Unconventional diets for dogs and cats

spotlight topic:

7. Comparing diets

Published 15 August 2022 | Updated 4 November 2024

There is currently little research comparing the effect of different types of diet on pet health, as with the exception of microbiological contamination or acute nutritional deficiency these studies need large sample sizes and long-term data collection. However, there are a number of research papers comparing owner perception of their pet health based on type of diet fed, although it is important to be aware of potential selection and reporting bias in these studies.

Knight, A., Bauer, A., Brown, H.J. (2024) Vegan versus meat-based dog food: Guardian-reported health outcomes in 2.536 dogs, after controlling for canine demographic factors. Heliyon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35578
Barrett-Jolley, R. and German A.J. (2024) Variables associated with owner perceptions of the health of their dog: Further analysis of data from a large international survey. PLoS ONE, 19 (5), e0280173. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280173
German A.J. and Barrett-Jolley, R. (2024) So, are vegan foods really healthier for dogs. BSAVA Companion, 2024 (9) pp. 20-24.
https://doi.org/10.22233/20412495.0924.20
Hiney, K. et al. (2024) Fecal microbiota composition, serum metabolomics, and markers of inflammation in dogs fed a raw meat-based diet compared to those on a kibble diet. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1328513
Knight, A., Bauer, A. and Brown. H. (2023) Vegan versus meat-based cat food: Guardian-reported health outcomes in 1,369 cats, after controlling for feline demographic factors. PLoS ONE, 18 (9), e0284132. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284132
Knight, A. (2023) The relative benefits for environmental sustainability of vegan diets for dogs, cats and people. PLoS ONE, 18 (10), p. e0291791. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291791
Choi, B., Kim, S. and Jang, G. (2023) Nutritional evaluation of new alternative types of dog foods including raw and cooked homemade-style diets. Journal of Veterinary Science, 24 (5) p. e63.
https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.23037
Trewin, I. and Kathrani, A. (2023) Pre‐illness dietary risk factors in dogs with chronic enteropathy. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16872
Karp, S.I. et al. (2023) Comparison of echocardiography, biomarkers and taurine concentrations in cats eating high- or low-pulse diets. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 25 (2). https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X231154859
Fischer, K.E., Rush, J.E. and Freeman, L.M. (2023) Pit bull–type breeds with dilated cardiomyopathy eating nontraditional diets improve after diet change (2015–2022). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.01.0025
Jaffey, J.A. et al. (2022) Effects of a whole food diet on immune function and inflammatory phenotype in healthy dogs: A randomized, open-labeled, cross-over clinical trial. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 898056. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.898056
Kratzer, G.R et al. (2022) Home-cooked diets cost more than commercially prepared dry kibble diets for dogs with chronic enteropathies. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.07.0284
Owens, E.J. et al. (2022) Comparison of echocardiographic measurements and cardiac biomarkers in healthy dogs eating nontraditional or traditional diets. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16606

Unconventional diets for dogs and cats – Comparing diets