The Vegan Vet: Dr Lucy Claire McKinna

About Lucy

Dr Lucy Claire (LC) McKinna - Veterinary Surgeon, BVSc, MSc, MRCVS graduated from Melbourne University in 2007, and has been a small animal veterinary surgeon since then. LC founded and ran the Fat Salad vegan food stall ‘Get In, Get Fed, Stay Healthy’ at UK summer festivals from 2012 to 2017, also supplying independent health food shops in London. She has a lifetime interest in sustainability, corporate responsibility and animal welfare and has been vegan for 9 years now.

Can companion animals be vegan?

Yes dogs and cats can both be vegan. It’s very exciting actually - I remember sitting in a lecture hall many years ago as a vet student being told by a (rather old and probably well set in his ways) university lecturer that feeding dogs and cats a vegetarian diet is tantamount to animal cruelty - I imagine probably what he had in mind was bowfuls of boiled potatoes and beans, not sophisticated, nutritionally-complete recipes that tick all the boxes set by European Pet Food Standards Authority FEDIAF with compelling and delicious, natural flavours.

Our knowledge has increased so much with the dawn of the internet- from the increased visibility and inherent cruelty of the meat trade, how animal protein from different species’ body parts goes through significant rendering and into many of the meat-based pet foods, our increased knowledge about the impact of farm animal production on the environment - to the increased knowledge of animal nutrition and sophistication to use plants and yeasts to provide the same amino acids found in meat, without the need for farm animal slaughter. Armed with all this indisputable knowledge, we can’t run from the obvious - that the diets of our ever-growing number of companion animals should be held and produced to the same moral and environmental standards of our own - and we’ve never been in a better position to do it.

What companion animals thrive on a vegan diet – and what do you advise NOT to feed a vegan diet?

In a nutshell, if you can provide all the right nutrients, it is possible to feed any companion animal on a vegan diet and to have them thrive. It’s not the ingredients per se that matter, it’s the nutrients. The diet must provide the nutrients in a high quality form (i.e those nutrients can be digested and absorbed by the eater). Of course, the food has to be the right texture, consistency plus delicious AND filling in order to fulfil! We want our animals to be happy and looking forward to their meals.

When that lecturer was booming out that vegetarian diets were tantamount to animal cruelty, there were already vegetarian diets for dogs and cats on the market from companies way ahead of their time, and tens of thousands of dogs and cats have been maintained happily on them for years on years. Of course, the argument re-iterated by many is that it’s ‘not natural’ to feed plant-based food to dogs and cats but it seems we have a skewed interpretation of what natural really is. Feeding cats bluefin tuna, prawns, whitebait, salmon, sheep or cattle is far from natural - surely we should be instead opening up tins of ‘raw field mouse, small bird and rat’. Worming, defleaing, microchipping, vaccinating them, giving them dentals when their teeth start to decay and get infected and painful etc - not natural but thank god for scientific advances that we have these available to us. So it is too, we have advances with food.

With the increased interest and traction in the plantbased companion animal sector in the last few years, more studies are being carried out to evaluate plant-based diets compared with conventional companion animal diets. A recent study carried out by vet Dr Andrew Knight, Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons - showed that cats and dogs on plant-based commercial diets enjoyed their meals as much as those on meatbased diets. Another of his recent studies showed that the nutritional soundness of commercial plant-based diets was the same or superior to meat-based diets.

When adopting a dog or a cat can their diet be changed immediately or do you advise a gradual change?

Because dogs and cats are often fed on only one brand or flavour of food as the majority of their diet for months at a time, their digestive systems do tend to get used to digesting only those ones.

In order to reduce the risk of a very upset tummy when switching, you need to give their systems time to adjust. Ideally this is slowly over 10 days- starting with the new food as 10% of the total meal (90% the old food) on Day 1 and working up to 100% by Day 10. If you’re feeding dry (kibble), always think about starting the new food when you have about a quarter of the ‘old’ bag left, so you can do a 10 day transition.

