Is vegan cat food okay? A vet weighs iAs cats are obligate carnivores, creatures that feed primarily or exclusively on animal matter for their health and well-being, is becoming a vegetarian a good idea? Are vegan cat foods acceptable?
Is vegan cat food acceptable? A veterinarian weighs the pros and cons.
The risks of vegan cat food
The risks of a vegetarian or vegan diet for cats include insufficient total protein intake, an imbalance of amino acids such as taurine or essential fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, and a deficiency of vitamins and minerals that are obtained ideally, or solely, from meat or other animal products.
Health Risks of Vegan and Vegetarian Cat Foods
These dietary problems can lead to serious and sometimes irreversible pathologies, according to Jennifer Larsen, DVM, M.D., M.D., a certified veterinary nutritionist and professor of clinical nutrition at the University of California at Davis Veterinary School. The problem most often mentioned by veterinarians is taurine related dilated cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart with weak contractions and low pumping capacity), but low taurine levels can also lead to reproductive failure, growth retardation and eye problems, she adds.
"We saw a case of a cat that almost died from taurine deficiency," says Dr. Larsen. "The owners were feeding their cat vegan kibble, a commercially available vegan diet, and they were mixing it with cooked chicken breast for some reason, but there wasn't enough taurine for the cat, obviously, and that resulted in a near-death experience for the animal.
Vignette: Photograph ©Gabriele Grassl | Getty Images.
