Top 5 Vegan Dog Myths and Facts
Top 5 Vegan Dog Myths and Facts
thank you to V-dog
"Dogs are carnivores and need meat to thrive."
FACT: All of those commercials and ads depicting your dog and a wolf as one and the same? According to science, they got it all wrong. Dogs have evolved alongside humans for over 10,000 years. On a biological level, domesticated dogs have a different genetic component that allows them to thrive and make excellent use of starchy, plant-based foods. Thanks to evolution, dogs can thrive on a complete and balanced vegan diet like v-dog.
"The researchers found that dogs have more copies of a gene called AMY2B, crucial for amylase production, than wolves. And in dogs, this gene is 28 times more active in the pancreas than in wolves...Dogs also showed changes in specific genes that allow for the breakdown of maltose into glucose, another key starch digestion step, and in genes allowing for the body to make use of this glucose." (Animal Genetics)
Resource: Nature: The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet
"Dogs need meat for protein."
FACT: Dogs do need protein, but "protein" is not mutually exclusive to "meat" (animal flesh). Protein is found in plants as well as animal substances. This means we can provide dogs with plenty of the protein they need by going directly to the source for nutrition - plants and organic compounds. Certain plants, like peas, are naturally high in protein. Dogs can and do thrive on a complete and balanced plant-based diet filled with nutrient-dense plant proteins.
The definition of "protein" via Merriam and Webster:
Resource: MDPI: Vegetarian versus Meat-Based Diets for Companion Animals
"A dog's health will decline if fed a vegan diet."
FACT: As long as a dog's diet is complete and balanced, their nutrition can come from 100% plant-based sources. Thousands of dogs have and continue to live happy, healthy, long lives, some into their 20's, on complete vegan diets.
Resource: Senior vegan dogs thriving
Resource: Bramble the Vegan Collie lives to 189
"Feeding your dog a (complete and balanced) plant-based diet is animal abuse."
FACT: According to the official definition of "animal cruelty," feeding a dog a well-researched, balanced diet like v-dog does not fall under either "neglect" or "intentional" cruelty to animals.
According to USLegal.com, "Generally, animal cruelty can be divided into two categories: neglect and intentional cruelty. Examples of intentional cruelty include, among others, overt abuse, when an individual purposely inflicts physical harm or injury on an animal, dog fighting and cock fighting. Acts of neglect include companion animals being neglected or denied basic necessities of care, such as food, water, shelter, or veterinary care."
We do know what does fall under physical and intentional abuse towards animals: common industry practices of animal agriculture. This is why we've created a tried-and-true solution to feed our dogs with complete and balanced nutrition - 100% cruelty-free and made 100% from animal-free sources.
VIDEO RESOURCES ON ANIMAL CRUELTY:
Mercy for Animals: "If I were born a dog"
-- Videos of happy, healthy vegan dogs --
"Veterinarians don't think a (complete and balanced) vegan diet is appropriate for dogs."
FACT: There are many veterinarians around the USA and the world who accept and/or promote a complete and balanced vegan diet for dogs.
Resource: Vegan Diets for Dogs: DVM Dr. Armaiti May
Resource: VegePets: Veterinarians
Resource: V-dog veterinarians