When adopting an animal, trying to change diet slowly is even more important - stress of new parents (even wonderful new parents!), new environment, and exposure to your home’s existing microbiome - can upset their tummies anyway over the first few days, so introducing a new diet may well save you a trip to the vets. Ask the person or rescue centre you’re adopting from for some of the food they’ve been fed up until now, so you can do a slow transition to the new.

Puppies need different food to adult dogs... Why is this and should younger dogs wait until they are older to try a vegan diet?

Puppies can eat vegan too! Puppies are, of course, growing. No matter what size breed, all puppies have a higher requirement for specific nutrients, including but not limited to Arachidonic acid, Calcium and Phosphorus, than an adult dog. Therefore they should be fed a complete food specifically for puppies or a food that specifies it is for ‘all life stages’. Our own Noochy Poochy Puppy will be available from January 2022.

Would you advise to make your own vegan dog/cat food or should this be bought?

Prepared complete commercial foods are, of course, very convenient and have the benefits of quality control, nutritional soundness and palatability.

There is a pleasingly ever-expanding range available - so you can choose based on what each brand offers - whether you want an organic ingredient content, PETA Not-Tested-on-Animals accreditation, Vegan or Vegetarian Society accreditation, Ethical Company Accreditation, packaging recyclability etc.

Noochy Poochy has all of the above and is made with nutritional yeast, which gives a delicious, natural cheesy aroma and flavour that dogs just love, an Omega 6:3 ratio of 4:1, and a 28% protein content, all from plants.

Making a homemade nutritionally complete vegan dog food - just like making a nutritionally sound meatbased one - requires some research and dedication to ensure a careful balance of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbohydrates and fats.

You can contact a qualified veterinary nutritionist and get a tailor-made plan for your dog based on weight, age - this would be strongly recommended if they have any specific medical conditions. You can buy a vegan recipe book authored by a veterinary nutritionist. It is very important not to miss out any of the supplements that they specify in the ingredients - no matter how small an amount it might seem, missing it out may mean you could be omitting a vital nutrient.

There are also companies that provide comprehensive vegan supplements for dogs - that you can add to a basic homemade meal to fulfil requirements, which takes a lot of the worry and the work out of making homemade. one such UK one is the 'Just Be Kind Supplement' available at vegan-dogfood.co.uk.

I wouldn't recommend making homemade diets for cats - any client I've had that tried to make a nutritionally balanced homemade diet for cats - meat-based or plant-based - ended up putting it in the bin as the cats turned their noses up and trotted off unimpressed. I'm not saying it can't be done but I certainly haven't seen much success with it!

How do we know that your companion animal is thriving on their plant based diet?

Look for energy, good coat condition, consistent toiletting with well-formed (but not hard) poop and of course, that your pet looks very much forward to meal times and enjoys their meal.

What should we look out for if we have concerns it may not be working for them?

General signs to look out for would be a significant weight loss that doesn't resolve with an increased portion size, lethargy, dull coat, inconsistent toileting or an upset tummy that doesn't resolve (remembering to have done an ideally 10 day transition to the new food).

If they don't appear to be looking forward to meal times, and you're concerned that they don't like the flavour, try a different plant-based brand or flavour to see if your pet's interest is restored.

Any concerns - whether you think due to the food or not - you should consult your vet.

What benefits are there of having a vegan diet for your companion animal?

The benefits for the environment and farm animals of switching to a plant-based food for your pet is undeniable. Anecdotally, there are a huge number of improvements seen in the majority of animals switched to nutritionally complete plant-based diets - including energy, coat and skin condition, and better toileting too.

For a bit of celebrity endorsement, Bramble, the world’s oldest dog and in the Guinness Book of Records was vegan and Lewis Hamilton’s dog went vegan recently and has apparently never looked back, with a resolution of all of his long standing skin issues.

What should we look out for when choosing vegan dog food?

