In 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed a Food Is Medicine program in response to a congressionally funded initiative. The idea, according to the HHS website, was to follow an approach similar to other “food as medicine” programs focusing on the importance of diet and nutrition to overall health and reducing nutrition-related chronic diseases and food insecurity.
While such programs are not a new concept, they seem to be gaining traction (though it’s difficult to tell if HHS has implemented any plans to date under its initiative). However, they’re not yet well known to most consumers or even people who work in healthcare.
In a recent survey of more than 2,200 people (1,135 patients and 399 healthcare providers) across all 50 U.S. states, the Rockefeller Foundation — which has its own Food Is Medicine initiative, as do some universities and other entities — found that only 13% of the public and 32% of the healthcare providers knew the term. The survey results were reported by Jolanda van Hal on NutritionInsight.com.
Still, the interest is there. More than 80% of respondents believe “healthcare should offer more food and nutrition programs to manage and treat illnesses,” van Hal wrote. And, nearly 90% of the patients surveyed said they prefer to rely more on healthy eating than on medications to manage any health conditions.
Many pet-owning members of the public seem to have the same mindset with their pets, whether or not they consider it food is/as medicine: In a January 2025 survey by Packaged Facts of U.S. dog and cat owners, 80% cited pet food as a most important pet health product, and more than 20% reported seeking formulations targeting specific health and wellness needs.
Pet owners focus on pet food connection to health and wellness
Other Packaged Facts survey data support the mindset of pet food as medicine, or at least that it contributes to health and wellness. For example, the January survey showed 44% of dog owners and 49% of cat owners consider nutrition and diet among their top health and wellness concerns for their pets, ranking nearly the same as exercise and physical activity. Previous pet owner surveys indicated a willingness to pay more for pet foods with health and wellness benefits, at 74% in 2024, up from 66% in 2023.
Of course, someone saying they’re willing to spend more doesn’t mean they necessarily will, especially during challenging economic times. But the fact that U.S. dog and cat owners do buy pet foods addressing specific conditions, according to Packaged Facts, says something, even if the percentages are still relatively low. A 2024 survey showed that among pet owners who bought functional pet foods, 17% chose formulations intended to support general/overall health, with ones for specific conditions (such as allergies, skin and coat health, digestive health, dental/oral health) selected by 9% to 12%.
Accordingly, “most pet foods position around health and wellness in some way,” said Shannon Landry, Packaged Facts pet brand manager, during a Petfood Forum 2025 presentation. “Even value brands tout health claims.”
Disconnect as pet owners seek vets’ insights on pet food, nutrition
If there’s a key barrier to “pet food as pet medicine,” it’s the gap between pet owners’ health-and-wellness beliefs about pet food and a traditional lack of nutrition focus or knowledge among veterinarians. Packaged Facts data show choosing a pet food (including for preventive care) is the subject pet owners would most like to receive more guidance on from their veterinarians, with 24% of U.S. pet owners choosing that topic. Another 13% to 18% would like more guidance on other pet nutrition products, such as pet treats and supplements.
Yet, the Purina Institute reported earlier this year that “only one in five surveyed veterinary professionals say they proactively offer nutrition advice during most client visits,” according to David Sprinkle, director of pet market research for Packaged Facts, in his upcoming July 2025 Petfood Industry “Market Report” column.
Why? It mainly comes down to education, or the lack thereof. “Pet food has traditionally played a limited role in the vet school curriculum, and by extension in companion animal veterinary services,” Sprinkle writes. “Holistic or natural veterinary practices are a notable exception to the rule, but are used by only 6% of dog owners and 8% of cat owners who are veterinary customers, per Packaged Facts research.”
He notes that questions and concerns about the role of pet nutrition in vet curriculums date back to at least 1996, when a survey showed 70% of U.S. veterinarians reported feeling their nutrition education was inadequate. A 2016 survey showed little progress, as 64% of U.S. and Canadian veterinary students thought the emphasis on nutrition in their education was low.
“Veterinary schools are gradually increasing their attention to pet nutrition, most notably through certified veterinary nutritionist programs, which the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine added as a specialty in 2021,” Sprinkle adds. “Even so, Petfoodology (June 21, 2023), a publication of the Tufts University vet school, reported that board-certified veterinary nutritionists number only about 100 in the U.S.”
And, those experts “generally have institutional, corporate or government jobs (including at veterinary schools, specialty and teaching veterinary hospitals and leading pet food manufacturers),” he notes, rather than as practitioners advising pet owners on how best to feed their pets. Primary veterinarians may refer clients to certified nutritionists at vet schools or hospitals, for example, but such expertise typically comes at a significant cost that many pet owners are unable or unwilling to pay.
Can pet food companies help fill the gap?
Several larger pet food companies have long supported veterinary education, including Purina, Mars (and its subsidiary, Royal Canin) and Hill’s. It’s no coincidence that those are also the leading purveyors of veterinary diets for pets; often the information about pet foods veterinary students and practicing vets receive is specific to those products.
But that doesn’t mean these and other companies can’t, and don’t, play a crucial role in bridging the nutrition knowledge gap for veterinarians. For instance, the Purina Institute figure about how few vets proactively offer nutrition advice to clients came in a press release announcing a webinar series on pet nutrition for veterinarians, Sprinkle writes.
Other recent announcements include pet food companies funding clinical nutrition chairs or residencies at vet schools — for example, Royal Canin at Texas A&M University and the Farmer’s Dog at the University of Tennessee — joining several others at vet schools around the U.S. It’s good to see a smaller, specialist pet food company that doesn’t have a veterinary product line like the Farmer’s Dog join the group, following others such as Just Food for Dogs, which funds a nutrition rotation for veterinary students at Western University of Health Sciences.
These examples are not intended to be a complete list; at least several more exist. The point, and hope, is that the more companies that can help support nutrition education for veterinarians, the more practicing vets that can offer the advice and guidance pet owners want — and the better for everyone all around, especially the pets.
