Florence J Martin

Guide to Plant Based Diet For Dogs Florence J Martin

Vegan meats such as the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger have disrupted the meat industry, eveninfiltrating fast food chains such as KFC and Burger King. Vegan restaurants are gaining popularity and Americans are spending billions on dairy-free milks and plant-based products. And now, some people are extending their plant-based lifestyle to their dogs by feeding them a vegan diet. Pet diets tend to reflect the choices of their human counterparts, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association."Interest in, and availability of, plant-based diets, are growing in popularity in the North American pet food market," the AVMA notes in a study. Even major pet food companies such as Purina, Pedigree, Natural Balance and PetGuard have entered the vegetarian and vegan realm by offering plant-based options. They use protein from ingredients such as brown rice, barley, peas, spinach and potatoes. James Scott, a vegan who founded the Texas Veggie Fair, started feeding his Chihuahua mix, Betsy, a plant-based diet when he first found her roaming the streets as a puppy. Scott's girlfriend, Joy Lindsay, also gives her schnauzer mix, Ami, vegan dog food and has been doing so for the past three years. Ami is currently 9 years old and Betsy is 6. Though there is some debate on whether dogs are omnivores (eating both meat and plants) or carnivores (only meat), many veterinarians and pet food companies consider them omnivores.