VETERINARIANS’ VIEWS
Veterinarians, canine cardiologists, canine oncologists, and canine dermatologists are employing plant-based diets to help their patients' conditions, particularly in cases of allergies and gastrointestinal problems.
And many outstanding canine health professionals are leading the way by feeding plant-based meals to their own pets to improve their longevity and alleviate their health according to science.
Dr Nuala Summerfield
Cardiology Vet Specialist – Virtual Veterinary Specialists, UK
Dr. Nuala is a vegan herself and has chosen to feed her two rescue dogs a plant-based diet for their own health. Here's what she says about her decision:
“I have been feeding my two rescue dogs Arthur and Elsie on Solo Vegetal complete dry food for the past 2 years.
Both were in poor physical health when we took them on. Solo Vegetal has been so beneficial for both dogs and has really helped their gastrointestinal and skin issues. It seems to be extremely palatable (they love it!), they remain at an ideal body weight and both dog’s coats are thick and lustrous.
As a cardiology specialist I am very aware of the importance of feeding a balanced diet to ensuring cardiac health. Arthur and Elsie’s hearts are regularly scanned in the cardiac ultrasound CPD courses that I teach, so I know that their hearts are in great shape and their exercise tolerance is phenomenal!”
Dr Peter Martin
Director and Practice Owner Jurassic Vets, UK
Dr Peter is an inspiring vet who runs 2 very popular and busy veterinary practices in Dorset on the south coast.
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As a veterinary team, they aim to “We are determined to be the friendliest and most helpful vets in Sidmouth and Colyton. We are staffed by a welcoming and knowledgeable team of veterinary surgeons, registered veterinary nurses and animal care assistants who are dedicated to animal welfare.”
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This carries through to how he treats his own animals as he has a loyal rescue dog Stitch – a whippet x Jack Russell who is fed a plant-based diet.
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Peter also promotes a sustainable way of feeding dogs in his own practice and they have a page on their website dedicated to promoting it –
www.jurassicvets.com/solo-vegetal-vegetable-based-diet-for-dogs
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Prof. Clare Knottenbelt
UK's leading Veterinary Oncologist Specialist
Prof Clare Knottenbelt is one of the UK’s top veterinary oncologists who lectured at Glasgow Vet School for many years and now she runs her own veterinary oncology business.
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She recommends natural plant-based diets to many of her patients as she’s seen such a remarkable change in her own Labrador Jumble.
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PDr David Bentley
Canine Dermatology Specialist, UK
Treatment of skin and ear disease in dogs and cats has been David’s passion for most of his professional career, obtaining his RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Dermatology in 1994, after qualifying from Liverpool Vet School in 1982.
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He has a waiting list of 10 weeks for referral cases seen as his dermatology services are in such high demand with the growing number of itchy and allergic dogs.
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David by his own admission, feeds his own Border Collie with a plant-based as he knows of the benefits of feeding a nutritionally sound plant-based diet to benefit the skin and overall health of his own dog.
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DR. SIMON ALVAREZ
Veterinarian and surgeon, USA
Simón Álvarez, or better known as Dr. Simon Fit, is a Venezuelan surgeon and veterinarian, certified in plant-based nutrition in the US by the T. Colin Campbell Center of Nutrition Studies. Author of the book "And they lived healthy forever." Co-founder of The Cocinita, a vegan and vegetarian gastronomy project in the city of Miami. In addition, recognized as the most outstanding professional in health sciences in 2018 by the Inter-American Society for Research, Health, Business Development and Technologies (SIISDET) and the maximum leader in excellence in health 2018 by the World Association for Excellence in Health (AMES).
Dr. Simon Fit, also known for his Instagram user @drsimonfit, has dedicated himself to being a communicator of medical information for his entire community on social networks.
During the process that Simón lived with cancer, he confirmed that nutrition and the knowledge of what can affect us in our day to day life is essential to slow down or reverse chronic diseases.
"Our pets are fortunate to have our protection and love, but not all of them are so lucky. Many animals right now are suffering to meet the animal protein needs of our society.
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"Fortunately, today we have nutritionally complete options, such as v-dog, that allow us to feed and keep our pets healthy without harming others. I also think that it is a duty of all of us who love animals and the planet to minimize the suffering of others and reduce the environmental impact that we produce with our food. The food that our dogs and cats consume produces more than 64 million tons of carbon dioxide a year that's the equivalent of driving more than 13 million cars."
DR. ARMAITI MAY
small animal veterinarian, USA
Armaiti May, DVM is a practicing small animal veterinarian and vegan advocate. From a young age, she loved animals and knew she wanted to devote her life to helping them.
