v-dog Food Reviews: Is This Vegan Chow Right For Your Pup?

Vegan dog food, while not something every dog needs, is a growing area of canine nutrition. Some dogs need a vegan diet for medical reasons, for example, dogs with allergies or liver or kidney disease. If your pup needs a vegan diet or you’re considering it, you may have heard of v-dog. V-dog is a vegan dog food brand that has been serving pets in the United States since 2005. Is v-dog vegan dog food a good match for your pup? I took a closer look in my v-dog food reviews, including the company’s history, recalls, recipes, price, and more.

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8 Key Features

1. 100% plant-based
2. Corn, soy, and wheat-free
3. All-natural recipes
4. Offers complete nutrition
5. Made in small batches
6. Free of major allergens
7. Cruelty-free dog food
8. All food recipes meet AAFCO guidelines

v-dog Food Brand History

The company v-dog was started in 2005 by a pet owner who wanted to feed his rescue pups a healthy diet without harming animals. While the owner sadly passed away in 2014, the family-owned company continues providing vegan dog food and treats to dogs nationwide. The company collaborates with a team of canine nutritionists, veterinarians, and vegetarian experts to create recipes that deliver the right amount of protein, minerals, and other nutrients from plant-based nutrition. The company prides itself on making something different: wholesome recipes crafted from 100% plant-based ingredients designed by canine nutrition experts. As they say, “This isn’t your granddog’s recipe.”

The plant-based recipes from v-dog are designed to give dogs shinier coats, more energy, healthier digestion, improved appetite, fewer allergic reactions, and fresher breath. V-dog is manufactured in the U.S.A. and freshly made in small batches. You can purchase through the website, set up a subscription, or purchase v-dog through other retailers.

v-dog Food Ingredients

The recipes from v-dog use natural, healthy, and simple ingredients. Recipes use complete plant protein from sources like flaxseed, potatoes, and peas. Recipes also support the immune system with veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Fruits like blueberries offer antioxidants, and turmeric does, too. Other ingredients like peas and oats provide fiber and energy. Recipes also include ingredients like dandelion greens to support healthy digestion.

V-dog recipes never contain any corn, soy, gluten, animal products, fake stuff, fillers, byproducts, or wheat. Superfood ingredients like lentils, quinoa, and brown rice help round out recipes. Flaxseed offers healthy omega-3 fatty acids and is a top source of soluble fiber. Lentils provide carbs and natural fiber.

V-dog does contain higher levels of some ingredients, like plant-based protein, that we tend to keep an eye out for in other dog foods. However, that is because those brands use plant-based protein to boost the overall protein content, while promoting an animal source like chicken or beef as the protein. For vegan dog food, we don’t have the same standard, as we are specifically looking for food that is animal-free, as is the case with v-dog.

Some ingredients, like canola oil, can be controversial because it can be derived from genetically modified rapeseed, though it is not always. However, canola oil offers essential omega-3 fatty acids, which in v-dog’s recipes do not come from other sources like fish oils. The recipes do contain grains and have higher carbohydrate content than some meat-based dog foods.

Has v-dog Food Been Recalled?

No, v-dog has never had any recalls. This is positive news, as it means the company is upholding safety requirements to make quality pet food products.

v-dog Food Reviews: Product & Price

V-dog currently offers two dry recipes and one canned recipe. They also offer biscuits and chews.

v-dog Kindkibble Review

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Kindkibble is a nutritionally complete kibble that has no animal products in it. Pea protein is the primary protein source for this recipe. The recipe includes dried peas come pea protein, brown rice, oatmeal, potato protein, sorghum, canola oil, natural flavor, alfalfa meal, Brewers yeast, and other ingredients like flaxseed, millet, lentils coconut, peanut hearts, quinoa, sunflower chips, and marine microalgae. It also includes dried fruits, including dried cranberries and blueberries, along with dried spinach, carrots, and beets.

The kindkibble recipe gives dogs 24% crude protein (min), 9% crude fat (min), 5% crude fiber (max), and 10% moisture (max). It includes plant-based DHA and essential omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. Kindkibble is hypoallergenic and provides dogs with 363 kcal/cup.

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v-dog Kindkibble Mini Bites Review

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Kindkibble Mini Bites is a dry kibble formulated for smaller dogs. It uses the exact same ingredients as the kindkibble. It is just smaller and easier for tinier teeth. This recipe also provides dogs with 24% crude protein (min), 9% crude fat (min), 5% crude fiber (max), and 10% moisture (max). It packs 363 kcal/cup.

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v-dog Happy Harvest Soft Food Review

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Happy Harvest is a soft, canned food developed to meet the needs of adult dogs and puppies. The recipe is 100% plant-based, and the cans are all BPA-free. This soft food starts with vegetable broth, pea protein, dried ground chickpeas, sunflower oil, ground brown rice, dried carrots, ground flax seed, Brewers dried yeast, and more. The recipe includes superfoods like dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried turmeric, and dried dandelion.

Happy Harvest soft food by v-dog provides dogs with 6% crude protein (min), 2.5% crude fat (min), crude fiber (max), and 78% moisture (max). They also include 3.5% (max) ash or mineral content. Happy Harvest offers 370 kcal/can.

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v-dog Wiggle Biscuits Review

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Wiggle Biscuits come in two flavors, blueberry and peanut butter. These simple, plant-based biscuits offer great flavor and crunch. Wiggle Biscuits are low-calorie, with a soft and chewy texture. The 10-oz bags come with about 150 treats per bag and make great training treats.

