Some veterinarians are warning not to join the new vegan and insect-based pet foods trend, as dogs and cats need meat and there’s a lack of long-term effects studies..In 2021, vegan dog food sales hit an estimated $12 billion and insect-based pet food hit an estimated $7 billion across the world, according to Future Market Insights (FMI).. Dog and Cat .FMI expects a 7% increase in vegan and insect-based food over the next decade..The push behind the meat alternative pet food is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions..Currently, Canada allows insect-based pet foods, but the products cannot be sold in America because of a lack of long-term studies..America will only allow insect-based pet foods once long-term studies satisfy the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials and the Food and Drug Administration..Veterinarian Alysper Cormanes, of Veterinarians.org, warns other countries such as Canada to not switch to the meat alternative pet foods even though they are currently allowed..Cormanes said the meat alternative cat food is unsuitable as they cannot digest plants and grains daily. Plus, cats need protein, which they do not get from meat alternatives..“As much as humans would like to let their cats in on the vegan lifestyle, they are simply not made for it as their digestive systems are not equipped to digest plant fibres and grains on a daily basis, not to mention their high dietary need for protein,” said Cormanes..“They need essential amino acids, replacing [them] synthetically can be hard to do and can still lead to deficiency.”.Cormanes said dogs could eat a vegan diet as they can digest more plant-based food than cats. But dogs still need protein and vegan dogs need supplements to meet their dietary needs..“Dogs can possibly be shifted to vegan diets as they are more adapted to digest plant-based ingredients than cats are,” said Cormanes. .“They still have a high dietary need for protein. If you choose to make your dog vegan, choose the right supplements to go with it.”.Cormanes warns the long-term effect of dogs eating insect-based food is uncertain because there are few studies..“There haven't been many studies done on the long-term effects of feeding insects to dogs, more research is required into its nutrient content, digestibility, and metabolization in the body,” said Cormanes.
