Pet Diet and Welfare: Nutrition as a Welfare Foundation

Appropriate nutrition is foundational to companion animal welfare, but the pet food market includes wide variation in quality, and inappropriate diets cause significant welfare problems.

Key Facts

Dental disease affects approximately 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by age 3, partly from soft food-only diets
Obesity affects 50% of UK dogs and cats, causing joint pain, diabetes and reduced lifespan
Grain-free dog diets have been linked to dilated cardiomyopathy — a potentially fatal heart condition
Raw meat diets pose bacterial contamination risks to both pets and household members
Cats are obligate carnivores requiring taurine, arachidonic acid and vitamin A from animal sources

Welfare Considerations

Pet nutrition is both a welfare foundation and a source of considerable confusion for pet owners. The pet food market ranges from nutritionally complete, veterinary-endorsed products to fad diets with poor evidence bases. Obesity from overfeeding and inappropriate diet is the most prevalent nutritional welfare problem, causing chronic joint pain, metabolic disease and shortened lifespan. Dental disease from soft food-only diets is nearly universal but largely preventable. Species-appropriate nutrition — meeting the specific requirements of cats as obligate carnivores or dogs as omnivores — provides the foundation on which all other welfare depends. Veterinary nutritional guidance is the most reliable source of information in a market full of marketing claims.

What You Can Do

Discuss your pet nutrition choices with your veterinarian rather than relying on pet shop staff or online marketing
Monitor your pets body condition regularly and adjust feeding to maintain healthy weight
Provide dental hygiene including chews and brushing to address the most common preventable welfare problem
Choose nutritionally complete pet foods assessed against FEDIAF guidelines rather than fad diets