British Veterinary Association supports vegan dog diets

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has updated its position on diet choices for cats and dogs, recognizing that dogs could be safely fed a vegan diet as long as it is nutritionally complete and has no negative long-term impact on their health.

A policy note states, “It is possible to feed dogs a plant-based diet, but owners should be aware of the difficulties in balancing these diets for nutritional needs, the lack of robust long-term data on their safety, and should monitor their dog’s health for long-term impacts.”

The UK’s representative body for the veterinary profession notes that several studies support using such diets and their benefits for dogs’ skin and gastrointestinal conditions. However, the studies are usually “small-scale” or based “purely on owner-reported data.”

Thus, while the use of a plant-based diet is possible, there is a high chance of nutritional imbalances. The BVA recommends that pet owners formulate diet plans and seek advice from board-certified veterinary nutritionists directly or via a vet.

Lack of nutritional evidence

The BVA also notes that nutritional confidence in meat-based diets does not yet exist in other diets. It states that “further long-term, controlled studies are needed to demonstrate their nutritional safety.”

The body recognizes the lower environmental impact of plant-based ingredients compared to animal ingredients and encourages innovation but cautions against development coming “at the expense of animal welfare through poor nutrition.”

The BVA maintains its position on the impossibility of forming a complete plant-based diet for cats. “Current research suggests that it is not possible to form a complete vegan or vegetarian diet for cats, as they are obligate carnivores and there is a lack of suitable synthetic essential amino acids available.”