WHY TRANSITION YOUR DOG TO PLANT-BASED?

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Will a plant-based diet help my dog that is constantly itchy and chews their paws and shakes their ears?

As a plant-based diet can be made to include none of the allergens that dogs react to in food ie NO ANIMAL PROTEIN | NO DAIRY | NO WHEAT | NO SOYA | NO CORN, then yes it is the ideal ‘truly novel protein’ diet that will have a positive effect on your pet’s health if their allergic, atopic skin condition is due to allergens in the food that seriously affect their quality of life.

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Do you worry about the health of your pet as you know your dog has put on yet more weight?

With a healthy plant-based diet, you can literally see the weight falling off and your pet’s energy returning. They breath more easily (especially all the flat-nosed breeds) and our older loved pets need less medication for crippling arthritis so we have them around for longer as happier, healthier dogs

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Is it true that dogs on a plant-based diet live longer?

Yes, if you want to have your dog with you for as long as possible and lead a healthy life, then yes, we have published papers from Sarah Dodd in the US and Prof Andrew Knight in the UK that show that dogs on a plant-based diet could live longer. Read more about the benefits of plant-based in our elderly pets.

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Are you concerned that dogs need meat and that a plant-based diet is unnatural for your pet?

We reassure you that this very real concern voiced by most dog owners is unnecessary as dogs need protein not meat. We make sure that all 10 essential amino acids (plus extra non essential ones for heart health such as like Taurine, l-Carnitine & Methionine) can be found in a healthy balanced plant-based diet where under our guidance, you have full control over what your dog is eating whether choosing dry, tinned or homemade food.

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Do you have limited time and worry that you will not be able to homecook but you still want to feed the best?

We highly advise trying Give A Dog A Bean tinned food that is completely balanced and delicious with 5 fresh vegetables visible in the tin! Another option is Fleetful Hearty Hemp & Chickpea Recipe Pack  as it offers the best of both – homecooking with a carefully balanced nutritional pack……and it is absolutely delicious!

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Are there any dangerous foods I must NOT feed my dog?

There are some foods that must NOT be fed to dogs and these are grapes, raisins, onion, leeks, macadamia nuts and dark chocolate….and that’s it!! It goes without saying that your dog should not be fed mouldy food but we know you would never feed that and ensure bins are kept tightly shut. Plant-based foods tend to be much lower in saturated fats and cause far less problems with the very painful condition pancreatitis that is seen in dogs being fed animal fats and meats.

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It cannot all be positive, what negatives are there with plant-based feeding?

The only negative that dog owners who have transitioned have mentioned, is that their dog produces a lot more poos – especially in the early days of transitioning. Expect to let them out many more times than normal, but this settles down and interestingly, there is hardly a smell from what they produce so it makes picking it up so much easier!

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What extra supplements will my dog need on a plant-based diet?

If feeding one of the good brands of plant-based foods available that we send to you, then supplementing your dog’s diet will not be necessary. If homecooking, we advise using JUST BE KIND supplement to add to the wholefood ingredients that contains all the extra essentials needed that may be lacking, and our homemade recipes with supplement are worked out to be 100% accurate for the weight and size of your dog. There is just one extra supplement that is worth giving to your dog with whatever diet you choose, and that is the purest form of Omega 3 found in Algae oil where fish get their Omegas’ from. We advise this brand that is the most cost-effective and contains pure Vit D3. (Dogs love these ‘no fishy’ capsules!)

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If my dog does not go fully plant-based will it still have an impact?

Absolutely! If you prefer to just go with meat-free Mondays instead of fully changing over to a plant-based diet, you will notice a difference in your pet’s health as you are building up their vital good bacteria through a high fibre diet. 70% of your pet’s immunity is in their gut, so even one day of plant-based will impact positively

Any dogs going plant-based, and cutting back on meat diets will have a positive impact on the environment. A small dog eating a high meat diet has the same carbon footprint as driving a 4×4 over a year!

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What if my really fussy dog does not like to eat such a different diet?

This does pose a challenge as like us, our dogs have specific tastes to familiar foods that we treat them with. There are certain plant-based foods that dogs find irresistible such as tahini paste, nutritional yeast, pure peanut butter and tofu. These can be added to licky mats or as a topping on wholefood homecooked meals.