan cats live long and healthy lives – preliminary study\u00a0<\/a>(Very good news that there was not observed any correlation between urinary problems and nutrition)<\/p>\n

    A cross-sectional study of owner-reported health in Canadian and American cats fed meat- and plant-based diets<\/a> (No differences in reported lifespan were detected between diet types. Fewer cats fed plant-based diets reported to have gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. Cats fed plant-based diets were reported to have more ideal body condition scores than cats fed a meat-based diet. More owners of cats fed plant-based diets reported their cat to be in very good health.)<\/p>\n

    Sustainable pet info – cats\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

    Case Report: Application and Limitations of a Plant-Based Diet Formulated for a Cat With Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease<\/a><\/p>\n

    Should our cats eat a vegan diet ? (by the British vet dr. Arielle)<\/a><\/p>\n

    For dogs<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Domestic dogs maintain positive clinical, nutritional, and hematological health outcomes when fed a commercial plant-based diet for a year<\/a><\/p>\n

    Apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility of mildly cooked human-grade vegan dog foods and their effects on the blood metabolites and fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites of adult dogs<\/a><\/p>\n

    An experimental meat-free diet maintained haematological characteristics in sprint-racing sled dogs<\/a><\/p>\n

    Vegan versus meat-based dog food: Guardian-reported indicators of health<\/a><\/p>\n

    The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet<\/a><\/p>\n

    100 Vegan-Eating Dogs; An encyclopedia of Vegan Dog Nutrition<\/a><\/p>\n

    Vegetarian versus Meat-Based Diets for Companion Animals<\/a><\/p>\n

    Plant-based (vegan) diets for pets: A survey of pet owner attitudes and feeding practices<\/a><\/p>\n

    Plant based diets for dogs<\/a><\/p>\n

    Three studies on vegan diets for dogs<\/a><\/p>\n

    Sustainable pet info – dogs<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Article by a vet<\/strong> – Health Benefits of Vegan Dog Food<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    For both dogs and cats\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n