Pawfect Solution– Thousands of us are set to try going vegan this January, but it can feel hypocritical to then feed meat to your dog. There’s now no need to struggle with this ethical dilemma, as Lucy McKinna explains…
Over half a million people signed up to take part in Veganuary last year, the global challenge encouraging people to try going vegan in January and beyond. With eco and ethical awareness at an all-time high, January 2022 looks set to be another bumper year. According to a vegan vet, and owner of the start-up brand Noochy Poochy, Dr Lucy McKinna, there’s no reason for you to be the only one trying Veganuary in your household this year…
Dogs ‘being vegan’ may have raised some eyebrows a few years ago, but with advancement in animal nutrition, Lucy explains there’s now no reason for your ethical and environmental stance not to be extended to your pet’s diet…
“Perhaps understandably there has been a lot of scepticism about dogs having a vegan diet, but in the last 18 months animal nutrition has progressed dramatically, and we’ve managed to create a nutritionally complete vegan dog food”
The crucial word in Lucy’s description is ‘complete’, which means that the food has everything in it that dogs need to stay healthy. In fact, Noochy Poochy, Lucy’s new brand of dry dog food, outperforms many meat-based foods in the nutrition department with a 28% protein content (higher than most meat-based dog foods), an impressive omega fatty acid 6:3 ratio of 4 to 1, and supplemented amino acids L-carnitine, DL- methionine and taurine.
Of course, it’s no good giving your dog vegan food if he or she won’t eat it, but it seems this isn’t a problem when it comes to Noochy Poochy. The brand takes its name from nutritional yeast, known as ‘nooch’, which gives the food a delicious cheesy flavour- as the brand’s many satisfied ‘customers’ can testify…
“Our hungry dog Bear loves Noochy Poochy. We tried to slowly introduce it into his diet, but he went straight for it and never turned back…and it definitely feels good giving him a plant-based food!” – Rob Da Bank – Radio 1 DJ
“My dog Lilly… is a really picky eater and I have never seen her finish a bowl of food in one go, but she demolished Noochy Poochy!” – Jordan (ZeroWaste store owner)
Lucy sums up by saying…
“You don’t have to be a bonafide vegan to feed your dog vegan food. You might be someone who has started reducing meat in your diet or started making just one more ethical shopping choice a week – for most of us it’s a journey, supported by brands who share and make products that align with our ethics. The beauty is that now complete vegan dog food exists, you can be confident your pet is getting everything they need to stay fit and healthy, and your purchase makes a difference for the environment and animals.”
For more information, or to buy, visit here.
The Vegan Kind (from December) or ask at your local health or pet store.
Poppy Watt