Your guide to a flexitarian dog diet

Flexitarian diet: What’s behind it?

A flexitarian diet is one in which meat consumption is consciously reduced without completely avoiding it. Flexitarians rely on a predominantly plant-based diet, but occasionally supplement their menu with meat or fish and other animal products. You can also give your four-legged friend a treat by giving him a plant-based meal and some variety in his menu in addition to his regular food.

Step by step: The perfect introduction

Feeding your dog a flexitarian diet is the perfect way to try out plant-based dog food if you are still undecided and don't want to replace every meal straight away. Many dog ​​owners don't want to switch to a completely plant-based diet (yet). And that's perfectly fine! In this case, however, a flexitarian diet is particularly suitable, as you can individually design your dog's menu with vegan and meat-based foods. For example, you can replace the evening ration with a plant-based alternative and give the usual dry or wet food in the morning.

Many good reasons to feed your four-legged friend a flexitarian diet:

• Health benefits : A balanced diet that includes plant-based components can contribute to your dog's overall health. Fruits and vegetables provide important vitamins, minerals and fiber that strengthen the immune system and promote digestion.
• More variety in the menu: Vegan dog food can be a valuable addition to your four-legged friend's conventional food. Imagine having the same thing on your plate every day. Dogs can get bored of the same food over time, just like us humans. In addition, a one-sided diet can also lead to nutritional deficiencies in the long term if your food is not a complete food . Treat your darling to a varied taste experience and avoid food boredom.
• Gentle start : By gradually introducing vegan meals, you can observe how your dog reacts and, if necessary, consult your vet. Has the plant-based alternative convinced you and your furry friend? Then you can start to gradually increase the small amounts of plant-based food and incorporate it into the animal-based menu.

Veggie Diversity: Creative Ideas for the Animal Diet

When it comes to incorporating plant-based food into your dog's diet, you have a variety of options: whether it's a pure veggie day a week, one plant-based meal a day, or a mixture of vegan and conventional foods, make sure you adapt the flexitarian diet to your dog's individual needs and preferences. This will also increase the dog's acceptance of the new food.

Another option is to mix two types of wet food, vegan and conventional food. It is generally recommended to initially serve the new food in small quantities with the familiar food and then slowly increase this proportion to improve the product's tolerance. But be careful: you should only offer wet and dry food to your four-legged friend separately. When mixing dry and wet food, whether plant-based or not, fermentation processes can occur in your dog's gastrointestinal tract and, in the worst case, attack the stomach.

Here we have put together an overview of these and other diverse ideas:

• Introduce a fixed veggie day per week on which you offer your dog exclusively plant-based food.
• For example, integrate a vegan ration every evening and feed the conventional dry or wet food for the remaining meals.
• Plant-based wet food in combination with the BARF method (organic, species-appropriate raw food) is also conceivable. Here, too, you can either include a purely plant-based meal or offer it together with the BARF food.
• You can also make your four-legged friend happy with a veggie treat as a snack between meals. There are a variety of fruits and vegetables that you can use for this. However, make sure you find out beforehand whether the snack is suitable for your pet. How about strawberries for your dog , for example?