Nutritional deficiencies in companion animals cause preventable chronic suffering that owners often miss.
Many companion animal welfare problems stem from nutritional deficiencies that are entirely preventable with appropriate diet. Taurine deficiency in cats causes dilated cardiomyopathy and blindness. Calcium-phosphorus imbalances in reptile diets cause metabolic bone disease. Understanding species-specific nutritional requirements and feeding appropriate commercial or carefully formulated diets prevents most of these welfare problems.