She grew up in Santa Monica and attended Samohi where she graduated in 1997 before attending UC Berkeley, where she graduated with a B.S. in Bioresource Sciences in 2001.
A 2005 graduate of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. May worked at an emergency dog and cat hospital and then trained in veterinary acupuncture through the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine.
For the past nine years she has had a veterinary housecall practice for dogs and cats in the Los Angeles area.
Dr. May has volunteered offering spay and neuter services to disadvantaged communities locally and abroad, including Guatemala and Nicaragua.
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She has served on the Board of Directors for RedRover, an animal organization that brings animals out of crisis and into care and is currently President of Vegan Toastmasters, a public speaking organization which empowers vegans to speak effectively on behalf of animals.
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Dr. May completed her certification in animal chiropractic from Options for Animals in 2015. She is currently launching a non-profit organization called the Veterinary Association for the Protection of Animals to educate the veterinary profession about the benefits of veganism and encourage veterinary schools to offer humane surgical teaching methods in their curriculum.
DR. MALINA FIELDER
Veterinarian and nutritionist, Australia
Dr Malina Fielder is a practicing veterinarian and experienced animal nutritionist in Brisbane, Australia. She has almost 30 years of experience in nutrition, small animal medicine, and surgery. She is the creator of MHD (Modified Human Diet) Plans for Pets.
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Dr. Fielder is passionate about animals and interested in animal rights.
 In her opinion, vegan diets for dogs are considered optimal and healthy as long as those diets are complete and balanced, which means they are created based on the professionally calculated diet plans and made from good quality ingredients. She recommends vegan food for dogs because of the well-known benefits of plant based diets, such as detoxification and improved liver and kidney health. Vegan dog food, in general, improves the quality of coat, decreases external and internal parasites, improves arthritic signs and helps with thyroid problems.
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DR. RANDALL CANNON
Veterinarian, Florida, USA
Dr. Randall Cannon is a veterinarian at Fairbanks Animal Hospital in Winter Park, FL.
As an ethical vegan, he brings his knowledge of the livestock industry to his practice and educates his clients on the benefits of a vegan diet for dogs.
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"As with most people, veterinarians are able to wear blinders and ignore what they know goes on in the livestock industry.
I hope there will be a day when veterinarians take the lead on animal rights instead of defending the very institutions that indoctrinated us into the notion that is our right to use animals."
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​DR. RADICA RAJ
Veterinary Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, USA
Dr. Radica Raj started practice as a veterinarian in general practice but soon embarked on a more fast-paced career in Veterinary Emergency Medicine and Critical Care in Ontario.
Within a year of practice in this field she was inspired to start her own emergency facility and subsequently opened a second general practice. While this path provided the stimulus and the challenges she had yearned for, she soon realized that there had to be a better quality of life for terminally-ill patients, for the geriatric patients disabled by osteoarthritis and for the paralyzed patients that could not walk.
Determined to explore these avenues and find answers, she successfully completed her post-graduate diploma in Veterinary Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCVM) with the Chi Institute in Florida. She then completed a program in Animal Chiropractic at Options for Animals in Kansas and obtained an animal chiropractic certification from the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA).
She then started Phoenix Rising Integrative Veterinary Care thereby opening the door to an integrative veterinary clinic on Vancouver Island. She ensured that her services were integrative by performing surgery on her patients through another clinic even as she practiced holistic medicine.
Dr. Radica Raj has experience handling emergencies, surgical and internal medicine cases as well as chiropractic, acupuncture, Chinese Medicine and regenerative medicine i.e. PRP, prolotherapy, etc.
"Our pets are fortunate to have our protection and love, but not all of them are so lucky. Many animals right now are suffering to meet the animal protein needs of our society.
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On account of this, you will find that she is more than willing to collaborate with your family veterinarian and specialists involved in dealing with your pet’s health.
Her scope of practice includes Internal Medicine, Surgery, Emergency, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine.
She is now also certified in Canine Rehabilitation.
Dr Raj supports a vegan diet for dogs as she believes that this could potentially be the answer to auto-immune diseases, cancer, arthritis etc. She also stresses the need for close monitoring to ensure nutritional requirements are met.
DR. JENA QUESTEN
DVM, CERTAQV, ASPEN PARK VET HOSPITAL, USA
Dr. Questen has been in the field of veterinary medicine for more than 20 years and has had a keen interest in nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices for even longer. Her experience includes everything from horses and dog training to emergency medicine for fish and yaks. In the human realm, she is involved with health and wellness projects (even yoga and plant-based cooking classes) for children and adults. Learning the science involved in animal training through the world of dolphins and marveling at how much a person can love a pet fish have fueled her passion and understanding of the human-animal bond to a deeper level. She has her own animal rescue and 501c3, and a portion of all proceeds from her practice, Aspen Park Vet Hospital, go to support the rescue. The hospital offers conventional and holistic treatments for all animals, including acupuncture, Chinese Herbals, homeopathy, and many more.
