With many people now adopting a vegetarian life style, there is a rise in popularity of feeding dogs vegetarian dog food. While it can and is argued by many that for people, a vegetarian diet is more healthful, and probably more like the diets of people hundreds of years ago, the same cannot be said of dogs. Dogs are omnivores, and opportunistic eaters. Wild dogs may snack on rodents, small birds and reptiles. Thus dog food of any kind is not exactly “natural” in terms of what a dog would eat in the wild.

When dogs eat dog food, the most important component is making sure that the food meets safety standards. The primary agency that addresses this in the US is the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Any pet food should be AAFCO certified in order to meet a dog’s health needs. Further, studies on dogs that are vegetarian have shown dogs to be lacking in basic nutritional needs, particularly calcium.

It may be possible to supplement vegetarian dog food with the appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements so that the dog’s diet is balanced. This should be done under supervision of a veterinarian. After switching a dog to vegetarian dog food, one should have the dog examined one to two months later to have general health evaluated.

Signs that a dog may not be tolerating vegetarian dog food well include vomiting or diarrhea, hair loss, loss of energy, or merely appearing “off-color.” One of the most common replacements to protein provided by meat in most dog foods is soy protein. Some dogs, like some people, do not tolerate soy well.

Further problems with vegetarian dog food may be encountered if the dog food contains no meat byproducts, like eggs, for example, and is completely vegan. While some dogs can do very well with vegetarian dog food, many dogs do not respond well to a completely vegan diet. It is very challenging, even with supplements, to completely meet a dog’s nutritional requirements with vegan food.

Some dogs will not respond well to vegetarian dog food, even when it does contain animal byproducts. So one should consider that one might ultimately have to feed the dog a meat-based food. If for personal reasons, this is unacceptable, one may wish to consider not taking on a dog, unless the dog has had proven success with a vegetarian dog food diet.

If one would like to switch a dog to vegetarian dog food, one should purchase only food that has been AAFCO tested and meets all nutritional standards for dogs. There are many brands that offer this certification, and one can find the most variety at feed stores, or at large pet stores. There are also books devoted to making vegetarian foods for your dog. Some of these recipes may also meet AAFCO standards.