A recent study from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph investigated owner-reported health and well-being of cats fed plant-based or animal-based diets. This study was conducted by Dr. Sarah Dodd, a practicing veterinarian and a PhD student specializing in plant-based nutrition for companion animals from University of Guelph. Quick Facts about the Study Self-reported data collected through an online survey 1325 responses Companion animals examined in the study - Cats and Dogs Dr. Sarah Dodd lead researcher 2 diets compared - plant-based diets vs. meat-based diets Summary of Results for Cats Lifespan of cats fed a vegan diet is about the same as of cats fed a meat-based diet the study found no statically significant differences in the life-span %...
You have probably heard of Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs – omega-3’s and omega-6’s. There is one particular omega-6 that’s critical for health of cats and dogs – Arachidonic Acid – and most plants don’t have it. Arachidonic Acid (AA for short) is an essential component of cell membranes in mammals and it plays an important role in cell signaling and inflammation, and is abundant in the brain, muscles and liver. Like other types of omega-6 fatty acids, AA also contributes to maintenance of healthy skin and coat, reproductive system, and overall energy level. Lack of AA in cats leads to, among other things, poor reproductive performances and improper blood clotting (Biourge, 2001). Cats cannot make AA, while dogs can. So...
It takes hundreds of farm Animals to feed just 1 Cat or 1 Dog over a life-time! Here are some of the reasons why we advise everyone to abandon meat-based products in favor of a well-balanced vegan diet for your Companion Animal. Reduce Animal Cruelty Worldwide annually, over 50 billion cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and other farmed animals are slaughtered for their flesh. The Humane Slaughter Act is poorly enforced and excludes poultry, which comprise over 95% of the animals slaughtered for food. Animals are often not properly stunned prior to being killed. They are routinely castrated, branded, and dehorned without anesthesia. Farmed animals are just as sensitive, intelligent, and capable of feeling pain as the dogs and cats...
Straight Up Vegan – a new online show for vegan viewers – features its first guest, Dr. Sarah Dodd. Dr. Dodd is a practicing veterinarian and a PhD student at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. She specializes in comparative nutrition of companion animals, with a strong focus on plant-based diets. This blog post consists of a series of questions and answers from this interview, on the topic of vegan pet nutrition. To introduce this topic, there are heated online conversations on the subject of vegan cats, where people offer different opinions. Overall, there is a lot of confusion on this subject, which results from the fact that many people don’t understand the science behind it. There are basically...
A recent study from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph investigated owner-reported health and well-being of cats fed plant-based or animal-based diets. Dr. Sarah Dodd, a practicing veterinarian and a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Adronie Verbrugghe, reported findings from the study at the European Society of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition Congress in Turin, Italy in September of this year. Initial results from the study show that cats fed plant-based were reported to be in “very good” health, had mostly ideal body weight, and were comparable in age to cats fed animal-based diets. Reported prevalence of disease in cats fed plant-based were comparable or lower than those in cats fed animal-based diets, and...
