| dbo:abstract
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- 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. 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. 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. Research shows that dogs can remain healthy on a vegetarian diet. In theory a vegan diet is also nutritionally adequate for dogs if properly formulated and balanced.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. 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. According to this advice, dogs in the wild prefer animal-based protein, so matching their diet more closely to what they would eat if hunting on their own is more reliable for ensuring health. 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. (en)
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| rdfs:comment
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- 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. 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. (en)
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