Vegetarian diet for dogs: is it possible?

Posted by himooviral on

 Meatless diet: How to feed your dog vegetarian and what you need to pay attention to urgently, you can learn here. 


With vegetarian dog food, the four-legged friend does without meat. In contrast to vegan feeding, animal products such as milk or eggs are allowed in the bowl of a vegetarian dog. Here you can read about the foods that can be used to feed your dog a vegetarian diet and what you need to keep in mind.

Can dogs be vegetarian?

It is so important that the dog can meet its daily nutritional needs even on a meat-free diet. What the dog organism needs depends mainly on the age and health of the animal. In general, however, it is possible to provide the dog with all the necessary nutrients with vegetarian or vegan food - provided that the diet is composed in a balanced way.


But the vegetarian diet of a dog is very controversial. If one decides on meatless feeding, one must consider § 2 of the animal protection law.

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The risk with vegetarian dog feeding

However, feeding a dog a vegetarian diet is a challenge: the dog gets certain nutrients predominantly from meat. These must then be supplied through vegetarian food. These primarily include:


  1. Proteins (protein)
  2. Minerals (e.g. phosphorus)
  3. B vitamins (e.g. vitamin B12)

To ensure that a vegetarian dog is also supplied with proteins, other animal products such as milk or eggs can be used. However, it is uncertain whether vegetable proteins alone are sufficient for the dog's body in the long run. Minerals can also be ensured by animal components: Cod liver oil supports the supply of vitamin D, blood meal the iron supply of the dog.

Prerequisite for vegetarian dog food

If you want to feed your dog a meatless diet, you should talk to your veterinarian before doing so. It is also important to know which vegetarian foods are incompatible or even dangerous for the dog. For growing dogs or sick animals, veterinary advice is necessary for a vegetarian diet. If the dog is fully grown, healthy, and receives all the nutrients it needs, a vegetarian dog diet is quite feasible.


In any case, ask an expert for advice before you start feeding your dog a vegetarian diet. 

Meanwhile, there is already vegetarian ready-made food for dogs, which is designed for optimal nutrition of the dog. In this way, it is easier to feed the dog meatless. However, if you have any doubts or questions, you can always consult an expert.

Suitable vegetarian foods

Before you start with meat-free feeding, you should first test in small quantities which vegetarian foods your dog particularly likes and tolerates well. For example, you can feed your dog the following fruits and vegetables:

  • Bananas
  • Pears
  • Blackberries
  • Strawberries
  • Cucumber
  • Peach
  • Chinese cabbage (raw only in small quantities)
  • Potatoes (cooked)
  • Kohlrabi (raw only in small quantities)
  • Carrots
  • Spinach (steamed and mashed)