Companion Animals

Companion Animal Food and Nutrition Welfare

Appropriate nutrition is fundamental to companion animal welfare, with significant variation in diet quality and welfare implications from inappropriate feeding, obesity, and nutritional deficiency.

Key Facts

Pet food is a multi-billion pound industry with enormous variation in quality and ingredient sourcing
Raw diets for dogs carry food safety risks for pets and owners and have limited evidence base
Grain-free diets for dogs have been associated with dilated cardiomyopathy in some cases
Cats are obligate carnivores requiring specific nutrients including taurine from animal sources
Obesity in companion animals is primarily driven by overfeeding and inadequate exercise

Welfare Considerations

Companion animal nutrition welfare requires species-appropriate, nutritionally complete diets fed in appropriate quantities. Feeding from emotion rather than welfare need drives obesity. Veterinary nutritional advice is underutilised despite being essential for optimal welfare.

What You Can Do

Consult your veterinarian about optimal diet for your specific companion animal
Measure food portions accurately rather than estimating or free-feeding
Choose nutritionally complete companion animal diets from reputable manufacturers