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v-dog Kind Jerky Review

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The simple recipe for v-dog Kind Jerky provides a plant-powered punch of flavor and chew. Made from pea protein, sweet potato, coconut glycerin, cane molasses, potato flour, flaxseed, chia seed, natural flavor, apple cider vinegar, and mix tocopherols as preservatives. These treats offer 30 kcal per treat. They have nothing fake, and none of those artificial dyes or flavors that many meat-based dog treats have. These are easy to digest and great for sensitive stomachs.

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v-dog Breath Bones Review

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Many dogs suffer from bad breath, and v-dog has a plant-based chew for that. The v-dog breath bones and mini v-dog breath bones help defuse bad breath and have a taste dogs like. They include brown rice flour, rice flour, vegetable glycerin, water, tapioca starch, sweet potatoes, carrageenan, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, parsley, and more. They are low calorie and made for sensitive stomachs.

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Our Personal Experience With v-dog Kind Jerky And Breath Bones

Our dog is obsessed with the v-dog jerky. He goes crazy every time we give it to him. We usually put it inside a Kong to make it a challenge to eat since he devours it so quickly. It doesn’t have any odor and is soft but not messy. We also recently started using v-dog’s breath bones to help with his bad breath. Initially skeptical, he warmed up and became a huge fan. We noticed a bit better-smelling mouth afterward and plan to give him one daily now at the end of the day. The regular-sized ones were a bit big for him, but he managed to carry it around and hold it with his paws. It didn’t smell, and I love that we found a solution that is natural and meat-free for him to help combat tartar and smelly breath.

– Sadie Cornelius, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Parent, Canine Journal Creative & Marketing

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve covered a few of the most frequently asked questions about v-dog food below, but if I missed yours or you have experience with v-dog to share, let me know in the comments.

Is v-dog AAFCO Approved?

Yes, v-dog is formulated to meet AAFCO standards for adult dogs, and Happy Harvest soft food also meets these standards for puppies.

Can I Get v-dog Food Outside Of The United States?

V-dog offers a line called v-planet vegan dog food that is available internationally. While it is not available in every country worldwide the list is growing. Currently pet parents in Australia, Canada, Singapore, China, Chile, Korea, Thailand, Japan, and more can order v-planet products.

Is Vegan Dog Food Safe For Dogs?

Yes, vegan dog food is perfectly safe for dogs. It may not be as prevalent as meat or fish-based diets, but dogs can be very healthy on a vegan diet. It is a better choice for some dogs due to food intolerances and allergies. Dogs can survive eating meat, a mixed diet, or as fully vegetarian or vegan eaters. More and more studies, including this one published in the Journal of Animal Science in March 2023, looks deeper at the digestibility and benefits of a vegan canine diet.

What’s Our Final Verdict?

Overall, v-dog offers a well-made product. It is not right for every dog, but it contains quality ingredients as a vegan food. It is grain-inclusive and has high fiber and carbs, with lower fat than many other options. V-dog offers no vitamins or minerals other than the standard chelated ones. Some ingredients like carrots, cranberries, blueberries, and spinach are listed at the end of the recipe. When these come after the vitamins and minerals, they do not make up much of the recipe.

I’d like to see those ingredients earlier and more fresh veggies and fruits. I’d also love to see some ingredients that aid in digestion, such as ginger, chamomile, apples, and fennel, and more fresh fruits and vegetables rather than dried ones.

As a vegan dog food, this one meets many requirements. I like that there are no artificial ingredients, no fillers, and no hard-to-digest foods that can trigger allergies, like corn and wheat. While this might not be my top pick for vegan dog food, it is certainly better quality than many options found on the supermarket shelf. For dogs who need a vegan diet, v-dog offers simple recipes with known ingredients and meets adult maintenance requirements.

Customer reviews are generally positive, with many owners reporting that dogs love the taste and that it helps improve skin and coat health. In particular, owners report that it’s helpful with hot spots as well as itchy skin. Many happy owners are those with dogs that have sensitive stomachs. This food has helped balance out those issues without causing digestive concerns.

While most customers are pleased with v-dog, there are some who report that their dogs do not like the food and those who notice their pups developing unbelievably bad-smelling gas or diarrhea after eating the food. Additionally, some owners have concerns over the inclusion of peanuts in these recipes, as that can pose a risk to owners with peanut allergies. There were also some concerns from customers about the consistency of the food’s ingredients and production.

I must point out that switching to a vegan diet if a dog has not been on one before can cause some digestive upset. The same can happen when switching dog foods. This is why it’s not recommended to switch your dog’s food very often or to do so suddenly. Too much of this can cause stomach upset, discomfort, digestive issues, and even blood in the dog’s stool.

It is very pricey, so it may not be reasonable for every owner, though the treats and dental chews are more affordable.

What About Other Vegan Options For Dogs?

If you are curious about vegan dog food or treats, we are here to help. We’ve performed in-depth reviews of the best vegan dog treats, including our personal experience. Along with that, we have also reviewed other vegan dog foods, including Bramble, Wild Earth, and more, in our reviews of the best vegan dog foods. Keep in mind that if you’re planning on making any major dietary changes, it’s best to discuss these with your veterinarian first, especially if your dog is new to a vegan diet. You want to be sure that the food you pick meets your dog’s individual health and nutrition needs.

Our Methodology

Why Trust Canine Journal

Danielle is a lifelong dog and animal advocate. She has a special place in her heart for rescue animals and has given many rescue animals a loving home. Danielle works tirelessly as a professional researcher and writer to bring pet owners the most recent, valid, and valuable information. She has a particular interest in pet behavior and dog nutrition. With the help of her two rescue pups, Daisy and Falkor, she has reviewed and tested over 50 pet food brands.