“Would you make your dog go vegan?” That was the tagline of a recent segment on ITV's Good Morning Britain, where wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham appeared with his two dogs, Sid and Nancy, to discuss transitioning his pets to a plant-based diet during Veganuary.
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The discussion followed a study published by the University of Edinburgh, part of the largest analysis of dog-food carbon footprints to date, which found that dogs fed meat-rich pet food can have a higher dietary carbon footprint than their owners.
Scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Exeter analysed ingredient and nutrient labelling from almost 1,000 commercially available dog foods – including dry, wet, raw, grain-free and plant-based options – calculating emissions linked to ingredient production.
The study states that “producing enough food of the types fed in the UK for all dogs worldwide could generate greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to over half of those from burning jet fuel in commercial flights each year.”
Analysis revealed major variation in environmental impact, with the highest-impact dog foods producing up to 65 times more emissions than the lowest. Foods containing large amounts of prime meat – which could otherwise be eaten by humans – “pushes up emissions, whilst the use of nutritious carcass parts that are in low demand helps limit environmental impact,” the study notes.
The researchers suggest increased use of plant-based dog foods could further reduce emissions, though they caution that only a small number were available for testing.
Viewers of the programme also raised concerns about affordability.
One viewer wrote in to argue that feeding dogs a vegan diet was “animal cruelty.” Responding, veterinarian Dr Scott Miller said: “Well, that’s pretty extreme isn’t it? First things first, I think I want to [preface] the fact that anyone that chooses a vegan-based diet, I think is doing wonderful things for the planet, because it's a far smaller carbon footprint than it is if you are a meat eater. That said, I would agree that dogs, by nature, are omnivores, so they eat meat.”
Addressing claims about dogs’ canine teeth, Packham replied: “Well, they were there for that 33,000 years ago, but the dogs were domesticated from wolves, which are principally carnivores, but still consume vegetable matter… they are omnivores, and they are capable of digesting that. But as I go back to the point, it's not the meat or the plant-based, it's the nutrients, the proteins, and the constituents of that, which is important to them.”
When asked whether his dogs – which he calls the “centre of his universe” – were offered a choice between diets, Chris replied: “Yes.”
The study, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), is published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
John Harvey, from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said:
“As a veterinary surgeon working on environmental sustainability, I regularly see owners torn between ideals of dogs as meat-eating ‘wolves’ and their wish to reduce environmental harm.
“Our research shows just how large and variable the climate impact of dog food really is. Choosing grain-free, wet or raw foods can result in higher impacts compared to standard dry kibble. Clear labelling and using meat cuts not typically eaten by humans can help us have healthy, well-fed dogs with a smaller pawprint on the planet.”
Thinking about switching up your pets routine? Read on:
- How much should I feed my dog and which is best wet or dry? And how often? Expert answers all your dog nutrition questions
- Wolf vs dog: what's the difference between man's best friend and its wild cousin?
- These are the dog breeds most at risk of being overweight and even obese – and how you can keep them from piling on the pounds
