Can cats and dogs be vegan?

Vegetarian pet food doesn’t contain meat but may contain other animal products such as eggs, dairy and animal-based additives.

Vegan pet food is made solely from plant-based ingredients. It may include nutritional supplements like synthetic taurine and vitamin A.

Even though vegan pet food is available, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) doesn’t currently recommend feeding dogs or cats a vegan diet.

No, cats cannot be vegan. This is because cats are obligate carnivores, which means they can only acquire certain essential nutrients such as taurine, preformed vitamin A, arginine, and arachidonic acid from animal-based ingredients. This means cats can’t be fed a vegan diet without compromising their health. “Although feline vegan diets are available on the market that contain supplements of these essential nutrients, it is not entirely clear where these supplements are derived from and whether they are effective,” explains Brian.

Because a cat’s digestive system is designed for a meat-based diet, intolerances to animal proteins in cats are rare. If you suspect your cat has a food allergy, your vet will usually carry out food trials to find out which protein they’re allergic to. They may recommend a diet containing hydrolysed protein, which means that they contain the essential nutrient in a form that doesn’t cause a reaction. If your cat is intolerant to one form of protein, another option is feeding what’s known as a novel protein diet, containing a new type of animal protein that your cat hasn’t eaten before.

Vegan pet food is relatively new to the market, so there hasn’t been a lot of scientific research to check whether it’s safe or not. That means it’s not yet possible to evaluate the long-term effect of this diet on the health of dogs and cats. This is one of the reasons vegan pet food isn’t recommended by the BVA.

Until more research has been carried out, or the BVA approves of this type of diet, it’s best to stick to traditional, meat-based pet food.

If you’ve been considering a vegan diet for your dog or cat, it’s important to consider the potential health risks. The main issue with vegan or vegetarian diets for dogs and cats is that they don’t always contain the right balance of protein, fats and nutrients to keep your dog or cat healthy.

While dogs can eat vegetarian or vegan dog food, you should always speak to your vet before transitioning your dog. Make sure you choose a commercially available brand that’s approved by UK Pet Food. Regular veterinary checks are also important to ensure your dog is healthy and weighs the right amount for their breed and exercise levels.

If a cat is fed a vegan diet, they won’t have access to some of the most important nutrients they need to remain healthy. While synthetic taurine is often added to vegan cat food, this can vary in quality, which means the food may not provide as much taurine as your cat needs. A taurine deficiency can quickly lead to blindness and heart failure. “This is why it’s essential to explore the potential pitfalls of changing your cat onto a vegan diet with your vet before doing so,” explains Brian.

If you have cat or dog insurance with Petplan, you can also use our Pet Expert Chat feature to connect with experts to discuss nutrition. Simply log in to your My Petplan account to ask how to make sure your cat or dog is fed the right diet.