1. It’s healthy – research has shown a decrease in incidences of cancer and infections when dogs are fed a plant-based diet, as well as arthritis and diabetes regression, cataract improvement, healthier teeth and gums, reduced eye discharge and other health benefits when dogs are fed nutritionally complete vegan dog food.
2. Variety in your dog’s diet – a wide range of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes provide a diverse array of nutrients and flavours for your dog’s enjoyment. Obesity in dogs is rising due to high meat diets; since HOWND Superfood is lower in fat than meat, you can help regulate your dog’s weight.
3. It’s nutritionally sound – dogs don’t need meat to stay healthy. For centuries they’ve been man’s best friend, living on a varied mix of leftovers. They do require two amino acids, L-carnitine and taurine, which HOWND Superfood contains. And since dogs are biologically omnivorous, they can happily eat a flexitarian or nutritionally complete plant-based diet.
4. Less chance of allergens – studies have shown that many allergies in dogs are caused by a reaction to animal protein in pet food. If your dog is allergic to chicken, lamb, pork or fish, try feeding alternative protein such as Hownd Hypoallergenic Superfood.
5. It’s safe – if you feed your dog a plant-based diet you know what they’re getting, whereas there’s been a history of toxins and harmful ingredients creeping into commercial meat-based pet foods because of poor quality control. Mass-produced dog foods tend to be mostly meat scraps and many are made from animals that are unwell.
Commercial plant based dog food can also be safer than home made since it contains the right amount of nutrients required for your dog. You may not see the side effects from feeding incomplete home cooked food at first, so it’s vital to research and enable your dog to get the proper nutrition, sometimes commercial canned or dry food is a simpler option.
6. It’s better for the environment – feeding your dog plant-based is a great way of being more sustainable. Did you know that a quarter of the environmental impact of meat production comes from the pet-food industry? The loss of natural habitats to factory farming provides a major threat to the existence of wildlife, according to a University of Oxford study, whilst research by the University of Edinburgh shows that an area twice the size of the UK is used to produce dry pet food each year.
7. It lessens your eco paw print – Since 30% of intensively farmed animals are destined for our pets’ food bowls, making the switch could lessen your impact. Transitioning a 30KG dog from a raw meat diet to a plant-based diet could save 2,200 gallons of water, approximately sixty square feet of rainforest, around ninety pounds of grain, and the lives of two farm animals…every day, say the authors of ‘The Clean Pet Food Revolution’.
8. Your dog could live longer – studies have shown that dogs fed a nutritionally complete vegan diet can live up to 1.5 years more than those on a meat based diet. Bramble, a dog fed a well-balanced vegan diet, lived up to the age of 25. Proper nutrition is a key factor in promoting longevity and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
9. Your dog’s poops will be less smelly – the scientific reason behind it is that meat based protein begins to stagnate since it stays longer in a dogs digestive system, creating a stinkier smell. Since plant based fibre is digested more efficiently you can smell the difference in the poops. We know which one we’d rather catch a whiff of!
10. Align with your personal values – Ultimately, the decision to switch your dog to a plant-based diet is a personal choice. If you align with the principles and benefits of plant-based nutrition, it can be a viable and fulfilling option for your furry friend.
THE HOWND PROMISE
HOWND create products that help keep dogs happy and healthy for life, while encouraging others to live a planet-kind, cruelty-free lifestyle. We believe the world would be a better place if more people embraced the power of plants. Our products are kind to our precious planet and the animals that inhabit it.
That’s why dogs and their humans love HOWND.
We are convinced that dogs can thrive without compromising the welfare of other animals. Since day one, HOWND pet care has been certified by Cruelty-Free International and is accredited by The Vegetarian (Vegan) Society, PETA Cruelty-Free and The Ethical Company Organisation.
