Cats versus dogs - the impact of species on owner feeding practices

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine if the species of pet influenced owner feeding practices and whether this could impact the nutritional status of pets. Validated questionnaires were purposively distributed at veterinary teaching hospitals, veterinary clinics and private hospitals located in the Bangkok. Associations between species owned and feeding practices were analyzed using a chi-squared test. Three hundred and sixty-five of 495 distributed questionnaires were returned (response rate 73.7%). However, 102 of the returned questionnaires (27.9%) were discarded after assessment of exclusion criteria; thus a total of 263 (53.1% of 495) questionnaires were analyzed. The results indicated differences in owner feeding practices between cats and dogs. Cats were less likely than dogs to be fed by a non-family member (P<0.01), or to be provided with an individual food bowl (P<0.01). Cats were more likely to be fed ad libitum whereas dogs typically received two meal per day (P<0.01). Cat owners were more likely to estimate the amount of food that they considered correct to provide than dog owners (P=0.03), but less likely to use Body Condition Score (BCS) for estimating the amount to feed (P<0.01). Overall, it appeared in this study that many pets may have been at risk of malnutrition due to owner feeding practices. It is recommended that veterinarians should give significant attention to species-specific issues in order to provide customized education for improving pet owners understanding of pet nutrition, as well as pet feeding behavior, to enhance pets’ health and wellness.