Beyond all trends and fads, nutrition is the overarching goal of the dog, cat and other pet food industries. Pet owners, veterinarians, and pet food manufacturers all aim to provide pets with complete and balanced nutrition. However, communication between these groups can be complex. For example, veterinarians and pet owners may differ in their assessments of pet obesity. Recommendations from veterinarians can play an important role for pet owners seeking the ideal diet for their pets. But four main barriers can impede nutrition communication between pet owners and veterinarians. Researchers identified the challenges they faced 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 main barriers to nutrition communication emerged.
1 time
Veterinarians had limited time to spend with each pet owner. During this time, they often had a specific problem to solve, leaving little time to discuss the general topic of nutrition.
“Additionally, some participants suggested they had difficulty making time for outside nutrition research and education,” the researchers wrote.
2. Misinformation and information overload
Like the recent TikTok rumor about Purina PetCare products, the internet can offer pet owners more misinformation than fact. Veterinarians surveyed felt it was easier for pet owners to find disreputable sites and unreliable sources online. What further complicates the issue is that these websites may be more attractive to customers than those with actual scientific data and veterinary support.
“Any research on pet nutrition has resulted in pages of blogs, websites, and other platforms where participants express that non-professionals can also offer their opinions and advice,” the researchers wrote.
3. Pet owners’ anxiety about new information
Even when veterinarians have time to talk to pet owners about nutrition, these sources of misinformation have made clients resistant to empirical information and medical opinions. Barriers to communication with pet owners were multifaceted. Study participants described how pet owners often have preconceived notions about nutrition (mostly from misinformation found on the internet and from outside sources such as breeders and pet store employees). Pet owners sometimes did not believe their pet’s weight was a health problem. Customers tended to have a mindset that the owner was the expert on their pet’s health and that veterinarians were either uneducated in pet nutrition or biased towards pet food company sponsorships.
4. Confidence in veterinarians’ nutritional knowledge and communication skills
In some cases, veterinarians agreed with pet owners that their college educations did not focus on nutrition and its effects on health. Even veterinarians who felt well-educated about nutrition did not feel they had adequate training on how to convey this nutritional information to pet owners.
“Regardless of their education level, participants agreed that they generally had low self-confidence when talking about nutrition with clients,” the study authors wrote. “Practitioners said they had difficulty convincing owners that the foods recommended by veterinarians were valuable because there were no reliable sources to support their recommendations. Participants noted that this was especially true in situations where clinicians were trying to recommend dietary changes for healthy animals.”
Solutions to pet owner communication barriers
In addition to noting problems, working groups also discussed potential solutions. Veterinarians recommended improving communication and nutrition education at the college level and after graduation. Veterinarians have called for more material for pet owners written in easy-to-read and understandable language. Many of the study participants had collected their own resources to share with clients during visits and send home with them. Veterinarians, as well as technicians and support staff, should be empowered to manage nutrition discussions with pet owners as long as the message remains consistent.
The study authors concluded: “Research and development of best practices on how to effectively incorporate nutrition into the daily realities of a busy veterinary practice are likely necessary to further support the veterinary profession’s efforts to incorporate nutrition into most consultations.” “More research is needed with veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary support staff, and pet owners to create effective solutions to help eliminate barriers to nutrition communication in veterinary medicine.”