Brits are being asked to put their pups on a stricter diet this New Year as research reveals that pets have likely overindulged at Christmas.

New research of 2,000 UK dog owners by pet food brand Edgard & Cooper has found that more than three quarters of dog owners (76%) admitted to letting their pets overindulge this Christmas, with 73% giving their dogs Christmas dinner. London dog owners are identified as the worst culprits in the UK, with 81% admitting to allowing their pet pooch to overindulge during the festive season by feeding them Christmas dinner.

The research also revealed that Londoners are also more likely than anyone else in the UK to put their dogs on a diet in the New Year, with 37% saying they would if they’d overindulged. 

This New Year Edgard & Cooper is encouraging dog owners to learn the truth about veggie diets for dogs as we hit Veganuary and adopt a flexitarian approach. The pet food brand is working with Ella Mills, health advocate and founder of Deliciously Ella, to bring awareness of the benefits of putting your dog on a flexitarian diet, to combat weight gain after the festive season. 

Despite 52% of Brits eating more plant-based foods themselves over the past few years, only 37% know what a flexitarian diet is and even less (29%) know that this can be applied to their pets too, showing that there is much to learn about how this emerging trend caters to canines.

With only 27% of owners looking to restrict their dog’s diet after the festive feed, Edgard & Cooper’s pet nutritionist, Mikki Koot, explains why it’s important to watch what our pups eat:

“What might seem like a small treat in our eyes, can actually mean a calorie overload for your pup. Did you know that when you give a 20kg dog 1 cube of cheese (60gr) the human equivalent is 2 doughnuts? And 1 rawhide bone (190gr) equates to 7 doughnuts!”

Ella Mills, the mind behind the plant-based brand Deliciously Ella and a partner of Edgard & Cooper, has already seen the benefits of a flexitarian diet for her family, including their dog Austin:

“Most of us know that a plant-based approach for humans is incredibly powerful, with vegans in the UK having half the carbon footprint of carnivores, but there’s still a real stigma around a flexitarian approach for dogs. I’ve certainly noticed a nervousness around a plant rich approach for dogs, but the science is clear, it can be a very healthy diet that has a very positive impact on our planet.”

Introducing more vegetables into a pet’s diet is an easy addition to their meals, with the research showing that our dog’s already love crunching on carrots, broccoli, sprouts and peas – all important ways to incorporate healthy vitamins and minerals. 

Edgard & Cooper is on a mission to make pet food better for our best friends, and this is part of their ongoing campaign to change legislation to make pet food labelling clearer for owners, so we all understand the ingredients in our dog’s dinner.

Sign the petition now.