History

My dog Nelson suffered with allergies and the only solution was a vegan diet

Crossbreed Nelson who died at the good age of 15 years, was a vegan for 7 years as he suffered from so many food intolerances. We had Nelson as an adult rescue and when we first had him, we made numerous trips to the vets.

The vets were baffled and we tried everything that the market had to offer – hypoallergenic dry and wet foods as well as the recommended full range of exotic meats such as kangaroo meat or ostrich meat with potatoes. Nothing seemed to help him. The itching and digestive problems did not improve. Eventually Nelson’s vet advised us to refrain from any animal protein. Vegan for dogs? I thought it was a joke. “How is this going to work?” “Is it even suitable?” These were only a few of the many questions I had.

My vet was so supportive and gave me a comprehensive balanced homemade recipe to try on Nelson. After 4 weeks, he was symptom free and he remained so for 7 years on his vegan diet!

Together with a professional vet specialising in animal nutrition, we developed our first vegan, grain-free and 100{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} complete food for dogs.

VEGDOG was born

Development of VEGDOG recipes

Developing the recipes for Vegdog took more than a year. Again and again, different formulations were created, and tested in laboratories for their nutritional value, until we achieved our aim.  The demands on a food for one’s own dog is enormously high – there is a big difference whether you develop a food for your own dog or if financial gain comes first and if it is for your own pet, this leads to a superior product.

Can a plant-based diet be the solution for dogs with food allergies?

A food allergy in dogs is a very stressful experience for dogs and owners alike. Your dog is in pain and medication does not alleviate the symptoms. The search for a suitable solution can sometimes take years.

More and more dogs are currently suffering from the same disease such as Nelson – a food intolerance.

What most dog owners are unaware of, is that animal proteins are the main cause of food intolerances in our pets.

In a study at a clinical diagnostic laboratory in Germany, 1500 dogs were tested for food allergies. Of the tested dogs 43{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} showed a food intolerance. 60{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs showed dermatological symptoms (itching and ear infections) and 20{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} had gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhoea, pain and vomiting), 15{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} showed both symptoms (dermatological and gastrointestinal).

The major allergens in dogs

In the course of this test, various allergens were tested. The following allergens triggered the most responses in the tested dogs:

 

  • Wheat (58{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs had a positive reaction)
  • Beef (53{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs had a positive reaction)
  • Soy (41{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs had a positive reaction)
  • Rice (31{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs had a positive reaction)
  • Cow’s milk (27{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs had a positive reaction)
  • Corn (27{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs had a positive reaction)
  • Lamb (24{885aeff1bad8426a30cbdbe9d5231e3aae48714a22e9517e9ea3ba0af3866123} of the dogs had a positive reaction)

Storage mites

The main allergy that occurs in itchy dogs is an allergy to house dust mites. All dry food carries a form of mites called storage mites. Even if the storage mites are killed by freezing the dry food, your dog will still react to the outer shell of the storage mite as this triggers an immune response.

The only solution in these instances, is to feed a plant-based homemade diet to avoid all allergens. See our recipes using the All-In-Veluxe Supplement.