Evidence-based nutrition is fundamental to companion animal welfare, yet the pet food market contains significant misinformation that can lead owners to choose diets that harm their pets.
Companion animal nutrition sits at the intersection of evidence-based science and a highly commercialized market that frequently outpaces the science with marketing claims. Owners genuinely trying to provide optimal nutrition for their pets face a barrage of claims about grain-free, raw, ancestral, and boutique diets that often lack scientific support and in some cases have caused documented harm. Obesity — resulting from overfeeding rather than diet composition — remains the most prevalent and impactful nutritional welfare problem in companion animals. Evidence-based guidance from veterinary nutritionists provides a reliable anchor in a confusing marketplace.