Study. Vegan dogs are said to be healthier than others.

According to a study in England, dogs fed a vegan diet are less likely to get sick than their meat-fed counterparts. Good news for vegan owners who apply the same diet to their hairballs.

Are “vegan” dogs healthier than their predatory counterparts? To find out for sure, British researchers followed the health of 2,536 dogs for a year.

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The theory that eating vegetarian would be healthier is starting to catch on, backed up by several recent scientific researches that all come to the same conclusion. Naturally, if the question applies to humans, one would expect it to arise for the most loyal of pets: the dog.

In any case, this is what English scientists from the University of Winchester have sought to find out. So, are vegan dogs healthier than their predatory counterparts? To get to the bottom of it, the authors of this study published in Plos One surveyed owners of 2,536 dogs. The volunteers were asked to complete questionnaires aimed at providing information relating to the diet and the state of health of their hairballs.

The researchers analyzed this information over a period of one year, in particular taking into account the number of visits made to the veterinarian and any drug treatments administered to Médor. Of the dogs represented in the study, just over half ate meat, a third raw meat and 13% exclusively plant products.

Overall, the study shows that dogs on a meatless diet are four times less likely than others to have a visit to the vet compared to those on a more conventional diet.

In the same logic, the percentage of dogs having encountered health problems during the year rises to 49% for dogs subjected to a classic diet, against 36% for ‘vegan’ canids. Dogs more accustomed to eating raw meat also seem healthier, although this is probably due to the fact that the animals in question are on average a year younger.

“Significant evidence indicates that raw meat diets are often associated with dietary risks, including nutrient deficiencies and imbalances, as well as pathogens,” the study authors state.

“The pooled data to date indicate that the healthiest and least dangerous dietary choices for dogs are vegan diets,” the researchers conclude.

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