Dog food in the UK counts for around 1% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the findings of an environmental survey.
The analysis also reveals striking differences in the climate impact of commercial dog foods, with the highest-impact foods responsible for up to 65 times more emissions than the lowest-rated options.
Wet, raw and meat-rich products are associated with substantially higher greenhouse gas emissions than dry dog food, the study found.
Scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Exeter used ingredient and nutrient labelling information to calculate the carbon footprint of almost 1,000 commercially available dog foods, based on emissions generated during the production of ingredients.
Their sample included a selection of dry, wet and raw foods, including plant-based and grain-free options.
The findings highlight the need for greater transparency and better labelling of dog food ingredients to help consumers make informed choices, as pet ownership continues to rise, experts say.
John Harvey, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, said there seem to be more foods that are plant-based now available on the market.
The research found that plant-based foods were typically lower-impact options, especially in the case of wet foods.
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But if dog owners use meat products that otherwise would go to waste, they can potentially be lower impact than some plant proteins.
Mr Harvey, who has a background as a practicing veterinary surgeon, said some owners are moving towards choosing plant-based options, but it’s a small percentage and the push has actually been towards high-meat content.
He said there is no evidence to suggest that dogs require really high-meat content.
On food labelling, Mr Harvey told Sky News: “We need to be able to tell whether meat in dog food is potentially of a type that might otherwise be fed to humans, or if it’s actually meat – which are things like offcuts, things like liver – that would otherwise potentially be waste product from the human food chain, which has a much lower impact.”
Mr Harvey said dog food labels don’t let you know what’s in the food, making it difficult to independently look at what the environment impact of that food would be.
Clearer labelling is really important, he added.
