Some concerns:
- The study had a small sample size, 15 dogs for 1 year.
- The study only looked at adult dogs.
- The study was funded by Plant-Based Dog Food Health Study Initiative in Los Angeles, California, which is NOT A REGISTERED ENTITY IN CALIFORNIA, raising major red flags.
- The study did not perform echocardiograms on the dogs during this study, so there is not a full picture of the dog’s health.
As vegans who actually care about the science, thank you. We do need more studies about this, especially non biased ones that give us as much information as possible.
We do understand the push some vegans have towards wanting species who have traditionally needed meat to survive and thrive towards veganism for those species. However, we do also care about those species that need certain nutrients too.
We hope that the scientific evidence supports them being able to survive and thrive on vegan diets but it isn’t there yet. Anyone or anymany who says otherwise, as much as we understand really needs to calm down and wait, be patient and do their best to not harm those species in the mean time.
Ahh the non-vegans brigading and cosplaying as scientists with their guilt-assuaging gotchas! Consider submitting your resume to PLOS ONE’s editorial department on account of your veterinary science expertise and acumen. No study is definitive. Science is incremental.
Feel free to check my post history, I have posted nothing but positive things about veganism. If a definitive study released showing that a vegan diet would allow my dog to live a longer and healthier life, then I would switch today. We’re simply not there yet.
