Peanut Ernie

Yes, dogs can be fed a vegetarian diet. Whether it's dry food, wet food, or home-cooked food, there are many reliable and safe ways to feed your dog a vegetarian diet. As with any other form of feeding, you should ensure that the dog food contains all the necessary nutrients in the right amounts.

Yes, just like a vegetarian diet, a carefully planned vegan diet can provide your dog with all the nutrients it needs. It's important that the diet contains all the nutrients needed. Choosing the right protein source, such as soy, lentils, or legumes, is important. These can then be combined with carbohydrates, vegetables, oils, and a suitable mineral supplement to create a diet tailored to your dog's needs. Vegan dry foods can also meet these needs.

Anyone who studies dog nutrition will notice that some people almost fanatically defend their own way of feeding and don't allow for any alternatives. In our view, this is nonsense. Let us be clear: there is no single, correct way to feed your dog. Dogs are different, and owners' nutritional needs also vary greatly. Someone who travels a lot in a camper van needs a small pack size, while others with a dog that's always hungry might need more volume. The important thing is that every meal contains all the nutrients your dog needs.

For those undecided, our online course provides a solid foundation to help you decide on the right feeding method. In the course, we'll also present all the options, along with their advantages and disadvantages, so you can figure out which path is right for you. This allows your personal preferences to influence this decision.

Health risks, such as nutrient deficiencies, always arise when feeding a dog insufficiently. In her practice, Katharina sees deficiencies every day, regardless of the feeding method. There is good dry food, but also food that does not contain everything in sufficient quantities. The same can happen with vegetarian or vegan diets. The research on vegetarian diets is very good, and it has long been known that this can be fed without risk if the ration is balanced. The research on vegan feeding in dogs is still in its infancy. There are now the first 12-month studies that have found no adverse effects on dogs fed a vegan diet. Vegan and vegetarian feeding is more complex than other feeding methods because issues such as amino acid levels must be taken into account. Our online course in particular is designed to impart this knowledge to you so that you know how to implement a vegan/vegetarian diet without risk.

Adequate protein intake is important for the health of dogs. Vegan or vegetarian sources of protein for dogs can include soy, legumes, dairy products, or eggs. With vegetarian feeding, the protein content of the overall diet is of course important, but even more important is that the diet contains sufficient amino acids (the building blocks of protein). The amino acid composition of soy and legumes in particular differs from that of animal proteins. To minimize the risk of nutritional deficiencies, we have added amino acids to our mineral feed. This ensures that nutritional deficiencies do not occur.

Vegan dog food has a significantly lower environmental impact and offers animal-friendly nutrition. It can also be a good alternative for dogs with certain allergies or sensitivities.

There's no general answer to this question, as it depends on your dog and your situation. Both home-cooked food and ready-made dog food can be tailored to your dog's needs or poorly formulated. The key is whether your dog is getting all the nutrients it needs. The good news is, you don't have to choose one method; you can combine and vary both feeding methods.