Vets warn why you shouldn't give homemade food to your pets
Lovingly preparing food for your dogs and cats may have a detrimental effect on their health, a large study has found.
Homemade diets have been on the rise in recent years as people veer away from shop-bought or vet-recommended cans, kibble and pouches to lavish the best food money can buy on their furry friends.
But these regimes, which include the fashionable ancestral diet, as well as grain-free, raw and vegan, may be nutritionally unbalanced and lacking in key nutrients, say vets.
“Avoidance of conventional pet foods in favour of homemade and raw food may put the health of dogs and cats at risk,” said Sarah Dodd, of the University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College, in Canada.
This is, in part, because raw food diets prepared by pet owners haven’t been treated to destroy potentially harmful bacteria and could even harbour antibiotic-resistant microbes that can be passed on to humans, she explained.
The study, which was published in the journalPet Record, compiled answers from an online survey that ran for five months between September 2016 and January 2017 of 3,161 pet owners in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and USA.
Although most animals ate conventional food – 79% of dogs and 90% of cats – only 13% of dogs and around one third of cats were fed a purely conventional diet.
Sign up for the woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
MORE: How to keep stressed pets calm while we are living in lockdown
While researchers admitted that owners were taking control of their pets’ health because of “a loss of trust in the pet food industry” they could be unwittingly serving up nutrient-poor diets, which can cause health problems such as kidney issues, diabetes and dry skin.
Dr Dodd advised that as well as pet owners understanding the pitfalls of homemade diets “veterinary healthcare teams must be aware of the potential risks and benefits of these practices and educate their clients to help best meet the nutritional needs of their companion animals.”
Debra Waters is an experienced online editor and lifestyle writer with a focus on health, wellbeing, beauty, food and parenting. Currently, she writes for the websites and Woman&Home and GoodtoKnow, as well as the Woman, Woman’s Own and Woman’s Weekly magazines.
Previously, Debra was digital food editor at delicious magazine and MSN. She’s written for M&S Food, Great British Chefs, loveFOOD, What to Expect, Everyday Health and Time Out, and has had articles published in The Telegraph and The Big Issue.
-
Amanda Holden is a vision in satin, faux fur and leather as she nails red wine dressing - and her classic Mulberry was the dreamiest addition
Amanda wore head-to-toe rich red as she wrapped up warm in style
By Caitlin Elliott Published
-
Claudia Winkleman's latest Strictly looks are our new favourite - who knew you could buy pre-loved designer dresses on Amazon?
She looked sleek in black satin for both Saturday's main show and the Sunday results
By Caroline Parr Published
-
Menopause needs an image rebrand—let’s celebrate rather than fear it
A convincing argument on why menopause can be a positive stage of a woman's life
By Michelle Hather Published
-
Why our health editor will never use a sleep tracker
Could a tracker be ruining your sleep? Our health editor, Lucy Gornall, dives in...
By Lucy Gornall Published
-
Dog and cat owners reveal one positive of lockdown for their pets
Our pets complete us...
By Debra Waters Published
-
Study reveals dogs go through puberty just like humans do
By Aleesha Badkar Published
-
Health expert reveals doing this one thing during lockdown could save your life
By Mariana Cerqueira Published
-
Sex toy sales are booming during lockdown and here’s what we’re all stockpiling
It’s not just toilet roll that everyone’s after...
By Faye M Smith Published