Lewis Hamilton’s dog has been transformed by being placed on a vegan diet.
The Formula 1 champion, 39, has spent more than a decade devoted to looking after his 12-year-old bulldog Roscoe, but has now revealed he has stepped his pampering up a gear by feeding the pooch ultra-controlled meals for the good of his pet’s health.
Hamilton told People about the change he has seen since removing meat from his dog’s diet.
“Roscoe is almost like a different dog to when I first got him. I’m always looking for ways to look after his health and really just improve his quality of life, and his diet is just one part of that — but he has so much more energy and doesn’t struggle as much with the health issues he had before,” he said.
Hamilton is such a fan of the idea of dogs going vegan he has become an investor in the plant-based dog food Bramble.
“I’ve had Roscoe with me for a long time, and the first eight years, he was on a normal diet for dogs that included meat.
“He always had health issues and would struggle with things like his breathing and his walking. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help him, so I did some research into things that might improve his health. I saw that having a plant-based diet was something that could be helpful as long as you were making sure the dog was getting all its nutritional needs met, so I decided to try it.
“Even his coat is softer, which is amazing because he loves to be petted,” Hamilton said.
“I was thinking about my health and fitness and what changes I could make to feel my best, and the more I started looking into plant-based diets, the more I realized this was something that could be impactful.
“It just felt like ethically, scientifically, and even based on the types of foods I love to eat, this was something that made sense for me. I think there was some misunderstanding at the time around how it would work and if I would be able to get enough protein as an athlete.
“But it hasn’t been a problem bringing other protein-rich foods into my diet. Everyone is different, so I would never tell someone they should go plant-based, but for anyone looking to just feel or perform a little better, I do encourage them [to do so],” Hamilton added about how eating plant-based has also done wonders for his physique and health.
