Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog owners' views on nutrition and weight affect vet visits
By Wainwright, J. et al.·Published in Journal of Small Animal Practice·2022·School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus University of Nottingham Loughborough Leicestershire LE12 5RD UK, United Kingdom·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Owners’ views of canine nutrition, weight status and wellbeing and their implications for the veterinary consultation
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of 147 dog owners revealed that many are unsure about the best nutrition for their pets, with only 9% relying on their veterinarian for guidance. Owners of overweight dogs often misjudge their pet's weight, with only 22% accurately assessing it compared to 89% of owners with dogs at a healthy weight. While most owners recognize that a good diet and regular exercise are crucial for their dog's wellbeing, they tend to undervalue the importance of companionship with other dogs. This suggests that veterinarians should have more discussions about weight and nutrition during visits to help owners make better choices for their pets.
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Abstract
ObjectivesTo investigate owners’ views around canine nutrition and wellbeing, how these beliefs may differ according to the weight status of the dog and the implications for owner support approaches.Materials and MethodsA researcher‐mediated questionnaire collected quantitative and qualitative dataviastructured interviews with dog owners (n=147) attending a country park in the East Midlands, UK, with a specific focus on views around canine nutrition and wellbeing.ResultsForty‐four percent of owners cited “past experience” when determining what to feed, and only 9% of owners cited the veterinarian as a source of this information. When comparing chosen verbal descriptionversusnon‐sequential body condition score images of the dog, only 22% of owners with overweight animals matched perceived verbal and visual appraisals, compared with 89% of owners of ideal weight dogs. Owners cited a good diet and regular exercise as important factors for canine wellbeing, but companionship with other dogs as the least important factor.Clinical SignificanceOwners report being aware of the important association between canine nutrition and wellbeing, but their considered importance of factors influencing dog wellbeing may be influenced by their perceived weight status of the animal. Veterinarians may need to reframe owner discourse such that there is more routine discussion around weight and nutrition at every consultation. Furthermore, the use of non‐sequential body condition score images could be a useful tool for a more considered opinion of canine weight status by owners.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13469