The post Are Plant-Based Diets Good for Dogs?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Plant-based diets are trending in the U.S. The U.S. News and World Report ranked the Mediterranean diet (a nutrition plan that involves eating a ton of plant-based foods) the best overall diet in 2020. And a 2018 Nielsen report revealed that nearly 40 percent of Americans are eating more plant-based food<\/a>.<\/p>\n When people start gravitating towards certain foods, they often start asking their veterinarians if they should be switching their pets\u2019 diets, too. Plant-based diets are no exception.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Should I buy plant-based food for my dog?\u2019 is a question I get regularly,\u201d <\/b>says Dr. Stacy Choczynski Johnson, DVM, a vet expert at Pumpkin Pet Insurance<\/a>. \u201cA lot of human counterparts to our pets are choosing vegetarian diets, and so they are choosing the same for their pets.\u201d<\/p>\n Some also feel that plant-based means \u201chigher quality.\u201d Ryan Bethencourt, CEO of Wild Earth<\/a>, co-founded the plant-based dog food brand in 2017 after seeing dog food recalls.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018Why is the food system for our pets so unsafe?\u2019\u201d Bethencourt recalls. \u201cI thought, \u2018What if we replaced the meat in dog food with plant-based protein?\u2019 That set me off on a path to try to find high protein but still have plant-based food.\u201d<\/p>\n Wild Earth uses yeast, which is 40 percent protein, to ensure dogs get protein in their diet. Bethencourt also believes in his product so much he ate some of it in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n It tastes good \u2014\u00a0but are plant-based diets healthy for pups? Dr. Choczynski gave her take on the pros and cons of plant-based dog food.<\/p>\n Some vegetarians and vegans choose the diets for ethical reasons, and they want their dogs to follow suit.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to make sure that they feel morally appropriate about what they are feeding their dogs,\u201d Dr.Choczynski says.<\/p>\n Dogs, like people, also go on plant-based diets for health reasons, including liver failure.<\/p>\n \u201cOur livers are responsible for filtering out toxins,\u201d explains Dr. Choczynski. \u201cOne of the things it\u2019s responsible for filtering is ammonia.\u201d<\/p>\n But if the liver breaks down, it can\u2019t filter the ammonia. As a dog\u2019s body breaks down meat-based proteins, it produces ammonia.<\/p>\n \u201cAmmonia will float through the bloodstream\u2026and can cause hepatic encephalopathy, which can cause seizures,\u201d Dr. Choczynski says. \u201cWe will switch over to a soy-based diet\u2026with the goal of lowering their blood ammonia.\u201d<\/p>\n Anecdotally, dogs on plant-based diets may experience better joint health, more energy, and fewer skin and coat issues, according to a survey of Wild Earth customers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dogs are omnivores, meaning they typically eat meat and vegetables. Though Dr. Choczynski says it\u2019s possible to replace meat protein with a plant-based one, not all dogs\u2019 bodies will take to it. She says some dogs on plant-based diets have experienced urinary crystals.<\/p>\n Dogs on plant-based diets may also become taurine deficient, as the amino acid is usually found in animal protein. Dr. Choczynski warns taurine deficient dogs may have heart disease or failure.<\/p>\n Signs your dog isn\u2019t taking to a plant-based diet include constipation, poor coat, poor vision and weight loss. Dr. Choczynski suggests consulting with your vet before giving your dog plant-based food and if any issues arise.<\/p>\n You want to ensure your dog\u2019s food, whether it\u2019s plant-based or not, is well-balanced with all the nutrients they need to live their best lives. Dr. Choczynski advises pet parents to look for the American Feed Control Officer (AAFCO) label, which means it meets regulators\u2019 standards as a healthy dog food.<\/p>\n Featured Image: Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/strong>How to Read Dog Food Labels<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The post Are Plant-Based Diets Good for Dogs?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Are Plant-Based Diets Good for Dogs?