DEGREE THESIS FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE – UDELAR.
PLANT-BASED DIET FOR DOGS
ABSTRACT
Vegetarianism remains, even today, a highly controversial topic, even more so if we want to implement it in a species like the dog. Because its main ancestor is the wolf, which feeds mostly on meat, we tend to consider dogs carnivores.
However, after thousands of years of domestication, the dog has evolved, both anatomically, physiologically and
behaviorally, and is capable of feeding on a much more varied diet than that of its main ancestor.
This literature review explored the nutrition of domestic dogs in order to objectively clarify the possibility of meeting all their requirements through a plant-based diet.
To achieve this objective, the nutrients required for a balanced diet in this species were presented and those nutrients at risk in a vegetarian diet were analyzed.
Both the benefits and drawbacks of this type of diet for dogs have been investigated, and no scientific reason has been found as to why a diet based on vegetables, minerals, and appropriate supplements cannot be complete, nutritious, and palatable.
New information linking conventional meat-based diets to chronic disease, environmental degradation, and the welfare of exploited animals is among the reasons why many owners are questioning the possibility of feeding their pets a vegetarian diet.
To meet this new demand, we now have a variety of commercially available plant-based rations, even in our country. Some of these have been analyzed to confirm their nutritional adequacy.