Let's face it: Especially for vegans and ethically-conscious folks, providing our pets with meat products day after day just doesn't feel aligned with our beliefs. But is there any way we can provide our beloved furry companions with high-quality food and nutrients, without harming other animals or the environment?
Look no further, as the experts from OmniPet have developed amazing, plant-based dog food that ticks all the important boxes - and doesn't require any animal or environmental suffering at all. Any questions?
We hope so, as we sat down with OminPet's very own vet, Co-Founder & Co-CEO Dr. Guy Sandelowsky to find out if plant-based dog food may also be a great idea for your little doggo.
Photo: OmniPet
Q: Hi Guy, thank you for taking the time for our interview! First of all, congratulations on founding Omni Pet, which sounds like an amazing concept to us. As it consists of more than one part - would you be so kind and explain your services to our readers?
We have a very exciting product portfolio for dog guardians to try out with their furry friends:
Dry Food: We are the only dog food company in the world that has specific life-stage diets for puppy, adult AND senior dogs. We test the food post-production to ensure it has the nutrients listed and we’ve done taste tests that show dogs prefer it to popular meat-based alternatives on the market.
Wet Food: Our wet food is truly unique! We have tins of No-Chicken Pot Pie and No-Beef Casserole which are made up of chunks of delicious meat-like protein, that dogs go crazy for. We developed a patent-pending technology that gives dogs the taste and texture of real meat without using a single animal ingredient. The best bit? These products are low in fat, high in protein and bursting with vital vitamins and minerals dogs need to thrive.
Photo: OmniPet
Supplements: About 95% of the European pet supplement market is still made up of pills and powders, and whilst these often contain effective ingredients they are a chore to administer. They also tend to be made with low-quality animal byproducts and flavour enhancers with unknown long-term health effects. We’ve changed all that and created a simple 1-a-day soft chew, that dogs adore! No more hiding tablets and powders in food, we’ve made giving supplements a joyful ritual for you and your dog. Our ingredient list is also full of evidence-based and science-backed ingredients and true to our values, are free of animal by-products. A real game changer for animals suffering with a variety of health issues including soft stools, itchy skin, anal gland issues, anxiety and stiff joints.
Treats & Topper: We all love treating our beloved 4-legged companions and getting those tail wags, but at Omni we believe treats don’t have to be a sin - they can be tasty but functional and healthy. Each treat in our range has a functional benefit with natural health-enhancing ingredients and our taste toppers, designed to go over dry food to add variety of flavour and texture, are fortified with vitamin B12 and iron.
Q: How did you actually get the idea of founding Omni Pet, and what was your reason behind it?
As a vet seeing thousands of pets in practice over the years, I realised that so many of the diseases I was treating on a daily basis were easily prevented with a better diet.
Food allergies are through the roof (we’re talking itchy skin, loose stools etc), obesity is a huge problem (more than half of all UK dogs suffer with mobility-related pain), and cancer rates are through the roof.
So I decided to take action and make healthier dog food products that include delicious steam-baked life stage-specific diets, wet food and now soft chew supplements. We also offer our subscribers complimentary access to our expert veterinary consultation service, so we can support both in the food bowl but also for day-to-day care.
All our products are proudly free from ingredients of animal origin as we strive to be kinder to the planet and other animals. Omni is now the UK’s first and only vet-formulated, peer-reviewed vegan dog food company.
Photo: OmniPet
Q: That's truly amazing! One of the most important pillars of the Omni Pet concept is plant-based dog food. As a vegan, I am a big fan of this idea. What are the exact benefits of a plant-based diet for dogs?
A: I could give a shorter answer if you asked “What aren’t the benefits of plant-based diets for dogs?” Basically, it’s better in almost every way. We’ve had feedback that Omni’s plant-based dog food can reliably reduce flatulence, bad breath, and anxiety, while at the same time it increases stool quality, skin and coat health, and your ability to manage your dog’s weight problems!
In general, it’s also been found that plant-based diets for dogs can increase their lifespans for up to 18 months on average. If you want to spend an extra 1.5 years with a happy, healthy dog, it’s worth considering making the switch to vegan dog food like Omni!
Of course, the benefits from Omni aren’t just for dogs. There’s also huge benefits for the planet. We recently had an independent assessment of Omni conclude that our plant-based dog food can help reduce your dog’s emissions by up to 73%. That’s a huge decrease in your dog’s carbon footprint! (Or is it pawprint?)
If you’re interested in this kind of thing, there’s a recent paper by Professor Andrew Knight here in the UK that calculates exactly what the benefit of plant-based dog food would be. In short, if we can convert all dogs around the world to plant-based diets, we could feed an extra half a billion people based on the amount of land we’d save from producing meat-based dog food. We’d also save many millions of animals’ lives - all while having healthier, happier dogs!
