"Dogs are biologically omnivorous but can thrive on a balanced plant-based diet," says Dr Armaiti May, DVM. "Animals do have requirements for nutrients, but not necessarily ingredients." She recommends choosing an AAFCO-approved food to ensure that nutrient guidelines are met. These foods are third-party tested for nutritional content to confirm that formulation is complete and balanced. Many plant-based dog foods on the market are AAFCO approved.

This means that nutrients dogs often obtain from animal products, such as protein, taurine, l-carnitine, and vitamin B12, are available from plant-based sources and need not be provided in the form of meat. Vegan dog foods that are AAFCO tested are up against the same nutrient regulations as meat-based foods.

Read the peer reviewed studies that support plant based diets in dogs:

British Journal of Nutrition: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19480731/

Nature: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11837

Animal Genetics: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4329415/