Eighty two percent of veterinarians responding to a recent survey from the American Veterinary Medical Association, said said, “all the time,” in response to the question, “How often do you start conversations with clients about pet nutrition?” It’s a hot topic. When asked if pet owners inquire more about pet food than in the past, 48 percent of the responding veterinarians said, “very much,” and 29 percent said, “a little.”
Source: Petfood Industry, February 2019. Link. Perhaps more telling, . . ., 91 percent of responding vets identified grain free as the pet food trend they hear most about from their clients, with a sharp drop-off to other trends: raw, 4.76 percent; unusual protein sources, 2.38 percent; and homemade pet food 1.59 percent.
INSIGHTS: With trends such as clean label, customized recipes and demand for human-grade enzymes and probiotics in pet foods, this will be a conversation starter for a long time to come.