Companion Animals

Companion Animal Nutrition and Welfare

Nutrition is foundational to companion animal welfare — yet pet food marketing often diverges from evidence-based nutritional science, causing widespread dietary welfare failures.

Key Facts

Obesity affects 56% of US dogs and 60% of cats by some estimates
Raw meat diets for pets carry Salmonella and pathogen risks for animals and human household members
WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines provide evidence-based pet feeding recommendations
Many popular boutique and grain-free diets lack evidence of safety or nutritional completeness
Dental disease, joint problems, and organ failure are commonly diet-related in companion animals

Welfare Considerations

Dietary welfare failures in companion animals are often invisible until clinical disease develops. Obesity causes arthritis, diabetes, liver disease, and reduced lifespan. Nutritionally incomplete diets cause deficiency diseases. Inappropriate calcium ratios in growing animals cause developmental orthopedic disease. Evidence-based nutrition from veterinary nutritionists provides a clear standard against which popular pet food marketing can be evaluated.

What You Can Do

Choose pet foods approved by AAFCO or equivalent regulatory bodies for complete nutrition
Consult a veterinary nutritionist for animals with specific health conditions
Maintain healthy body weight as a priority welfare intervention
Do not feed raw meat diets without veterinary guidance and food safety protocols
Follow WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines for evidence-based feeding decisions