BREAKING NEWS: Peer Reviewed Study: Plant-Based Diets Can Be Nutritionally Adequate for Dogs!

SEPTEMBER 03, 2025

A new study from the University of Nottingham published in the journal PLOS One has conducted a full nutritional analysis of several meat-based and plant-based complete dry dog foods. 31 commercially available dog foods were studied; of these, 19 were meat-based, six were plant-based, and six were veterinary renal foods.

Veterinary-renal diets, purposely low in crude protein, often have less than optimal essential amino acid composition. These data provide important new information for owners of dogs being fed plant-based or veterinary diets.

“Our study found that plant-based diets, when properly formulated, can be a healthy and viable alternative to meat-based options,” said Rebecca Brociek of the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, who led the study.

“Ideally the next step is long-term feeding studies, but as we begin to rethink pet nutrition, perhaps the alternative isn’t only better for the planet, but also beneficial for our four-legged companions.”

“Healthy and viable alternative”

The researchers conclude that plant-based diets for dogs can provide nutritional adequacy with respect to the majority of macro- and micronutrients; the only exceptions are Iodine and B Vitamins, which can easily be supplemented. (Plaque Off dental chews provide extra Iodine AND benefit the teeth, while plant-based Vit B supplements exist without gelatine capsules as normally given out in vet practices)

(Please note that these latest studies were NOT sponsored by any pet food companies!)

Previous studies have also come to positive conclusions regarding plant-based diets for dogs. In 2023, research published in the British Journal of Nutrition found equally good health outcomes in dogs eating plant-based and meat-based diets.

Furthermore, a study published exactly a year ago (Sept 2024), found that dogs fed a plant-based diet had superior health outcomes to those fed conventional meat for all seven indicators of illness studied!

“What of the environmental impact?”

A second study also from the University of Nottingham Vet School and published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems in August 2025 has examined the environmental impact of different types of dry dog food available in the UK.

As part of the study, 31 commercially available foods were categorised as either plant-based, poultry-based, red meat-based (beef and lamb), or veterinary renal diets (many of which contain pork fat as shown below).

The results indicate that plant-based dog food diets have the lowest environmental impact across all measures, while beef dog food lamb-based foods have the highest impact. Per 1000 kcal of dry food, beef-based diets require a huge 102.15 m² of land to produce, versus just 2.73 m² for plant-based diets.

They also emit an estimated 31.47 kg of CO₂eq, compared with 2.82 kg for plant-based foods. Additionally, beef-based diets generate 7.1-fold higher acidifying emissions and 16.4-fold higher eutrophying emissions than plant-based foods!

Staggering and bold statistics that everybody needs to wake up to and really listen as we cannot continue to produce high meat-based pet foods at such a critically vulnerable time in our planetary future!