The theory that eating vegetarian food is better for your health is starting to gain ground, supported by a number of recent scientific studies that largely come to the same conclusion. So if that’s true for humans, could the same apply to their four-legged friends?

That’s what scientists from the University of Winchester have been trying to find out. To determine whether vegan dogs are healthier than their carnivorous counterparts, the authors of the study, published in “Plos One”, surveyed the owners of 2,536 dogs.

Volunteers were asked to fill out questionnaires to provide information about their dogs’ diet and health status.

Over a one-year period, the researchers analysed this information, including the number of visits to the veterinarian and the use of medication, among others.

Of the dogs included in the study, slightly more than half ate a conventional meat diet, a third followed a raw meat diet, and 13% ate only plant-based products.

Overall, the study found that dogs on a meat-free diet were four times less likely to visit the veterinarian than those on a more conventional diet.

Similarly, 49% of dogs on a conventional diet experienced health problems during the year, compared with 36% of “vegan” canines.

Pooches that were more accustomed to eating raw meat also appeared to be healthier, although this might have been due to the fact that the animals in question were, on average, a year younger.

“Significant evidence indicates that raw-meat diets are often associated with dietary hazards, including nutritional deficiencies and imbalances, and pathogens,” the authors wrote.

“Accordingly, the pooled evidence to date indicates that the healthiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs are nutritionally sound vegan diets,” they concluded.