However, in a 2015 study of 26 commercial vegetarian dog diets available in the United States, 25% were found to not meet the minimum nutritional requirements as established by AAFCO. Many commercially available plant-based pet food diets aim to meet the fundamental nutrient requirements of various dogs. Rather than specific ingredients, diets are formulated for their specific nutrients, so every diet prepared must have adequate levels of nutrients, including: protein, fats, carbohydrates, amino acids (methionine, lysine, arginine, etc.), vitamins ( Vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin A, etc.), and minerals ( calcium, phosphorus, sodium, etc.). age, level of activity, living environment, etc.). The dietary requirements of dogs differ based on a variety of aspects (i.e. For this reason, people who practice veganism may wish to reflect their morals by having their pet maintained on a vegan diet as well. Those who choose to practice veganism beyond vegetarianism typically do so because of moral, ethical, and animal welfare concerns. Veganism is a subset of vegetarianism, in which all animal-derived products are entirely excluded from one's lifestyle, including food, clothing, cosmetics, etc. Vegetarianism may be defined as the practice of consuming foods that are primarily derived from plants, with or without dairy products, eggs, and/or honey. As of 2018, there are around 470 million pet dogs. Motivations for vegans diets include animal welfare and environmental impacts of animal agriculture. This dietary advice for dogs resembles that for humans on balanced vegan diets, where it is also important to ensure inclusion of essential nutrients, such as calcium, iron, iodine, and selenium and vitamin B12 and vitamin D, possibly in the form of supplements, especially in pregnancy and early life stages. According to this advice, dogs in the wild prefer animal-based protein, so matching their diet more closely to what they would eat if getting food on their own is more reliable for ensuring health. To offset these risks, supplements may need to be added to the dog's vegan or vegetarian diet, most importantly those that provide taurine, L-carnitine and vitamin B-12. The American Kennel Club highlights risks factors of a vegan diet such as ensuring adequate protein intake, imbalance of certain amino acids, such as taurine and L-carnitine and potential vitamin or mineral deficiency. In theory a vegan diet is also nutritionally adequate for dogs if properly formulated and balanced. Research shows that dogs can remain healthy on a vegetarian diet. The omnivorous domestic dog was originally primarily carnivore but has evolved to metabolize carbohydrates, fat, and fiber and remain healthy on a diet lower in protein, with as little as 10% of calories derived from protein, of whatever source, for younger dogs, rising to 50% or more for older dogs. Vegan dog food may incorporate the use of fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes including soya, nuts, vegetable oils, as well as any other non-animal based foods. As in the human practice of veganism, vegan dog foods are those formulated with the exclusion of ingredients that contain or were processed with any part of an animal, or any animal byproduct.
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