The Melbourne pet owners turning their dogs vegan

Veterinarians have urged people to be cautious about forcing pets onto human diets, as many pet owners now opt to include their dogs and cats in their vegan lifestyle.

Vets have warned of the dangers of forcing pets onto human diets, with many pet owners now opting to include their dogs and cats in their vegan lifestyle.

Experts across the country have urged owners to be cautious after the Sunday Herald Sun last week revealed the burgeoning trend for doggie diets.

President of the Australian Veterinary Association Dr Paula Parker said any decision to on a pet’s done should only be done with advice from a specialist specialists.

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“For a healthy diet, a pet’s food must meet the pet’s macro and micronutrient requirements, and must provide these in the right proportions, to avoid harmful excesses or deficiencies,” she said.

Emily Coupar, 39, is a vegan and decided her two dogs Lulu and Panda would be too. Picture: David Caird

“This is difficult to impossible to achieve with Vegan diets.

“It can be very tempting to extend our diet practices to our pets. However, this can be dangerous for our pet’s as their nutritional requirements are different to ours.

“If this is something that a pet owner is thinking about, we recommend they discuss this with their veterinarian.”

Lulu the miniature dachshund is one of a growing number of Melbourne dogs whose owners have passed on their dietary habits to their pets.

Emily has been vegan for a year and made the switch for her miniature dachshunds a few months ago.

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“We used to feed them lamb legs and I just got to the point where I didn’t want them in my freezer and I couldn’t give them to them anymore,” Emily, from Prahran, said.

“I can’t ethically not eat meat myself and then buy it, because I was still contributing to that (animal) economy.”

Lulu and Panda tuck into some vegan treats. Picture: David Caird

The dogs are in as good, if not better, shape than they were before the switch, she said.

Nar Nar Goon North’s Sandy Anderson started making vegan dog food about a decade ago and has seen a sharp increase in demand.

“I started out trying to find a diet for my dog and the more I looked into it, the more I was horrified at the pet food industry and what goes into it,” she said.

“It was new ground, new territory. The trust in the business has grown.”

The owner of Vegan Pet now makes wet and dry foods, as well as treats, and shops her products internationally.

The food is made of a combination of rice, maize meal, flax, coconut oil, vitamins and amino acids.

Animal rights groups have hailed the growing trend as a win.

“Vegans living with animal companions may choose to explore feeding their furry friends vegan food for the same reasons they eat vegan themselves,” PETA spokeswoman Emily Rice said.

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