LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / A new scientific review has found that nutritionally sound vegan dog food, vegan cat food and vegetarian pet diets are generally well digested and broadly comparable to conventional meat-based diets. The review, published in the journal Animals, examined 31 existing studies assessing the digestibility of vegan, vegetarian and plant-based pet diets and ingredients in dogs and cats.
Twenty-two studies focused on dogs, two on cats and seven included both species. The review found that across a wide range of study designs, dietary ingredients and digestibility measures, vegan and vegetarian diets consistently showed high digestibility and were not normally significantly less digestible than conventional meat-based diets. Digestibility is an important factor because it indicates how effectively animals can absorb and utilise nutrients from food. While modern commercial plant-based pet foods are generally formulated to provide all essential nutrients, poor digestibility could still reduce nutrient absorption.
Author Andrew Knight, an Adjunct Professor at Murdoch University veterinary school in Australia, said the findings challenge a common perception that dogs and cats cannot effectively digest plant-based proteins.
“Current evidence indicates that nutritionally sound vegan and vegetarian pet diets, and their main protein sources, are generally well digested by dogs and cats,” Professor Knight said.
The studies included in the review examined a wide range of ingredients used in vegan and plant-based pet food, including wheat gluten, rice protein, soy-derived ingredients, peas, lentils, chickpeas, potato protein, quinoa and proteins produced through microbial fermentation.
Some studies also assessed commercially available vegan dog foods containing ingredients such as peas, barley, oats, sunflower oil and lentils. The review found that digestibility remained high overall even in studies where limited plant-based nutrients were less digestible than animal-derived ingredients. The global vegan and plant-based pet food market was worth USD 26.9 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow by 7.8% annually. This growth is being driven by increasing interest in pet health, environmental sustainability and farmed animal welfare. However, uncertainty about whether dogs and cats can effectively digest and utilise plant-based proteins remains a barrier for some pet owners.
Professor Knight said the findings should reassure owners considering nutritionally sound vegan diets for their pets.
“These findings support the use of carefully formulated vegan and vegetarian diets and challenge the notion that such diets are less digestible than conventional meat-based diets.
“I recommend pet carers check product labels. There should be a clear statement that the diet is nutritionally complete. It should come from a good pet food company that can provide information about the steps taken to ensure nutritional soundness, such as working with veterinary nutritional specialists.”
The review also identified important gaps in the evidence. Most studies to date have involved dogs, with relatively few focusing on cats. Many have also focused on pets in real world conditions rather than confined with laboratory environments.
Study: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/16/10/1454.
