Can dogs be vegetarian?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Yes, but it is hard to get right. WSAVA's Global Nutrition Committee says dogs can potentially get all their nutrients from a vegetarian diet, but these diets are harder to formulate and many plant nutrients are less easily absorbed. Use a complete and balanced vegetarian food or a veterinary nutritionist's recipe, and ask your vet first.
What does not work is feeding a dog the family's vegetarian meals. Home recipes are very often incomplete, and Indian cooking adds onion and garlic, which damage dogs' red blood cells. Cats are different: they are obligate carnivores and should never be fed a vegetarian diet.
Why is a vegetarian diet harder for a dog?
Dogs need specific nutrients, not specific ingredients, but plants supply some of them less well.
The Merck Veterinary Manual lists ten amino acids that are essential in a dog's diet: arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. A dog cannot make these, so the food must supply every one in the right amount. Meat, eggs and dairy supply them readily; a plant-only diet has to be designed carefully to do the same.
WSAVA's Global Nutrition Committee puts it this way: dogs can potentially receive all their required nutrients from a vegetarian diet, but the company making it should be carefully evaluated, because these diets are harder to formulate and many vegetarian-sourced nutrients are not as easily absorbed and used by dogs as those from animal sources. It asks owners to consult their vet before switching.
What do people get wrong about vegetarian dogs?
You may have read
Dogs are carnivores, so a vegetarian dog will always fall ill.
Myth
What the sources say
WSAVA says dogs can potentially get all their nutrients from a vegetarian diet. It is cats, as obligate carnivores, that cannot thrive on one. WSAVA
You may have read
If my family is healthy on dal, rice and roti, my dog will be too.
Myth
What the sources say
Dogs have different needs. In a UC Davis study of 200 home recipes for dogs, only 9 met all the essential nutrient minimums set by AAFCO, and 95% lacked at least one essential nutrient. University of California, Davis
You may have read
Any packet labelled vegetarian is safe.
Myth
What the sources say
When researchers in Brazil analysed four commercial vegan foods for dogs and cats, all had one or more nutrients below recommended levels, and all the dog foods fell short on the calcium to phosphorus ratio. PLOS ONEstudy
You may have read
A vitamin tablet will fill the gaps.
Myth
What the sources say
WSAVA warns that adding supplements on top of a complete food can be risky, because some nutrients are toxic in high amounts. Fixing an incomplete diet needs a nutritionist, not a guess. WSAVA
You may have read
Curd and milk are the easy protein.
Myth
What the sources say
ASPCA notes that pets do not have much lactase, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, so milk and other dairy can cause diarrhoea and stomach upset. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
What does the research say?
Not much, and it points in different directions. Here is where the sources disagree.
A 2022 PLOS ONE survey by Knight and others asked 2,536 dog guardians about their dogs' health. Owners of vegan-fed dogs reported fewer health disorders than owners of dogs on conventional meat diets, and the authors concluded that nutritionally sound vegan diets were the healthiest choice. But the data were reported by owners, not examined by vets, the survey was a snapshot rather than a trial, most respondents were in the UK, and the authors note that confounding factors such as age may explain some differences.
A 2020 PLOS ONE study by Zafalon and others did the opposite kind of test: it analysed the foods. Every commercial vegan food it tested had at least one nutrient below the levels set by FEDIAF and AAFCO, and some had too much zinc or copper. The authors advised against feeding them.
Read together: a well-formulated plant-based food may be adequate, but you cannot tell from the packet, and owner-reported health is weak evidence. That is why WSAVA asks owners to evaluate the maker carefully and to involve a vet.
How do I feed my dog vegetarian safely?
Pick the branch that matches your plan.
If You want a commercial vegetarian food
Choose one labelled complete and balanced for your dog's life stage, from a maker that employs a qualified nutritionist and can explain its testing. WSAVA's guide to selecting pet foods lists the questions to ask. WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee
If You want to cook at home
Use a recipe formulated for your dog by a veterinary nutritionist. WSAVA says home-cooked diets cannot be tested for adequacy and need careful vet supervision, with check-ups and blood tests about twice a year. WSAVA
If Your dog is a puppy, pregnant, nursing or ill
Talk to your vet before any change. Growing puppies, especially large breeds, need nutrients in tight ranges, and getting calcium wrong in large breed puppies causes real harm. Merck Veterinary Manual
If You only want to cut down meat
A vegetarian household can still feed a complete commercial food, or a nutritionist-designed diet with eggs, if the family is comfortable with that. Keep treats, including roti or fruit, under about 10% of daily calories. WSAVA
If You have a cat as well
Do not share the plan. WSAVA says cats cannot thrive on vegetarian diets and these should not be fed to cats. WSAVA
Which Indian vegetarian foods can harm a dog?
