Vegan Pet Food Digestibility Review Shows High Nutrient Absorption
A scientific review published in the journal *Animals* examined 31 studies on the digestibility of vegan, vegetarian and plant‑based pet diets for dogs and cats. The analysis covered 22 studies on dogs, two on cats and seven that included both species. Across diverse study designs and ingredients—including wheat gluten, rice protein, soy‑derived proteins, peas, lentils, chickpeas, potato protein, quinoa and microbially‑fermented proteins—the review found that these diets are generally well digested and not significantly less digestible than conventional meat‑based foods. Some of the studies also evaluated commercially available vegan dog foods containing peas, barley, oats, sunflower oil and lentils, reporting similarly high digestibility.
The review’s lead author, Andrew Knight, an adjunct professor at Murdoch University’s veterinary school in Australia, said the findings challenge the perception that dogs and cats cannot effectively process plant‑based proteins. He noted that the global vegan and plant‑based pet food market was valued at USD 26.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 7.8%, driven by rising interest in pet health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare.
Entities: Andrew Knight · Cats · Dogs · Murdoch University Veterinary School · Vegan pet food market
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Andrew Knight is an adjunct professor at Murdoch University veterinary school in Australia (and also a professor affiliated with Griffith University). (author bio)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The global vegan and plant‑based pet food market was worth USD 26.9 billion in 2024. (industry data cited in review summary)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The review examined ingredients such as wheat gluten, rice protein, soy‑derived ingredients, peas, lentils, chickpeas, potato protein, quinoa and proteins produced through microbial fermentation. (review authors)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Twenty‑two of the studies focused on dogs, two on cats and seven included both species. (review authors)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Some studies assessed commercially available vegan dog foods containing peas, barley, oats, sunflower oil and lentils. (review authors)
- [● 3 SOURCES] A scientific review published in the journal Animals examined 31 studies on digestibility of vegan, vegetarian and plant‑based pet diets for dogs and cats. (review authors)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The review found that vegan and vegetarian pet diets are generally well digested and not significantly less digestible than conventional meat‑based diets. (review authors)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The vegan and plant‑based pet food market is forecast to grow by 7.8% annually. (industry forecast cited in review summary)