A recent petMD survey about pet nutrition found that pet owners are confused about the nutritional needs of their dogs and cats. Although 57 percent of pet owners surveyed said they look at petfood labels for information about the petfood's ingredients, the survey found pet owners often misinterpret the information on the labels.
"Understanding how to feed our pets properly is critical to their well-being," said petMD spokewoman, Dr. Jennifer Coates. "This knowledge gap is worrisome but also represents an opportunity for improving the health and longevity of our beloved companion animals."
The survey's findings include:
"Misconceptions surrounding pet food and canine and feline nutrition can lead owners to make ill-informed choices about what to feed their companions," Coates said. "Veterinarians are the best source of information about what to feed pets. They can take into consideration a pet's unique combination of life stage, lifestyle and health to make individualized diet recommendations."
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