At Gentle Earth, our mission to provide caring pet owners products that will truly improve the health and quality of life of their beloved pets. Because we make products such as our brush-free vegan dog toothpaste and natural dog supplements, we sometimes hear pet owners wondering if vegan or all natural products are really any better than regular. To know the answer to that, first let’s define what exactly vegan means, and what makes a product vegan.
What Does Vegan Mean?
Veganism is not just a diet, but it’s also a way of life and a means of interacting ethically and sustainably in our commercial/consumer world. There are many people who are not necessarily following a vegan diet fully that abide by these principles with the goal of reducing the consumption of animal-based products and making strides towards preserving our planet.
Plant-based eating and thinking are on the rise, and many companies have set out to develop products that are plant-derived, natural, or vegan. While these terms are not quite the same, they are often used interchangeably.
What Makes a Product Vegan?
Simply put, a product is vegan when it does not contain any animal products, or products that are derived from animals. Sometimes, ingredients that are animal derived are in products that seem otherwise vegan. An example would be a product stating it has no dairy, but sometimes such products contain casein, which is a protein derived from milk. While it does not contain milk, it still contains casein, which makes it not vegan.
This is a big reason why the vegan certification is an important stamp on foodstuffs and supplements.
Why Should You Give Your Dog Vegan Products?
There are many reasons why giving your dog vegan products can be helpful to them. Vegan products may result in:
- Prevention or reduction in allergies and allergy symptoms
- Reduction or mitigating the chances of developing chronic diseases
- Aids in sustaining the longevity of our planet and ecosystem
- Benefits gastrointestinal health
And those are just a few of the benefits!
In non-vegan products, there are at times a number of ingredients and fillers present in both food and supplements that can contribute to allergies or allergic symptoms. It’s very hard to take a product that has 20-25 ingredients and conclude which ingredient is creating issues.
Many dog food allergies do come from specific animal proteins from chicken, beef, turkey, dairy, lamb, etc. These are some of the most common ingredients in dog food.
Sometimes these issues are not acute, but build up gradually through daily use, causing inflammation down the road.
Common signs and symptoms that your dog is experiencing allergies with their food or supplements is:
- Ear infections
- Itchy skin
- Irritation with/chewing on their paws
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
- Skin lesions or allergic sores
Many people believe that allergies and irritants are really only relevant when it comes to what foods you are feeding your dog, but supplements can also be a source of irritation. Supplements themselves can be greatly beneficial to your dog, but ensuring that they are free from unnecessary fillers and allergens can go a long way in ensuring your dog’s comfort and quality of life.
For example, Gentle Earth natural dog supplements such as our natural hip and joint supplement are free of animal proteins and can help your pet maintain their joint integrity as they grow old. Mobility is one of the most important things for both dogs and people to keep as a loss of mobility is correlated with weight gain which will only lead to more issues.
We believe our vegan dog toothpaste offers a big boost to the foundation of your pet’s health starting with their oral health. Our natural dog toothpaste features a robust list of potent natural ingredients that have holistic benefits for your pet.
All Natural Dog Supplements
Gentle Earth’s mission is to produce products that are holistically effective. Our brush free toothpaste and supplements are all aimed at improving your dog’s physical health and wellbeing. Sustainability is also an important part of our ethos and we do everything we can to ensure that our products are as sustainably packaged as will allow.
Gentle Earth will donate a portion of our proceeds to the Soi Dog Foundation, a non-profit that was founded to provide a humane solution to the stray dog population in Thailand, as well as educate about the cruelties of the meat trade.
For any questions about our products, or if you’d like to just drop us a line, contact us today!