"Why do I support a vegan diet for dogs? Because the science is clear: 1) Humans and dogs are both omnivores, 2) A plant based diet is the best diet for health and longevity for humans, and 3) I want my animals to live as long, and healthy, as possible, therefore a plant based diet is what I feed and recommend, with tremendous results!"
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DR. LAURA CATENA
DVM, CERTAQV, ASPEN PARK VET HOSPITAL, USA
Dr. Laura Catena is the Founder and President of The ArmOR Hand Gloves (armorhandglove.com). She graduated from The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine and is a small animal veterinarian. Dr. Catena developed The ArmOR Hand Animal Handling Gloves after an injury she endured while working emergency medicine. ArmOR Hand is a compassionate glove, designed to allow for proper and safe restraint technique, without the use of force. The vegan glove is used to safely handle animals, reduce injuries to humans, improve animal welfare, and advance the cause of wildlife and pets. ArmOR Hand is a reusable, vegan glove, ensuring a low impact on the environment. The glove decreases disease transmission, supporting the One Health initiative as well as increases pet owner compliance for at-home medical care and recommendations.
Dr. Catena achieved a Fear Free Preferred Product certification for ArmOR Hand. She is a recipient of the Pet Age 2021 Women of Influence Award.
This award celebrates individuals who set industry benchmarks for excellence. The award acknowledges high-performance leaders who have made a notable impact on the field while inspiring a new generation of women to make an impact on the pet care community and the pets we serve.
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This award recognizes the accomplishments and successes of women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength and leadership to bring positive changes to the pet care community. Dr. Catena is a contributing author to an award-winning pet advocacy site with 500M+ views and shares. She is a data-driven animal doctor known for deriving unique insights from complex information.
DR. MARYBETH MINTER
DVM, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY. MARIPOSA VETERINARY SERVICE, USA
Marybeth Minter, DVM, grew up in northwest Wyoming. She earned her veterinary degree from Colorado State University in 1987. General practice (large and small animal) was her next step. From 1999-2001 she took the CSU veterinary acupuncture and manipulative therapy courses and in 2003 completed Dr. Richard Pitcairn’s Professional Course in Veterinary Homeopathy. She continues to attend and contribute to Advanced Meetings in Veterinary Homeopathy through the Pitcairn Institute of Veterinary Homeopathy (previously Animal Natural Health Center, developed by Dr. Richard Pitcairn). Starting Mariposa Veterinary Service in 1998 as a holistic veterinary practice, she continues to offer homeopathic phone consults. A vegan since 2014, she feeds a plant-based diet to her own dog and helps interested clients successfully transition their animals to healthy, humane and sustainable diets.
"After seeing the livestock industry in action, and coming from a place of compassion, health and environmental concern, I am an advocate of feeding a plant-based diet for dogs and cats. Many of my patients have attained improved health with a plant-based diet alone. V-dog has been an important ingredient in helping my patients achieve better health."
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DR. DEBRA VOULGARIS
DVM, MA, CVA, CCRP, ROSS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE & LOUISANA STATE, USA
After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a Masters of Arts degree from the City University of New York at Hunter College, Dr. Voulgaris went on to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Ross University School of Veterinary medicine in 2005 completing her final clinical year at Louisiana State University.
After completing an internship in equine medicine in Ontario, New York, she accepted a 1 year anesthesia internship at the University of Georgia in 2005. She then went back to her New York City roots, and worked at a progressive general practice in Brooklyn, during which time she became certified in veterinary acupuncture through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) in 2007. After 2 years in general practice, she decided to pursue further academic training and accepted a 3 year anesthesia and pain management residency at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville.
​Dr. Voulgaris was trained and certified by the University of Tennessee in canine rehabilitation (earning a CCRP) and is also a certified Tui-na Practitioner, having studied with the Chi Institute in Reddick, FL. She has additional training in Food Therapy through the Chi Institute, Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation (VOM), is certified in medical ozone therapy, having studied under Dr Margo Roman DVM and Dr. Frank Shallenberger MD through the American Academy of Ozonotherapy.
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Dr. Voulgaris is also Certified in Clinical Thermography, by the American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT). Recognizing the benefits of thermal imaging in her own health and wellness, Dr. Voulgaris created ‘Animal Thermography’, a mobile thermal imaging service dedicated to animals in and around Los Angeles. Dr. Voulgaris is an ethical vegan who is committed to advancing animal rights through education.
