For many pet owners, our dogs are our best friends. They are part of our family and they are not just “pets” to us. Dogs become a staple of our home and, because of that, we care about how long they live, how healthy they are, and how they eat . There has been a ton of controversy surrounding dog diets over the years—about what you should and should not feed them.
Many people get dogs regular kibble-type dog food.
There are many people who bulk order dog food from a store or even Amazon. Stereotypical brands with chicken and pork flavored kibble is what they tend to feed their dogs. For some pet owners, this is the most “cost-friendly,” and easiest way to get dog food.
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However, some people like to feed their dogs a “raw food” diet.
There are then those pet owners who do not wish to feed their dog anything processed. Instead, they opt for giving their dogs a “raw food” diet. Raw food tends to be raw meat and other protein products, as well as some dairy and veggies, as well.
Many pet owners also have their dogs on “specialty diets.”
There are also pet owners who have their dogs on specialty diets due to the needs and health issues of their own pets. Some dogs have allergies and cannot stomach or handle certain foods, while other dogs have vet-prescribed types of food.
Overall, most dog diets include meat.
Regardless of what type of diet your dog is on, the majority of dog food choices include some type of meat. The meat is where the dogs get their protein from. However, experts are now saying that dogs shouldn’t have so much meat, and giving them a “vegan diet” may be better.
A new study followed the health and wellness of 2,500 different dogs.
The study followed the health and the diets of over 2,5000 dogs, alongside their owners who helped in completing the surveys needed. The study tracked what the dogs ate, their health, and visits to the vet.
Results showcased that many dogs who were fed “meat-based diets” required more health aids.
According to the study, dogs who were fed meat-based diets and diets that included meat actually required more “non-routine” medication. Almost half of the dogs who were studied required this, while in the vegan control group, it was only a third —proving the vegan diet was beneficial.
Pretty enlightening, right?
The study’s findings also indicated that dogs on vegan diets required fewer vet visits per year than those dogs on “conventional” diets. In addition, the percentage of dogs reported to have suffered from different health disorders was 49% for the conventional diet and only 36% for the vegan diet.
While the study does present promising results, there are some limitations.
“The key limitation of our study is that we didn’t have a population of animals locked up in a research facility and fed one specific diet without any alteration. We studied what real dogs in normal homes ate and their health outcomes. It gives us a good indication as to what the outcomes are for dogs in the real world,” said Professor Andrew Knight who led the study out of the University of Winchester, UK.
Pretty interesting!