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Plant-based diets are trending in the U.S. The U.S. News and World Report ranked the Mediterranean diet (a nutrition plan that involves eating a ton of plant-based foods) the best overall diet in 2020. And a 2018 Nielsen report revealed that nearly 40 percent of Americans are eating more plant-based food<\/a>.<\/p>\n When people start gravitating towards certain foods, they often start asking their veterinarians if they should be switching their pets\u2019 diets, too. Plant-based diets are no exception.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Should I buy plant-based food for my dog?\u2019 is a question I get regularly,\u201d <\/b>says Dr. Stacy Choczynski Johnson, DVM, a vet expert at Pumpkin Pet Insurance<\/a>. \u201cA lot of human counterparts to our pets are choosing vegetarian diets, and so they are choosing the same for their pets.\u201d<\/p>\n Some also feel that plant-based means \u201chigher quality.\u201d Ryan Bethencourt, CEO of Wild Earth<\/a>, co-founded the plant-based dog food brand in 2017 after seeing dog food recalls.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018Why is the food system for our pets so unsafe?\u2019\u201d Bethencourt recalls. \u201cI thought, \u2018What if we replaced the meat in dog food with plant-based protein?\u2019 That set me off on a path to try to find high protein but still have plant-based food.\u201d<\/p>\n Wild Earth uses yeast, which is 40 percent protein, to ensure dogs get protein in their diet. Bethencourt also believes in his product so much he ate some of it in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n It tastes good \u2014\u00a0but are plant-based diets healthy for pups? Dr. Choczynski gave her take on the pros and cons of plant-based dog food.<\/p>\n Some vegetarians and vegans choose the diets for ethical reasons, and they want their dogs to follow suit.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to make sure that they feel morally appropriate about what they are feeding their dogs,\u201d Dr.Choczynski says.<\/p>\n Dogs, like people, also go on plant-based diets for health reasons, including liver failure.<\/p>\n \u201cOur livers are responsible for filtering out toxins,\u201d explains Dr. Choczynski. \u201cOne of the things it\u2019s responsible for filtering is ammonia.\u201d<\/p>\n But if the liver breaks down, it can\u2019t filter the ammonia. As a dog\u2019s body breaks down meat-based proteins, it produces ammonia.<\/p>\n \u201cAmmonia will float through the bloodstream\u2026and can cause hepatic encephalopathy, which can cause seizures,\u201d Dr. Choczynski says. \u201cWe will switch over to a soy-based diet\u2026with the goal of lowering their blood ammonia.\u201d<\/p>\n Anecdotally, dogs on plant-based diets may experience better joint health, more energy, and fewer skin and coat issues, according to a survey of Wild Earth customers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dogs are omnivores, meaning they typically eat meat and vegetables. Though Dr. Choczynski says it\u2019s possible to replace meat protein with a plant-based one, not all dogs\u2019 bodies will take to it. She says some dogs on plant-based diets have experienced urinary crystals.<\/p>\n Dogs on plant-based diets may also become taurine deficient, as the amino acid is usually found in animal protein. Dr. Choczynski warns taurine deficient dogs may have heart disease or failure.<\/p>\n Signs your dog isn\u2019t taking to a plant-based diet include constipation, poor coat, poor vision and weight loss. Dr. Choczynski suggests consulting with your vet before giving your dog plant-based food and if any issues arise.<\/p>\n You want to ensure your dog\u2019s food, whether it\u2019s plant-based or not, is well-balanced with all the nutrients they need to live their best lives. Dr. Choczynski advises pet parents to look for the American Feed Control Officer (AAFCO) label, which means it meets regulators\u2019 standards as a healthy dog food.<\/p>\n Featured Image: Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/strong>How to Read Dog Food Labels<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The post Are Plant-Based Diets Good for Dogs?<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nAre plant-based dog foods good for dogs?<\/b><\/h3>\n
What are drawbacks of feeding dogs plant-based food?<\/b><\/h3>\n
What to look for when choosing dog food<\/b><\/h3>\n
Are plant-based dog foods good for dogs?<\/b><\/h3>\n
What are drawbacks of feeding dogs plant-based food?<\/b><\/h3>\n
What to look for when choosing dog food<\/b><\/h3>\n