Dr Arielle Griffiths
UK's based veterinarian and speaker
​Dr. Griffiths is a UK-based veterinarian who actively promotes a plant-based diet for dogs.
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" she has helped thousands of owners transition their dogs to a natural and balanced plant-based diet which results in those dogs coming off long term medication and enhancing their health through nutrition. "
DR. ANDREW KNIGHT
BSC (VET BIOL), BVMS, CERTAW, MANZCVS, DIPWCAWBM (AWSEL), DACAW, PHD, MRCVS, SFHEA, UK
Andrew Knight is a ridiculously busy bloke. He is Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics, and Director of the Centre for Animal Welfare, at the University of Winchester; a European and RCVS Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law; an American Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare; and a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.
Excluding abstracts and letters Andrew has over 65 academic publications and a series of youtube videos on animal issues. These include an extensive series examining the contributions to human healthcare of animal experiments, which formed the basis for his 2010 PhD and his 2011 book The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments. Andrew’s other publications have examined the contributions of the livestock sector to climate change, vegetarian companion animal diets, the animal welfare standards of veterinarians, and the latest evidence about animal cognitive and related abilities, and the resultant moral implications. His informational websites include www.AnimalExperiments.info, www.HumaneLearning.info and www.VegePets.info.
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DR. RICHARD PITCAIRN
​DVM, ACADEMY OF VETERINARY HOMEOPATHY
Dr. Richard Pitcairn attended veterinary school in California graduating in 1965. First practicing with with a variety of animals — livestock, farm animals, circus animals, and pets — after two years he took a position on the faculty of the veterinary school at Washington State University. After teaching and operating the large animal clinic for a year, he entered graduate school full time in the department of microbiology. After a seven year period of study and research, with a major in immunology, he again joined the faculty to teach and do research during which time an interest in nutrition developed and led him to re-enter practice to put nutritional therapy to a practical test. In 1978, Dr. Pitcairn began the study of homeopathy and in 1985 established a clinic in Eugene, Oregon which, for over 20 years, offered only nutritional therapy and homeopathic medicine. With time he began teaching others in this method, establishing a year long post-graduate training program for veterinarians which is still ongoing and has graduated 500 veterinarians trained in homeopathic practice.
In the 1990s he was one of the founders of the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy, the first veterinary homeopathy professional organization in the United States. In 1982 Dr. Pitcairn, with his wife Susan, published a book on natural animal care that is still in print, as the fourth edition, having sold over 500,000 copies. Now retired from practice, Dr. Pitcairn focuses on writing, teaching and research in the area of homeopathy.
"I am an advocate for emphasizing a plant-based diet for dogs and cats for reasons of health, ethics and resource concern.
​Many of the chronic health problems in both dogs and cats are effects of eating other animals which have accumulated many environmental toxins, or that have been given drugs or other substances.
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As well, the accelerated development of “factory farming” has resulted in billions of animals, intended to be killed and eaten, to suffer very miserable lives. This is not acceptable to those of us that care about all animals. Lastly, it has become clear that our earth cannot support the demand of having diets regularly including animal products as the resources are now being depleted and will soon be exhausted. For these reasons, it is the most intelligent move for us, culturally, to learn to depend on plant sources for our basic nutrition. We can include our companion in this move as we are learning they can do quite well with this change and, in many cases, actually have improved health."
DR. LORELEI WAKEFIELD
​VMD, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE.
Lorelei Wakefield, VMD is an animal welfare veterinarian and long-time ethical vegan. An expert in the field of vegan pet nutrition and wellness, Dr. Wakefield appeared on Animal Planet and lectures about vegan dogs.
"All dogs can benefit from a vegan diet. Thanks to ten thousand years of evolution alongside humankind, dogs are now physiologically omnivores. This means they can thrive on a nutritionally balanced plant-based food, such as v-dog."
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​How may such testimonials assist you with your dog's plant-based diet if you are a dog parent?
Are you a veterinarian that encourages the use of a plant-based approach with your patients?
We encourage veterinarians and canine health professionals around the world to share their experiences with a nutrient-complete plant-based diet for dogs. Our goal is to encourage more veterinarians and canine health professionals to consider this type of diet for their patients and to focus on scientific evidence rather than outdated beliefs.
If you are a veterinarian or canine health professional, we would love to hear from you and share your experience and testimony about using a plant-based diet with your patients.
You can get in touch with our team at hello@thevegandogcoach.com
or via the link below.​
