Discussing how to feed cats and dogs

A complex topic 

Pet food, especially food for dogs and cats, seems to have become a very complex topic which generates some strong opinions. Discussions on the best diet choices for cats and dogs can be long, difficult and complicated, so it’s no surprise our research shows most vets do not routinely have these discussions with their clients.

The pet food industry association, UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA), lists 109 members, which accounts for 90% of the UK pet food industry, including multinational companies and smaller companies providing more niche products. Each of these companies will be providing a range of products, including conventional kibble, raw diets, insect-based diets and most recently a diet using “cultivated” meat from a single sample of cells.  

So where do we start when asked by clients about feeding their pet? 

An evidence-based approach 

When I was asked to chair the BVA working group on companion animal feeding, I was very clear that I wanted to take an evidence-based approach to this complex subject. During our work, we set and followed some clear principles,  focusing on the feeding of dogs and cats, and looking at several broad themes: 

• Animal health and welfare: this started with the need for a diet to meet the nutritional needs of the animal, appropriate to their life stage. We also considered the welfare of production animals providing ingredients for pet food.   

• Safety: this focused primarily on concerns around bacterial contamination of the diet and the potential risk for both the animal eating the diet and the owners handling the pet food. We also considered potential risks associated with antimicrobial resistance as well as other contaminants and safety concerns. 
• Sustainability: this looked primarily at the impact on the environment, but we also considered broader economic and social sustainability. Calculations regarding the environmental impact of pet food are complex, but it has been consistently shown that that animal ingredients usually have higher environmental impacts than plant products, and that the ingredients used in wet food generate at least twice the emissions of those in dry food.  

While we started by discussing these themes individually, it became very clear that there is significant overlap. It showed that the way we feed our pets should not be considered in isolation from other aspects of farming and human health, making it a true One Health issue.  

What conclusion did we reach? 

First and foremost, having set out to take an evidence-based approach to the subject we found that there are many areas where evidence is lacking, and we all need better information to inform our choices and decisions. 

Owners need access to scientifically sound and unbiased sources of information and advice to enable them to make appropriate diet choices for their pets. This will require clearer and more consistent labelling of pet food, including more detail of the ingredients (rather than broad categories) so that owners who wish to do so can access information on sustainability and the welfare standards of any production animals. 

What can vets do? 

To provide advice to our clients, we also need access to good information. Veterinary training tends to focus on clinical nutrition rather than requirements for healthy cats and dogs. The information and training provided by pet food companies plays an important role, but must always be complemented by independent teaching to ensure all vets are able to critically appraise information and make recommendations that are not restricted to products from a single company.

We also have an important role in contributing to the evidence-base. We need to pay more attention to the role of nutrition in health and disease, including recording dietary histories and potential adverse effects, as well as collecting data for independent research. This will allow us to better understand the long-term impact of some of these newer diets. 

Perhaps the simplest thing our work showed is that ensuring animals are fed the right amount of food is one of the clearest ways to improve their health and welfare, as well as bringing financial and sustainability benefits. This is a good place to start for anyone considering a pet’s diet.