THE SCIENCE
of canine nutrition
Our purpose at The Vegan Dog Coach is to make cutting-edge research on canine nutrition and a plant-based diet accessible to all dog parents, assisting them in enhancing their dogs' health, well-being, and longevity.
As scientists and canine nutritionists, we read about the latest scientific discoveries made by amazing teams of researchers around the world on a regular basis, and we summarise them into simple tips that you can apply to your dog's life if you want to improve their health, wellbeing and give them
a better chance of enjoying more years by your side.
Our mission
At The Vegan Dog Coach, our mission is to make cutting-edge research on canine nutrition and a plant-based diet accessible to every dog parent. We are scientists and canine nutritionists, not veterinarians, and we read about the latest scientific discoveries made by amazing teams of researchers around the world on a regular basis, and we summarise them into simple tips that you can apply to your dog's life if you want to improve their health and give them
a better chance of enjoying more years by your side.
​
Canine nutritionists, veterinarians, canine nutrition coaches, and animal shelter personnel can employ our material in their practices to ensure that their dog patients and clients receive the most up-to-date scientific information about their nutrition. If that is the case, please feel free to utilise any of the material we publish; it is both free and public.
Why a vegan diet for dogs?
1.
Nutrient-complete plant-based diets are the most scientifically supported feeding option for dogs, with the greatest amount of scientific data on it and no evidence against it to date, or recorded adverse effects.
In comparison, there are no randomized controlled trials demonstrating the advantages of feeding meat to dogs, and several studies advise against a raw meat diet, as well as a body of scientific evidence against feeding UPF, or ultra-processed foods, (kibble and canned foods), due to the health risks associated with the consumption of UPF. *
2.
Just as in people, nutrition is the leading cause of disease in dogs, and some diets are making them sick.
A large percentage of chronic diseases in dogs are caused by food choices, toxic food ingredients and nutritional deficiencies, alongside a lack of physical exercise.
We know that diet plays a major role in the development of chronic, inflammatory and immune-related health conditions, such as allergies, cancer, and diabetes, as well as numerous cardiovascular, skin, and gastrointestinal diseases! *
3.
Today, an estimated 350 million domesticated dogs living in households will develop cancer during their lifetime, with over 6 million new cancer diagnoses in dogs each year - the epidemic of cancer incidences in the canine population is out of control and a major source of concern for both veterinarians and pet owners.
If you want to reduce the risk of cancer in your dog or the number of cancer diagnoses in your practice as a veterinarian, science has shown that a plant-based approach can significantly reduce the incidence of multiple types of cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, and digestive system cancer*.
A study found that eating fresh veggies as little as three times a week reduced the incidence of cancer by 69-88%*.
* science available at the bottom of this page.
Brows by topic
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Vegan canine diet
The science behind the safety and health benefits of a vegan diet for dogs.
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Raw meat diets
Nutritional deficiencies and risks associated with raw meat diets in dogs.
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Canine diet evolution
​How, when, and why dogs have evolved toward vegetarianism and veganism.
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Vegan diet for cats
The science behind the safety and health benefits of a vegan diet for cats.
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Wolf Ancestors
Biological and dietary differences between dogs and wolves.
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Veterinarian testimonials
​Get inspired by veterinarians' perspectives on vegan diets for dogs.
