Vegetarian dog food: what if your dog has a meat allergy?

Most dog food contains meat, but what if you find out that your dog has trouble processing animal-based proteins? Or if you prefer not to feed your dog meat for other reasons? One potential solution is vegetarian dog food. Here are our tips.

Meat allergy in dogs

Dogs can be allergic to chicken, lamb or beef. Dogs can develop an allergic response to the animal-based proteins contained in the meat. This may cause your dog to be allergic to all types of meat, but not necessarily so. A few ways to recognise a meat allergy in a dog:

• Diarrhoea or throwing up after eating dog food with meat or animal-based proteins.
• Itching and/or inflammations; these dogs often suffer from itching around their ears and neck.

You can find out whether your dog suffers from an animal-based protein allergy or intolerance by applying an elimination diet. This involves eliminated potential allergens one by one. Consult your vet for recommendations. The most common food allergy in dogs is oversensitivity to beef. In that case, simply opt for chicken-based food instead. However, your pet may be allergic to all animal-based proteins. Such a meat allergy is particularly annoying for your dog and it is very important that you switch to dog food that does not contain any animal-based proteins, such as fish-based or vegetarian dog food.

Vegetarian dog food

Vegetarian dog food, such as Yarrah Vegatarian dog food, does not contain any animal-based proteins or other animal-based ingredients. Yarrah has been offering various options for vegetarian and vegan dog food since 1995. This food was developed with great attention to detail and contains everything your dog needs for a healthy diet. The food is available as wet food and kibble and its main source of protein is soy. Dogs can easily absorb this type of protein and convert it into energy.

All of Yarrah’s food is organic. We are happy to tell you more, so make sure to read all about ‘the meaning of organic’ and the ‘benefits of organic food for your pet’.

Vegetarian diet in dogs

Sometimes people have their own reasons for keeping their dog on a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian or vegan diets for dogs due to non-medical reasons have been the subject of debate for years. There are pros and cons. Yarrah offers its vegetarian dog food primarily for dogs that have difficulty processing animal-based proteins. But this food may also provide a solution for those who prefer to keep their dogs on a vegetarian diet or want to alternate between meat and meat-free (flexitarian). It is recommended to opt for a complete product such as Yarrah Vega, because it was composed carefully and contains all the nutrients your dog needs. It is very difficult to compose a meal that meets this requirement by yourself.

Can you put cats on a meat-free diet? Read all about it in the article why cats need meat.