Inaccurate assessment of canine body condition score, bodyweight, and pet food labels: a potential cause of inaccurate feeding

Yam, P. S. , Naughton, G., Butowski, C. F. and Root, A. L. (2017) Inaccurate assessment of canine body condition score, bodyweight, and pet food labels: a potential cause of inaccurate feeding. Veterinary Sciences, 4(2), 30. (doi: 10.3390/vetsci4020030) (PMID:29056689) (PMCID:PMC5606605)

Abstract

The objectives were to investigate owners’ ability to assign the correct bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) to their dog and to interpret wet and dry pet food labels by estimating how much to feed daily. One hundred and seventy-four questionnaires were completed. Owner estimated BW was compared to actual BW, correct being defined within ±10% of actual BW. Correct interpretation of the total amount of food required was determined by the number of cans (±25% of cans) required for wet food and grams (±20% of grams) for dry food, based on the dog’s actual BW, the feeding guidelines on the label, and a comparison with the owner’s estimate. Eleven percent of owners overestimated BCS and 19% overestimated BW. Only 48% of owners could correctly estimate their dog’s BW. Only 23% and 43% of owners could correctly estimate how much wet and dry food to feed, respectively. Chi-square analysis demonstrated a significant positive association for owners correctly estimating their dog’s BW and interpreting the wet pet food label. Many owners are not aware of their pet’s BCS and BW and cannot accurately interpret pet food labels. Further owner education to improve these skills is needed if dogs are to be fed correctly.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Yam, Dr Philippa
• Authors: Yam, P. S., Naughton, G., Butowski, C. F., and Root, A. L.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Veterinary Sciences
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2306-7381
• ISSN (Online): 2306-7381
• Published Online: 09 June 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Veterinary Sciences 4(2): 30
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license