Is Your Dog’s Dinner Wrecking the Planet? New Study Says Yes

New research suggests that feeding your dog a plant-based diet could be the most sustainable choice for the planet. A study from the University of Nottingham analyzed the environmental impact of 31 different dry dog foods, measuring factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, land use, soil and water pollution, and freshwater consumption.

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The results? Plant-based diets had the lowest overall footprint. Poultry-based and veterinary-renal diets fell in the middle, while red meat-based diets had the largest environmental impact by far. 

In fact, the researchers found that over the course of nine years, feeding a 44-pound dog a beef-based diet would use the equivalent of 57 football fields of land, compared with just 1.4 football fields for a plant-based diet.

“Our findings show that there is a much greater environmental impact when producing meat-based pet food,” said lead author Rebecca Brociek of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science.

The study adds to a growing body of research linking pet diets to planetary health. In 2022, for example, another study found that meat-based wet food in a pouch or can is responsible for seven times the emissions of dry foods.

Is a plant-based diet healthy for dogs?

It might be better for the planet, but is a plant-based diet actually good for a dog’s health? In short: the research says yes.

Just last month, Brociek’s team released separate findings on the nutritional quality of different dog diets, again analyzing 31 products available in the UK. The researchers found that plant-based dog food provided similar nutrition to meat-based food. When properly formulated, a plant-based diet can be a healthy option for most dogs. This is because, like humans, dogs require specific nutrients, not meat itself.

“Our study found that plant-based diets, when properly formulated, can be a healthy and viable alternative to meat-based options,” said Brociek. “Ideally, the next step is long-term feeding studies, but as we begin to rethink pet nutrition, perhaps the alternative isn’t only better for the planet, but also beneficial for our four-legged companions.”

Brociek’s view is shared by many, including the team behind vegan pet food brand Wild Earth.

“Even though domestic dogs are members of the order Carnivora, they are technically omnivores,” Tiffany Ruiz Dasilva, VMD, and Professional Services Veterinarian at Wild Earth, previously told VegNews.

“What’s important is that the food is nutritionally complete,” she added. “The ingredients should be digestible and bioavailable, and the food needs to be nutritionally complete and balanced.”