Vegetarian dog food – the difference with vegan dog food.
According to The Vegetarian Society of the UK, vegetarians (and vegans) don’t eat products or by-products of slaughter. They don’t eat any foods which have been made using processing aids from slaughter.
That means a vegetarian eats no meat or poultry, fish or seafood, insects, gelatine or animal rennet, stock or fat from animals.
The difference is that vegetarians may eat honey, eggs and dairy products.
Vegans will not eat anything that has any animal inclusion whether by inclusion as an ingredient or that an animal ingredient is used in the creation or processing of the end product.
So what then is a vegetarian dog food?
A vegetarian dog food can include eggs (yolks, whites or both), eggshells, dairy products (cheese, milk, cream, whey, rennet), honey, Vitamin D3 from lanolin (extracted from sheep wool).
Vegetarian dog foods derive their protein from eggs, whey as well as legumes, seeds, nuts, cereals, rice and tubers like potatoes. These are used alongside other fruit and vegetables to produce a food for dogs that is vegetarian.
Vitamin D is a necessity for dogs, as unlike humans who can produce Vitamin D through sunlight, they cannot produce it themselves so it must be included in their diet.
A vegetarian dog food will most often use Vitamin D3 derived from sheep wool that has been shorn from the animal.
In contrast to vegan dog food which can not include any ingredient which derives from an animal source.
This prevents a vegan food for dogs from including any dairy products, any honey (or propolis), any eggs or egg derivatives like eggshells, animal or marine collagen, and Vitamin D3 derived from lanolin.
Dog foods in the USA are permitted by AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials), the animal feed, including pet food, governing body in the USA) to use Vitamin D2 as the Vit D source in dog food. Vitamin D2 is derived from egg yolks, cheese and principally from ultra-violet light exposed mushrooms.
In the UK and EU only Vitamin D3 is permitted under law as the source of Vitamin D essential for our dog’s food. Vit D2 was allowed until a change in legislation prohibiting it as the sole source from 2019.
The reason for this change was that research shows that Vitamin D2 is not as bioavailable as Vit D3 and therefore increases the likelihood of dogs suffering Vitamin D deficiency with the consequent health issues including heart failure, muscle aches, muscle weakness, bone pain, hair loss, fatigue, poor wound healing, constipation and/or lethargy.
Although by definition a vegetarian food for dogs can use sheep wool derived Vit D3, as no animal was slaughtered during the production, vegan dog food can not as it is an animal derived product.
Vegan dog food in the UK can only use the far more expensive algae (seaweed) derived vegan Vitamin D3 as the Vit D source in their food.
A 100% plant-based dog food, Bonza qualifies as both a vegetarian dog food and vegan dog food in the UK (and globally) as all the ingredients in our recipe are derived from strictly plant-based sources.
Bonza also includes a unique blend of herbs, botanical and adaptogens, PhytoPlus®, packed full with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories formulated to deliver preventative health benefits for your dog to keep their coat softer, skin clearer, joints stronger and more mobile, heart healthier, teeth cleaner and bones and muscles stronger throughout their precious life.
Bonza is arguably one of the best vegetarian dog foods in the UK with more health supporting ingredients than any other food in the market.
Good. Better. Bonza!