Quick science-based facts about dog's nutrition, health and evolution
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Mugford, R.A., The influence of nutrition on canine behaviour. J Small Anim Pract, 1987. 28(11): p. 1046-1055. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1987.tb01328.x
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Chapagain, D., et al., Cognitive Aging in Dogs. Gerontology, 2018. 64(2): p. 165-171. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29065419/
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Giampieri, F., Special Issue "Phytochemicals in Health and Disease". Nutrients, 2018.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266085571_The_role_of_phytochemicals_as_micronutrients_in_health_and_disease
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​Spencer, S., et al., Food for thought: how nutrition impacts cognition and emotion. NJP J Sci Food, 2017. 1(7): p. 1-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31304249/
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Winiarska-Mieczan, A., et al., The Role of Dietary Antioxidants in the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Their Impact on Cerebral Oxidoreductive Balance. Nutrients, 2020. 12(435): p. 1-32. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071337/
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Chapagain, D., et al., Cognitive Aging in Dogs. Gerontology, 2018. 64(2): p. 165-171. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29065419/
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Cotman, C.W., et al., Brain aging in the canine: a diet enriched in antioxidants reduces cognitive dysfunction. Neurobiol Aging, 2002. 23(5): p. 809-18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12392784/
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Raghavan, M., et al., Evaluation of the effect of dietary vegetable consumption on reducing risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish Terriers. JAVMA, 2005. 227(1): p. 94-100. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16013542/
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​Schmidt, K., et al., Prebiotic intake reduces the waking cortisol response and alters emotional bias in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology, 2014. 232. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25449699/
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Junhyung Kim, Jae-Uk An, Woohyun Kim, Soomin Lee & Seongbeom Cho, Differences in the gut microbiota of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) fed a natural diet or a commercial feed revealed Volume 9, article number 68, (2017) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13099-017-0218-5
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Wu T, Seaver P, Lemus H, Hollenbach K, Wang E, Pierce JP. Associations between dietary acid load and biomarkers of inflammation and hyperglycemia in breast cancer survivors. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1913. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723571/
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​Sina Naghshi 1 2, Omid Sadeghi 3, Walter C Willett 4 5, Ahmad Esmaillzadeh 6 7 8 Dietary intake of total, animal, and plant proteins and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32699048/
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Nutrients. 2023 Jul; 15(13): 2842. Beneficial Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Skin Health and Inflammatory Skin Diseases Published online 2023 Jun 22. doi: 10.3390/nu15132842 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10343921/
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Cell. 2014 Mar 27; 157(1): 121–141. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.011 Role of the Microbiota in Immunity and inflammation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056765/
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Miranda, M., et al., Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: A Key Molecule for Memory in the Healthy and the Pathological Brain. Frontiers in cellular neuroscience, 2019. 13(363): p. 1-25. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6692714/
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Sechi, S., et al., An Antioxidant Dietary Supplement Improves Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Serum of Aged Dogs: Preliminary Results. J Vet Med, 2015. 2015: p. 1-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26464952/
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Sechi, S., et al., An Antioxidant Dietary Supplement Improves Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Serum of Aged Dogs: Preliminary Results. J Vet Med, 2015. 2015: p. 1-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26464952/
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Fahnestock, M., et al., BDNF increases with behavioral enrichment and an antioxidant diet in the aged dog. Neurobiology of aging, 2012. 33(3): p. 546-554.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20447733/
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Sechi, S., et al., Oxidative stress and food supplementation with antioxidants in therapy dogs. Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire, 2017. 81(3): p. 206-216. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5508397/
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Di Cerbo, A., et al., Effects in dogs with behavioral disorders of a commercial nutraceutical diet on stress and neuroendocrine parameters. Vet Rec, 2016. 180: p. 1-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27885066/
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Gentzel, J.B., Does contemporary canine diet cause cancer?; A review. Vet World, 2013. 6(9): p. 632-639. https://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.6/Sept-2013/10.pdf
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Mondo, E., et al., Role of gut microbiota in dog and cat's health and diseases. Open Vet J, 2019. 9(3): p. 253-258. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6794400/
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Jirayu Tanprasertsuk, Devon E. Tate, Justin Shmalberg DVM DACVN DACVSMR Roles of plant-based ingredients and phytonutrients in canine nutrition and health 08 September 2021 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpn.13626
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Wisnu Adi Wicaksono Article: 2258565 The edible plant microbiome: evidence for the occurrence of fruit and vegetable bacteria in the human gut 23 Sep 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19490976.2023.2258565
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Luis Pedro Coelho, Jens Roat Kultima, Paul Igor Costea Similarity of the dog and human gut microbiomes in gene content and response to diet Microbiome volume 6, Article number: 72 (2018) https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-018-0450-3
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​PLoS One. 2019; 14(4): e0214551. The inflammatory potential of diet in determining cancer risk; A prospective investigation of two dietary pattern scores April 12 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6461253/
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PMID: 35719615, PMCID: PMC9204183, DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.892153 The Relationship Between Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Digestive System Cancers: A Meta-Analysis Based on 3,059,009 Subjects : Yujie Zhao 2022 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35719615/
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