For feeding a healthy adult dog, I would recommend looking at the back of the pack for:

● A total protein content of 24% or more

● An omega Essential Fatty Acid 6:3 ratio of less than 10:1 (you can calculate this by dividing the Omega 6 by the Omega 3 values on the back of the pack)

● Both Taurine and Methionine (or DLmethionine) to be listed in Nutritional Additives (to show that they have been supplemented in - Taurine isn’t one of the 10 essential amino acids but it is extremely important none-the-less)

And of course, last but not least, an ingredient list you can understand.

What must we avoid giving to our companion animals?

For both dogs and cats you should avoid grapes, raisins, currants, sultanas; macadamia nuts, chocolate and cocoa based products; and those of the Allium family (onions, shallots, scallions, chives, leeks and garlic) completely.

Dogs can eat spinach occasionally but not too often - spinach contains oxalic acid that reduces the body’s ability to absorb calcium and can lead to kidney damage. Tomatoes are very acidic and too much can upset tummies. Lettuce has no real nutritional value and if given too much could cause diarrhoea.

Feed cauliflower and broccoli only in small amounts - they’re full of good things but can upset the tummy if given in large quantities. My dogs literally clamber for roasted cauliflower when I make it once a week, I keep in the fridge and give small amounts out as a treat throughout the week!

Xylitol - this artificial sweetener is poisonous to cats and dogs. Always screen the ingredients in your peanut butter or chewing gum or sweets for xylitol as an ingredient - if they do, ensure you keep them well away from your pet’s reach.

What do you suggest for anyone thinking about putting their companion animals on a vegan diet?

I would certainly encourage you to do so. Buy a compete food. For dogs, checklist the points made earlier on re: Protein, Omega 6:3 ratio, Taurine and Methionine before you buy so you can be sure you’re getting a top class one. Do a 10 day transition.

For cats on a plant-based diet, it is important to check their urine pH every 6 mths with a pH stick (these are easily available at pharmacies or from your vet). If too alkaline (more than 7) then your vet can recommend you a urinary acidifier.

Pet Products

The ProGroom range

ProGroom is a Premium Natural and Organic Vegan brand of Dog Grooming products.

Our products have been formulated by an internationally renowned aromatherapy expert, author and founder of the Institute of Aromatherapy. We pride ourselves to have crafted these unique products from scratch using only natural ingredients and no harmful chemicals.

ProGroom is a comprehensive formulation using the highest cosmetic grade active organic ingredients. Our products are enriched with a blend of 100% organic natural therapeutic grade Essential oils.

Our full range of sustainable products are officially registered with The Vegan Society!

Benevo Puppy

Vegan-owned Benevo has perhaps the largest range of plant-based pet foods of any brand, and their puppy food was a World first.

For those pet parents wishing to rescue a puppy, there was no option but to buy meat foods or risk making it yourself.

Thankfully, Benevo developed a professional solution to this dilemma. It’s made in the UK with all the added nutrients those growing pups need.

The unique wheatfree and GM-free recipe includes 28% protein, added calcium, Taurine and L-Carnitine and is now used by customers all round the World.

V-dog Crunchy Nuggets

V-dog is the oldest commercial meat-free dog food company, having launched its first product in the UK back in 1980.

Which means Crunchy Nuggets has kept dogs happy and healthy for over 40 years. V-dog’s carefully crafted combination of plant-based ingredients, fortified with vitamins and minerals has proven itself to be a winning formula.

Still made in the UK today, V-dog products are certified by both the Vegan and Vegetarian Societies and approved by PETA as a brand that doesn’t test on animals.

Pawtato Ocean Treats

Pawtato is a range of low-fat chews for dogs made using sweet potato and other plant-based ingredients to offer a nutritious and healthy alternative to animal rawhide products.

Ocean Treats are sea-themed edible chews infused with three types of land-farmed seaweed, Kelp, Wakame and Spirulina, avoiding the need for seaweed sourced from our oceans.

They come in two sizes and are packed in a plastic-free compostable pouch. As well as this Pawtato donate money from the sale of these chews to ocean conservation projects. An ethical chew that’s good for your pet and good for the planet.