Evaluation of owner experiences and adherence to home-cooked diet recipes for dogs

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate owner experiences and adherence to home‐cooked diet recipes for dogs. METHODS: Clients of a veterinary teaching hospital clinical nutrition service who had a home‐cooked diet recipe formulated for their dogs between March 2011 and December 2013 were given a survey by email, postal mail and telephone. Survey questions addressed motivations, positive and negative aspects of feeding home‐cooked diets and current feeding practices. Responses were compared to animals’ medical records to determine adherence. RESULTS: Of the 93 owners who were contacted, 53 (57%) completed the survey. Of the 53 respondents, 43 owners (81%) reported that they were still feeding an home‐cooked diet or had fed an home‐cooked diet until the time of their dogs’ deaths. The most common motivation for feeding a home‐cooked diet was suitability for specific medical needs. Of the 30 surveys that included a complete diet history, only four (13%) demonstrated exact adherence to home‐cooked diet recipes. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Most respondents liked and continued to feed a home‐cooked diet, but few owners adhered to prescribed recipes and many dogs required recipe modifications. It is important to counsel dog owners about benefits and drawbacks of feeding home‐cooked diets, importance of recipe adherence and necessity for follow‐up after diet formulation with a board‐certified veterinary nutritionist.