Beyond all the fads and fads, nutrition is the most important goal of the dog, cat and other pet food industry. Pet owners, veterinarians and pet food manufacturers all aim to ensure that companion animals are eating a complete and balanced diet. However, communication among these groups can be complicated. For example, veterinarians and pet owners may differ in their assessments of pet obesity. Veterinarians’ recommendations can play an important role for pet owners looking for ideal diets for their companion animals. However, four major barriers can hinder communication about nutrition among pet owners and veterinarians. Researchers identified their challenges in a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
For the study, 18 veterinarians from Maryland, Michigan, Virginia, Washington DC and West Virginia participated in five study groups conducted via Zoom in 2021. Four major barriers to nutrition communication emerged.
1. Time
Vets have a limited amount of time to spend with each pet owner. During that time, they usually have a specific problem to address leaving little time to discuss the general topic of nutrition.
“Furthermore, some participants also suggested that they struggle to make time for outside research and education about nutrition,” the researchers wrote.
2. Misinformation and information overload
Like the recent TikTok rumor about Purina PetCare products, the internet can deliver more misinformation than facts to pet owners. Veterinarians in the study felt that untrustworthy sites and unreliable sources were easier for pet owners to find online. Compounding the problem, those websites can be more attractive to clients than those with actual scientific data and veterinary support.
“Any search on pet nutrition yields pages of blogs, websites, and other platforms where participants express that non-professionals can offer their opinions and advice,” wrote researchers.
3. Pet owners fear new information
Although veterinarians have had time to talk to pet owners about nutrition, sources of misinformation have made clients resistant to empirical information and medical opinions. Barriers to communicating with pet owners are multifaceted. Study participants described how pet owners often come in with preconceived notions about nutrition (primarily from misinformation found online and from external sources such as breeders and pet store employee). Pet owners sometimes don’t believe their pets’ weight is a health issue. Clients tend to have the mindset that the owner is the expert on their pet’s health, and veterinarians are either uneducated about pet nutrition or biased by corporate sponsorships. of pet food.
4. Veterinarians’ confidence in nutrition knowledge and communication skills
In some cases, veterinarians agree with pet owners that their university educations lack focus on nutrition and its effects on health. Even veterinarians who felt well educated about nutrition did not think they received adequate education on how to communicate that nutrition knowledge to pet owners.
“Regardless of education levels, participants generally agreed that they had low confidence when talking to clients about nutrition,” the study authors wrote. “Practitioners said they had difficulty convincing owners that veterinarian-recommended foods were important because there was a lack of reliable sources to support their recommendations. Participants indicated this was especially true when clinicians try to suggest a change of diet for healthy animals.
Solutions to pet owner communication barriers
Along with noting the problems, the study groups also discussed potential solutions. Vets suggested improving communication and nutrition education at the university and post-graduation levels. For pet owners, veterinarians called for more materials written in easy-to-read and understandable language. Many study participants collected their own resources to share with clients during visits and on their way home. Along with veterinarians themselves, technicians and support staff should be empowered to lead conversations about nutrition with pet owners, as long as the message remains consistent.
“Investigation and development of best practices for how to effectively integrate nutrition into the daily reality of a busy veterinary practice is likely needed to further support the efforts of the veterinary profession to include nutrition during most consultations,” the study authors concluded. “Further research among veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary support staff, and pet owners is needed to create effective solutions to help break down barriers to nutrition communication in veterinary medicine.”
