Do Dogs Really Need Meat? This Study – and the Industry Behind the Bowl – Might Change How You Think
There’s this idea that keeps coming up when talking about dogs and food: They need meat. It’s something most people repeat without question. It sounds logical. It feels natural. But now there’s research showing that it might not actually be true – and once you look into how the pet food industry really works, it’s hard not to stop and think.
A Closer Look at the Study
In a study published in April 2024 in the journal PLOS ONE, two researchers – Dr. Tonatiuh Melgarejo and Dr. Annika Linde – followed 15 dogs over a full year. These weren’t lab animals. They were healthy adult dogs who were switched to a plant-based kibble made by V-Dog. The food met all the official nutritional standards. The goal? To see if dogs would stay healthy on a diet with zero animal ingredients.
They didn’t just take a quick look. The dogs were monitored at the start, halfway through, and at the end of the year. Blood work, heart values, vitamin levels, weight – everything was tracked.
And the results? Not much changed. Which is exactly the point.
Dogs stayed healthy.
No signs of nutritional deficiencies.
Some lost weight in a good way.
Vitamin D levels, which were low in some at the start, actually normalized without any extra supplements.
In other words: no meat, no problem.
What’s Actually in Pet Food?
If dogs can stay healthy without meat, then the next question is: What are we actually feeding them when we do use meat?
According to an article by Vegan FTA, the pet food industry is a huge, hidden engine of animal suffering. Here are a few things most people don’t realize:
The industry helps fuel the killing of billions of animals every year.
About 27 million pounds of condemned animal parts – meat that’s rejected for human use – get turned into pet food every three months.
This includes factory farm waste, diseased animals, and meat from facilities with extremely low welfare standards.
And let’s not forget the environmental impact: deforestation, overfishing, carbon emissions – all part of the deal.
A lot of pet food isn’t just using what’s left over from human consumption. It’s creating its own demand. And often with ingredients we’d never accept in our own food.
So What’s the Takeaway?
This isn’t about telling people what to feed their dog. Everyone’s situation is different. Some dogs have allergies. Some have medical issues. And switching diets should always be done carefully and with proper information.
But it is about stopping for a second and asking: If dogs can be healthy without meat – and we can avoid contributing to an industry that’s built on killing and waste – then why not look into it?
It’s not about perfection. It’s about making informed choices. This study gave the green light that many people were waiting for. Now it’s up to each of us to decide what that means.
Sources:
Melgarejo T.A., Linde A. (2024). Domestic dogs maintain clinical, nutritional, and hematological health outcomes when fed a commercial plant-based diet for a year. PLOS ONE.
Vegan FTA (2025). The Hidden Cruelty of the Pet Food Industry – And Why Dogs Don’t Need Meat.