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The answer is yes.

Dogs can be fed a 100% plant-based diet without any inconvenience to their health, since they are omnivores. Furthermore, this type of diet is optimal for disease prevention and ideal for allergic, digestive, cardiac, and/or dermatological ailments. We can understand that dogs are omnivores if we analyze the feeding behavior of their ancestors, the wolves: for wolves, their natural prey are large ungulates. Their favorite parts are the viscera, where they find plant matter that is already partially digested, thus becoming a normal part of their regular diet, with a significant amount of vegetables. In addition, they also feed directly on fruits, berries, and mushrooms. Choosing a 100% plant-based diet for the dogs we live with, besides being a completely healthy option, is an ethical choice, since meat-based pet foods are made with animals that are not fit for human consumption—meaning those that are sick, disabled, dying, or already dead. Furthermore, they contain medicinal substances that are injected into them on farms.

For cats, the food must be completely thorough and balanced, and it must contain substances as vital for their body as Vitamin A, Taurine, and Vitamin B12. Normally, those who decide to opt for a plant-based diet for cats do so out of ethics, since meat-based pet foods are made with the bodies of other animals, so feeding them this way saves many lives. Another reason that leads to choosing this type of diet is health, since meat-based pet foods are made from dead, dying, sick, or disabled animals considered "unfit for human consumption," in addition to containing medicinal substances injected into the animals on farms. People are surprised that a cat, carnivore by nature, can be fed with 100% plant-based food, but they are not surprised that meat-based pet foods are made of lamb, beef, veal... A cat would never hunt any of the animals that come packaged in meat-based pet foods; its nature would be to hunt small animals like birds, rats, even insects... and those types of pet food do not exist.

Advice: Whatever the diet of the animals we live with, it is recommended to perform an annual check-up and blood test.

More info on the Blog:
• What is veganism and why are cats not vegan?
• Vegan cats

According to the WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association), the amount of taurine that a dry food should contain is 1000mg/kg of food, or 2500mg/kg in the case of canned wet food. VeggieAnimals contains 1500mg/kg, broadly covering the recommendation.

Furthermore, you can rest completely assured; if we calculate it per individual in adult cats, the recommended daily amount of taurine is 9.9 mg / kg of cat. For example, a 5-kilogram cat would need about 50 mg of taurine and should consume around 70g of VeggieAnimals, which contains 100mg—meaning it would consume double the recommended amount, as the minimum amount would be 40g.

If you still decide to supplement, there is no problem, since taurine is water-soluble and any excess is eliminated through urine.

We receive quite a few queries related to your companions' stools, as it usually surprises you that they are smaller, more compact, and even that the number of bowel movements is reduced.

We have the answer! If the number of bowel movements has decreased, their consistency has increased, or they are smaller since your companion has been consuming VeggieAnimals, it is because they are utilizing the nutrients better.

Stools are the "leftovers" of the food. If the food they consume is of poor quality, you will have to give them larger amounts so they can utilize a small portion, and the waste will be greater. However, if you provide a quality food, its utilization will be high and the stools smaller.

An increase or reduction in stools, both in quantity and frequency, can be a cause for concern. Therefore, if you are not sure about what is happening with your companion, write to us or consult your veterinarian so we can guide you.

More info on the Blog:
• Veggiepoops

The presence of vomiting is never normal, nor is it something we can ignore.

It is true that at certain times of the year (spring and autumn), dogs and cats may experience some vomiting. In the case of cats, it is related to shedding and self-grooming, expelling those hairballs through vomit. In the case of dogs, it is due to eating grass, which results in vomiting almost immediately after consumption.

Both cases should be avoided. In cats, you can supplement with malt, and in dogs, we must prevent this behavior. Even if the vomiting is not the consequence of a disease, allowing it to become chronic by letting the dog vomit on every walk—or in cats, by not brushing them or administering products to help the hair move through their digestive system—can lead to irritation of their digestive tract resulting in gastritis. This will worsen the problem, and vomiting, loss of appetite, and other more complex digestive issues will begin to appear.

If the vomiting occurs due to a sudden change in diet, we must return to the previous food as quickly as possible. If the vomiting disappears after a week, we will start the gradual transition to VeggieAnimals—over one week for dogs and over 5 weeks for cats.

If the vomiting does not subside upon returning to their previous food (if it appeared during the transition), or if it has appeared spontaneously, a veterinarian must examine our companion to determine the proper diet and the necessary tests to be performed. Only a veterinarian should prescribe treatment in the event of digestive problems.