Veganuary: A Veggie Treat Month for Your Dogs?

January is here! The time for resolutions, new beginnings, burns night and, for over 600,000 people, participation in the increasingly popular Veganuary! 

This amazing movement started in 2014 and has a mission to “drive up vegan food provision in shops and restaurants, and make veganism more visible and accessible through their work with national and international media”, with the ultimate goal of making the world a better place for animals and humans alike. 

We love the idea of a world that doesn’t rely on farming, slaughterhouses and the decimation of our natural environment for food production. And although we know simply going vegan won’t solve all of the world’s problems with food production, it would certainly be a massive step in the right direction. 

But, is going vegan an option for our pets in Veganuary too? The simple answer is no, not right now. There simply is not enough conclusive evidence or research that would allow us, in good conscience, to recommend a vegan or vegetarian diet for cats or dogs.

However, there are some super simple steps that we can all take, as pet owners, that won’t affect the health or well-being of our precious pets, but, can still help the world move towards consumption that is less damaging for the natural world and the wild animals we share it with.

Vegan Diets for Dogs and Cats

As we have spoken about before a fully vegan diet for your dog probably isn't the best plan unless you are a qualified vet or pet nutritionist. This is mostly due to the potential dangers of a fully vegan diet for dogs if you do not have the relevant experience and equipment, and the lack of thorough peer-reviewed research on the subject. That said, there have been, and continue to be, studies that have been done with people who have moved their dogs onto a vegan diet that have shown positive outcomes, so watch this space. But for us mere mortals, with the current research available, the easiest and least problematic way of reducing our dog's meat intake is to limit the number of treats and chews they are consuming that contain meat. This is harmless (and in many cases can have a positive impact on your dog's diet) as your dog will still be gaining most of its nutrition from their regular meals and, in our pretty huge experiences, dogs absolutely love vegan and vegetarian treats and chews just as much as they do the meat ones.

When it comes to cats, vegetarian and vegan diets are simply not an option due to the fact they are obligate carnivores, meaning that meat consumption is absolutely essential to survival and, sadly, we are yet to find a non-meat treat that our cats will go anywhere near!

Vegan and Vegetarian Treats and Chews for Dogs

So, whilst the jury is still out on a fully vegan or vegetarian diet for our dogs and the research is continuing, the most effective way of reducing the meat consumption of our canine companions is with a plant-based dog treat or chew. 

Many people are opting for a less intimidating way of making their diets more sustainable, such as those taking the flexitarian approach, so why not give it a go with your dogs?

At The Pets Larder we know how important it is to give you, our wonderful pet owners, as many sustainable and eco-friendly options as we possibly can. We also know that, more often than not, an animal lover is an environment lover too and we hope to enable as many dogs as we can, to make choices based on sustainability, whilst still munching on the very best there is available to them. 

Our vegetarian and vegan treat choices are tried and tested and offer a great range of tasty treats, tidbits and chewables for every type of dog, no matter its shape, size, breed or fussiness level! With choices ranging from our Superb Sweet Potato Fries for Dogs to delectable Peanut Butter Bones, Seaweed Snacks, Hemp Wellness Treats and almost everything in between, there is sure to be a vegetarian or vegan dog treat that will tempt your canine companions on our shelves.

So when it comes to Veganuary and the only non-plant-based foods you are buying are for your dogs, why not take your sustainability up a notch and try one of our delicious vegan dog chews or treats and show your delightful dogs that they can enjoy a full-flavoured, nutritious and terribly tempting treat without a morsel of meat in sight!