Q: Climate change and carbon footprint are huge topics at the moment - and rightfully so. Many pet owners may not be aware of this. How can OmniPet help in this case?
A: Massively. People underappreciate just how big the environmental impact of dogs can be. When you feed your dog meat, just an average-sized dog equates to driving an SUV for a year! To be exact, a medium-sized dog causes approximately 770kg of CO2 to be emitted as a result of their meaty diet.
To contrast that, a dog fed on Omni’s vegan dog food will emit only around 212kg of CO2 annually - saving over half a tonne of CO2 from being emitted into our atmosphere every year!
We’ve also found that Omni is responsible for 92% less land use, 61% less water used, and 0% (yes, 0%!) of the antibiotics used for meat-based dog food. That last point is huge - in a world teetering on the brink of antibiotic resistance (thanks to the two-thirds of all antibiotics we feed to livestock), it’s so important that we find ways of feeding ourselves and our dogs in an antibiotic-free way!
Q: As health is also a central theme at Omni Pet. Could you elaborate on how the company ensures that the veterinarians and health services provided meet the highest standards?
A: Making dogs healthy and happy is right at the heart of what we do. If we aren’t doing that right, then what’s the point, right? That’s why it’s so important that Omni is a vet-founded business. As I mentioned earlier, we’re the UK’s only vet-formulated, scientifically-approved plant-based dog food company - and we might even be the only one in Europe!
But it’s not just me holding down the fort - we’ve actually got 5 vets on the team, and we provide free vet consultations to all of our subscribers. If you sign up to a subscription with us, we’ll give you 100% free access to our cutting-edge team of accredited vets! That’s something we’re really proud of, and it’s been a huge help to our customers on countless occasions, medically, nutritionally and financially.
It also means we aren’t hiding behind our marketing. We put our veterinary and scientific credentials front and centre, and we’re willing to talk to you about any of your concerns, questions, or queries. We believe honesty and integrity is of the utmost importance, so we wear our heart - and our vets - on our sleeves!
Q: Some dog owners are sceptical when it comes to changing their dog’s food. What would you say to them, and how should they transition their pets to OmniPet?
A: First of all, I totally understand. We don’t recommend changing your dog’s food lightly. It can be difficult, frustrating, and time-consuming. After all, there’s a big language barrier between you and your dog - you can’t tell them how good Omni’s scientific credentials are, and they can’t tell you what they do and don’t like! Humans and dogs living together takes a lot of guesswork, trust, and mutual cooperation, and sometimes this relationship can break down on either side - especially where food is concerned.
Fundamentally, a plant-based diet is fantastic for dogs, and Omni is the best brand out there bringing you all your vegan doggy needs. But still, we recommend gradually transitioning. We often tell people to transition their dogs to a vegan diet over a 16-day window. For the first four days, use Omni kibble as treats for your dog when they’re good. For days 5-8, fill their bowl with 25% Omni, 75% of their old diet. For days 9-12, give them a 50/50 split of Omni and their old diet. For the last few days (13-16), give them three-quarters of Omni’s food and make up the rest with their old diet. After that, you should be good to go with a 100% Omni diet!
If you have any concerns at all, just drop us an email at woof@omni.pet, or set up a vet consultation via our website.
Q: How do you think the future of pet food will change in the next few years, and what can we expect from OmniPet - maybe cat food as well? 🙂
A: It’s such an exciting time to be in the pet food sector right now! The future is bright for Omni, to say the least! We’ve had so much interest from both customers and investors; everywhere we go, we are told by people how much their dogs love Omni.
Of course, I believe that Omni is well on its way to becoming a leading dog food brand - not just within the vegan sector, but all dog food - and we’re always looking for the next opportunity to level up our business. But the sector as a whole is moving towards more sustainable business models and recipes, too, which is so exciting to see!
You’ve also caught us just as we’ve launched a brand-new fussy-eater recipe for dogs, as well as a huge Supplement range for anything from anal gland support and stool firming to itchy skin relief and anxiety reduction. The next step here is to expand these ranges into Germany and the rest of Europe!
And yes, you’ve pre-empted us there… We definitely are planning on developing our own cruelty-free cat food! So, cat-lovers, keep your eyes peeled for what’s coming next!
Thanks so much again for your time, and lots of success with the amazing OmniPet concept, which is available in the UK, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium as well as other European countries!
And last, but not least: Here is little goodie for you - get a 50% discount on any item in the OmniPet store using code: Green50 at checkout. (1st-time customers and max. 1 item only)