The Dangerous Feeding Practice I Can’t Condone

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Both big pet food and vegetarian/vegan pet parents continue their campaign to push misguided, potentially dangerous dietary choices onto dogs in the form of plant-based diets
• They’re currently championing a recent study that suggests a small group of dogs remained healthy for a year while eating a plant-based kibble
• As a vegetarian veterinarian, I’m firmly opposed to forcing one’s personal dietary beliefs on other species; while I applaud human omnivores who choose to be vegetarians/vegans, I draw the line at insisting canine carnivores should adopt the same diet
• Because a dog is able to survive for a year eating a plant-based diet doesn’t mean he’s thriving; for better or worse, dogs are a species able to endure considerable “nutritional abuse” before their bodies begin to show the effects
• Bottom line: If your personal eating habits or philosophy require that even your pet abide by them, I encourage you to pick a species to care for whose dietary needs are aligned with yours