Looking for the best vegan dog food brands? You’re in the right place. We’re vegan dog owners too!
In this guide, expect to find…
- A list of the best and most popular vegan dog food.
- A bit about my personal experience with owning a vegan dog for the past four years.
- The research & science behind vegan dog food.
Let’s begin!
Don’t have time to read? Here’s a quick summary of the products we recommend.
| Product Name | Grade |
| Purina Hypoallergenic Hydrolyzed | A |
| V-Dog | A |
| Natural Balance | A+ |
| Nature’s Recipe | A+ |
| Halo Pets Vegan Dog Food | A+ |
| Benevo (UK Brand) | A |
Best Vegan Dog Food Brands
Please note: The vegan dog food that I give to my dog is first on the list because it worked best for her after multiple diet switches (including meat-based food, which she never did well). As with any dietary change with a pet (vegan or not) – I highly recommend doing it under veterinary supervision.
1. Purina Hypoallergenic Hydrolyzed
If you’ve ever been to a pet store, the odds are that you’ve seen Purina dog and cat food. They pretty much manufacture pet food for every different diet you can think of.
Their vegan dog food is made from Hydrolyzed soy protein, making it highly digestible and easier to absorb. Hydrolyzed simply means that the protein in the food has been further broken down.
Because our dog has had digestion issues since puppy-hood, this is the food that she’s currently eating and doing extremely well on. And yes, we’ve tried her on several different foods, both veg, and non-veg.
The simple ingredients of this vegan dog food are designed to reduce the chance that food-sensitive pups will have a negative reaction.
Guaranteed Analysis of Purina Hypoallergenic
- Crude Protein Min: 18%
- Crude Fat Min: 8%
- Crude Fiber Max: 4%
- Moisture Max: 10%
2. V-Dog
V-Dog is perhaps the most popular independent vegan dog food brand (see V-Dog Reviews). It’s loved by thousands of dog owners and supported by vets.
The most dog seems to like the flavor and do very well on V-dog. Many people who aren’t even concerned with ethics still feed their companions V-dog for allergies and food sensitivities.
The main components of the food are peas, brown rice, and oats.
From personal experience, I’ve found that the kibbles were a bit big for my small dog.
Now, they make a smaller size, but the cost per pound was slightly higher.
Additionally, since my dog has a very sensitive stomach (since we got her and before being vegan), we eventually switched from this to vegan dog food (listed above) with hydrolyzed soy protein which she tolerates much better.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein Min: 24 %
- Crude Fat Min: 9%
- Crude Fiber Max:5%
- Moisture Max: 10%
3. Natural Balance
Natural Balance is a bigger pet food brand but also makes an entire line of vegetarian or vegan dog food. They make kibble, dried food, and dental chews (some also plant-based!).
Read Also: Best Vegan Dog Chews
Their dry food has a base of oats, potatoes, barley, brown rice, and peas.
The Natural Balance wet food has very similar base ingredients with water added for texture and processing.
Dry kibble and wet food are extremely popular among dog owners (both vegan for ethical reasons and food sensitivity reasons). Anecdotal reports say their dogs have better breath, shiny coats, and less gas.
Guaranteed Analysis (Dry)
- Crude Protein Min:18%
- Crude Fat Min:8%
- Crude Fiber Max:4%
- Moisture Max: 10%
4. Nature’s Recipe
Nature’s Recipe, a big brand in the pet food industry also happens to make vegetarian / vegan dog food. Much like all the other plant-based dog foods, pet owners praise it most for helping their dogs with allergies.
Their recipe is soy-based, so this could be something to consider if your dog has a soy-specific sensitivity.
Although we did see a dry kibble available on other retail sites, we were only able to find one vegetarian wet food on their website (1).
See full review of Nature’s Recipe Vegetarian dog food here.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein Min: 22%
- Crude Fat Min: 8%
- Crude Fiber Max: 4.4%
- Moisture Max: 10%
5. Halo Pets Vegan Dog Food
Although they also make meat-based dog foods, HALO pets make vegan dog food that’s a bit different from the other products on this list.
The ingredient statement doesn’t have any rice, and the formulation focuses on low glycemic ingredients like green peas and chickpeas. From what we’ve seen, this had the most varied ingredient list, so it may not be best if you’re trying to eliminate ingredients to narrow down a very specific food sensitivity.
That aside, though, it’s got tons of anecdotal praise from pet owners of dogs big and small. From weight loss to allergies and overall health – there are tons of different reasons why people (and dogs) are loving this food.
The company also makes vegan wet food.
See our full Halo review here.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein Min: 20%
- Crude Fat Min: 10%
- Crude Fiber Max: 8.5%
- Moisture Max: N/A
6. Benevo (UK Brand)
Benevo is a UK-based vegan pet food company that has probably the widest selection of vegan dog food available. They have wet food, dry food, treats, and different formulations for different stages of life. (2)
This product is so dedicated to vegan and eco-friendly pet products that they even have…
- Sweet potato tubes
- Blueberry sticks
- Biodegradable poop bags
- Breath mints
- Vegetarian cake mix for dogs
If you live in the UK – be sure to check them out! Their website isn’t that clear on where they distribute, but they also seem to be doing trade shows in India.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein Min: 20%
- Crude Fat Min: 10%
- Crude Fiber Max: 8.5%
- Moisture Max: N/A
7. Ami Dog
Ami is a global brand that operates in various countries – over 25, according to their website. Part of their mission is to bring forth an ethical, eco-friendly, and successful global economy, so you know they are quite committed to the cause.(3)
If you live outside the US – this might be the only vegan dog food you’re able to locate. According to the map on their website, they even distribute in China, Korea, and other Asian countries!
