Are vegetables the secret weapon against tumour?

Think more veggies🥦 mean a healthier animal? Could this ‘cancer prevention secret’ actually be a hidden risk? 🤔 Let’s hear from Specialist in Veterinary Oncology Dr. Antonio Giuliano!

Many owners believe that a high vegetable diet protects animals from cancer. While vegetables are part of a healthy lifestyle for both people and animals, there’s no proven evidence that this prevents cancer in animals.

In humans, a high-vegetable, high-fibre diet with low meat intake can reduce the risk of colon cancer. However, dogs and cats rarely develop colon carcinoma, so this benefit doesn’t apply. In fact, diets very high in vegetables can cause protein and amino acid imbalances—especially harmful for cats. A vegan diet for cats 😸, a carnivorous species, is dangerous and should be avoided.

Dogs’ and cats’ intestines aren’t efficient at digesting vegetables, especially raw ones, and most animals don’t chew properly, leaving undigested pieces in stools.

Dr. Antonio advises that a balanced diet is key to disease prevention. Adding a small amount of fresh or steamed vegetables is reasonable, but a high-vegetable diet is unlikely to offer extra cancer protection. A small amount of vegetables may provide micronutrients and antioxidants that could play a role in prevention ✔️.