Many dishes on an Indian vegetarian table are unsafe for dogs because of how they are cooked.
If Onion, garlic and chives in dal, sabzi, curry and chutney
Keep them out of your dog's food entirely. ASPCA says Allium vegetables cause stomach irritation and red blood cell damage that can lead to anaemia. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
If Grapes and raisins, in halwa, kheer and mithai
Never feed them. ASPCA links grapes and raisins to kidney damage in dogs. If your dog eats some, call your vet now. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
If Salty snacks such as namkeen, papad and pickles
Do not share them. ASPCA says too much salt can cause thirst, vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors and seizures. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
If Sugar-free sweets and some peanut butters containing xylitol
Read labels. ASPCA says xylitol can cause low blood sugar and liver damage in dogs. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
If Milk, kheer and large amounts of dairy
Dairy can cause diarrhoea because pets lack enough lactase. Ask your vet before using it as a protein source. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
What should I watch for after switching?
Switch slowly. WSAVA advises moving to a new food gradually over at least three days in a healthy dog, and longer in a dog with illness, because sudden changes can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.
Then keep checking your dog's body condition. WSAVA scores body condition on a 9-point scale, with 4 to 5 ideal. Weight loss, a dull coat, low energy or loose stools are reasons to see your vet, who may suggest blood tests. Petym's guide to Indian foods dogs can eat, and the dog food calculator, help you plan meals and treats around a complete diet.
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Questions owners ask
Can dogs survive on a vegetarian diet?
- Yes, if the diet is complete and balanced. WSAVA's Global Nutrition Committee says dogs can potentially get all the nutrients they need from a vegetarian diet, but such diets are harder to formulate. Use a carefully evaluated commercial food or a veterinary nutritionist's recipe, and talk to your vet first.
Is dal and rice enough for a dog?
- No, not as a whole diet. Home recipes are rarely complete: in a UC Davis study of 200 dog recipes, 95% lacked at least one essential nutrient. Family dal is also usually cooked with onion and garlic, which ASPCA says damage dogs' red blood cells. Plain dal or rice can be an occasional treat.
Can I give my dog curd or paneer instead of meat?
- Small amounts may suit some dogs, but they do not make a diet complete. ASPCA notes that pets lack much lactase, so dairy can cause diarrhoea. If you want dairy or eggs as part of a vegetarian diet, ask a veterinary nutritionist to build the recipe around them.
Are eggs vegetarian enough for my dog?
- That is a family choice. Eggs supply animal protein, which makes a diet easier to balance, but they still need to sit inside a complete recipe. ASPCA warns against raw or undercooked eggs, so cook them. Ask your vet or a veterinary nutritionist how eggs fit.
Can cats be vegetarian too?
- No. WSAVA says cats are obligate carnivores, cannot thrive on vegetarian diets, and should not be fed them. A vegetarian household with a cat should feed the cat a complete and balanced cat food and keep the dog's vegetarian food out of its reach.
Should I add vitamins to my dog's vegetarian food?
- Not on your own. WSAVA says complete commercial foods already contain the vitamins and minerals a dog needs, and adding more can be risky because some nutrients are toxic in high amounts. If a home diet is missing something, a veterinary nutritionist should fix the recipe.
Keep reading
- Indian foods dogs can eatWhat from your kitchen is safe as a treat.
- Foods toxic to dogs
- Can my dog eat this?
- Home-cooked dog food
- Foods toxic to cats
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- WSAVA: Frequently asked questions and myths (Global Nutrition Committee) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional requirements of small animals (full review November 2023, updated September 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- University of California, Davis: Homemade dog food recipes can be risky business, study finds (15 July 2013) (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: People foods to avoid feeding your pets (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Guidelines on selecting pet foods (updated 10 March 2021) (opens in a new tab)
- PLOS ONE: Vegan versus meat-based dog food: guardian-reported indicators of health, Knight and others, 2022 (opens in a new tab)
- PLOS ONE: Nutritional inadequacies in commercial vegan foods for dogs and cats, Zafalon and others, 2020 (opens in a new tab)