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein Min: 27%
- Crude Fat Min: 14%
- Crude Fiber Max:2.9%
- Moisture Max: 8%
8. Evolution
This is another excellent option that we just discovered. Read about it more on our Evolution Dog Food Review.
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Is Vegan Dog Food Safe?
The short answer is yes – my dog has been thriving on a vegan diet for several years.
But it is not a change that you should take lightly.
Make sure to be upfront with your vet and work with them to monitor your pet through the transition.
Even though the science on humans going vegan is quite clear, there simply aren’t a large amount of vegan/vegetarian dog studies out there.
While we try to reference actual research and veterinary authorities regarding this topic wherever possible, please bear in mind the body of evidence here is not extremely large.
However, there is more than enough information on the topic out there that warrants at least giving it a try on your dog for both health and ethical reasons.
Potential Risks
One potential risk that we could find is the formation of urinary stones for dogs on a plant-based diet. While much like all the topics on vegan dog food, there isn’t a large body of documented evidence. It’s mainly anecdotal. However, we’ve seen several vegan vets say that you should monitor the urine, especially if your dog is prone to develop urinary crystals. (4),(5)
Why a Vegan Diet Can Work for Dogs
There are a few important things to understand as to why it’s completely reasonable to feed your dog a vegan diet. (6)
- Although dogs and wolves may look similar, they do have genetic differences. One of the major genetic differences is the dogs’ capability to digest starches. This is likely due to dogs living beside humans for so long and having to live off of human scraps.
- They also have lower protein requirements than obligate carnivores such as cats.
- Dogs have the ability to use Vitamin A and D from plant sources – just like humans.
One thing to note is that a poorly planned or inferior diet for a dog or a human is likely to result in problems – whether it includes meat or not.
This is why there are guidelines to dog food supplementation, whether the food has meat or not. Dogs have a specific set of balanced nutritional needs, which is why home-prepared diets aren’t usually recommended. (7)
Sprint Racing Dog Study on Siberian Huskies
One of the most popular studies referenced regarding dogs following meat-free diets was published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2009.
Although the sample size was rather small (only 12 dogs), the study design itself was rather thorough.
The participating dogs were checked by a veterinarian three times throughout the study, and blood samples at weeks 0, 3, 8, and 16.
(8)
The researchers were mainly studying sports-related anemia, but the dogs were also given regular check-ups, as mentioned above. Dogs from both the meat-free and meat-eating groups were assessed to be in great physical condition.
Check out this vegan starter kit
Even racing Siberian Huskies were able to thrive on a vegan diet.
It is important to note that these were very active racing dogs. These Huskies were training and racing throughout most of the duration of the study, meaning their demands for calories and nutrients would far exceed a normal domesticated dog.
While the scientific data that we found is very encouraging and should be considered the best source of evidence on this topic, we also have had a good anecdotal experience which we documented below.
We’re not taking an ethical stance on dog racing here but rather just presenting the information in the study.
Appeal to Nature Fallacy: Nutrients vs. Ingredients
Dogs eating vegan can be a very emotionally driven topic. For some, not feeding a dog any meat goes against the natural order of things.
The problem with this line of thinking is that natural doesn’t always imply good. In fact, the “natural” option is sometimes worse than the alternative!
Dogs need a specific combination and ratio of nutrients, not specific ingredients.
Given what we’re about to cover in the next section – it may actually be best for your dog to get these nutrients from plants simply because we don’t live in the picturesque natural world that is portrayed in many dog food commercials.
What’s Actually in Your Dog’s Food?
The pet food industry is mostly a byproduct of the human-animal agriculture industry.
When you think about what goes into standard dog food, it seems clear that plant alternatives might be the better option or at least worth a try.
Some of the stuff that goes into dog food can’t even go into hot dogs (9).
This list is not likely limited to:
- Hides and Bones
- The digestive system with feces, udders, etc.
- Brains
- Non-farm animals, including other pets
Conventional dog food comes with its own set of downsides.
All of this byproduct, among other things, typically gets transferred to a “rendering plant,” which is essentially a huge grinder.
Some rendering plants even receive plastics, styrofoam, expired meats, and even dead pets.
This rendered material is processed and extracted into “meat and bone meal,” and it’s hard to tell what’s in it as regulations vary from state to state.
We’re not saying this is all pet food or all pet food companies, but this topic is something to think about and investigate when you’re comparing conventional dog food vs. plant-based alternatives.
If your dog can get nutrient needs from sources lower on the food chain, like plants, you’re likely exposing them to less junk and waste products.
Plenty of Vets Support a Vegan Diet for Dogs
This interview with Dr. May, a practicing veterinarian, talks a bit about the meat and bone meal issue we just discussed.
There are plenty of other vegan vets who share these positions. V-dog features some of the most prominent ones on their website (10)
Perhaps the most notable is Dr. Andrew Knight, who runs VeganPets. Info. He has conducted his own academic research (over 65 studies) and stays thoroughly abreast of all of the latest research on this subject. His published research on this very issue can be found here. (11)
According to him, vegan dog food is a very viable and potentially healthier option.
Environmental Pollutants and Toxins
As some research indicates, food may be the primary route of exposure to contaminants from multiple chemical classes such as metals (mercury, lead, arsenic), persistent