Is it safe to put your dog on a vegan diet? As Lewis Hamilton's plant-based English Bulldog passes away, vets warn pets 'may not thrive' without meat

Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that his beloved vegan dog Roscoe has been put down – saying he has 'lost his best friend'.

The English Bulldog experienced several health problems since Hamilton adopted him back in 2013, even spending his last week in hospital with pneumonia. 

In an effort to improve his dog's quality of life, Hamilton put him on a strict vegan diet in 2020. 

'He always had health issues and would struggle with things like his breathing and his walking,' the Ferrari driver explained to People.com.

'I saw that having a plant–based diet was something that could be helpful as long as you were making sure the dog was getting all its nutritional needs met, so I decided to try it.'

But is it really safe to put your dog on a vegan diet? 

According to experts, dogs 'may not thrive' on plant–based diets. 

'Dogs are facultative carnivores, which means they can digest plant material and survive without meat, but may not thrive,' explained animal welfare researchers Alexandra Whittaker, Adriana Dominguez–Oliva, and Daniel Mota–Rojas in an article for The Conversation. 

Whether it's for ethical reasons, sustainability, or perceived health benefits, people around the world are increasingly going vegan. 

And some are even going so far as to feed their animals in accordance with these dietary choices. 

However, at a basic level, dogs – as well as cats – are carnivores. 

'The anatomy of the dog and cat gut also clearly points to their carnivorous lifestyles,' the researchers explained. 

'Their teeth are designed to crush and grind meat, and hold prey. 

'Their intestines are also short with a smaller capacity in relation to body size since, unlike herbivores, they do not need to ferment plant–based material to digest it.'

One of the main concerns with vegan pet foods is that plants do not contain enough amino acids or vitamins – nutrients that are essential for good heart, eye and liver function. 

While many foods contain synthetic supplements and nutrients, experts say there's not enough evidence to show these are sufficient. 

'There isn't a robust body of evidence to support that they are safe long–term for feeding our pets yet, as these ingredients may not be bioavailable to the animals,' explained Justine Shotton, Past President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA).

'This means that it's not so much the presence of taurine and other nutrients in the diet but how accessible (bioavailable) they are to the animal in their synthetic forms and whether they would interfere with the action of other nutrients.'

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Paul Manktelow, Chief Vet at national pet charity Blue Cross, explained that the principle of all pet diets is the same.

'It must be complete, balanced and meet the specific nutritional needs of the animal,' he said. 

'Like with all types of diets, there are good and bad examples, and we would always encourage owners to look closely at the ingredients, the quality of the formulation, and whether it meets the recognised standards for pet nutrition.

'We advise anyone considering a change in diet, whether vegan or not, to first discuss it with their vet. 

'Transparency from manufacturers about ingredients and nutritional adequacy is vital so that owners can make informed decisions in the best interests of their pet's health and welfare.'

Earlier this month, experts from the University of Nottingham analysed the nutrition of vegan options sold in the UK, and claimed they provide similar nutrition to meat–based diets.

'Our study found that plant–based diets, when properly formulated, can be a healthy and viable alternative to meat–based options', lead author Rebecca Brociek, from the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, said.

'Ideally the next step is long–term feeding studies, but as we begin to rethink pet nutrition, perhaps the alternative isn't only better for the planet, but also beneficial for our four–legged companions.'

However, Ms Shotton claims the 'jury is still very much out' on the safety of vegan diets for dogs, and says a more large–scale, robust study is needed before we jump to any conclusions. 

'We need good evidence from large–scale, long–term, robust scientific studies feeding cats and dogs on appropriately supplemented balanced vegan diets for their lifetime, looking at how these diets affect their health, before we can make recommendations as to whether these diets are suitable and safe for the wider pet populations,' she added.