2018 Surveys & Data

2018 APOP Pet Obesity and Nutrition Opinion Survey

The 2018 APOP Pet Obesity and Nutrition Opinion Survey is a cross-sectional survey assessing perspectives, awareness, and self-reported practices related to companion animal nutrition, weight management, feeding behaviors, and pet food purchasing among U.S. pet owners and veterinary professionals. Respondents reported on dogs and cats, including weight loss efforts, nutrition recommendations, and perceptions of popular pet food claims and feeding trends. Findings reflect self-reported perceptions and behaviors rather than veterinarian-assessed body condition score (BCS).

• Weight loss efforts: 68% of pet owners and 80% of veterinary professionals reported attempting to help a pet lose weight. The most commonly used strategies were calorie reduction or smaller portions (68%), increased exercise (61%), low-calorie or low-fat diets (29%), and therapeutic or prescription diets (19%).
• Perceived effectiveness of weight loss methods: Calorie reduction and increased exercise were rated as the most effective approaches. Thirty-eight percent of respondents rated calorie reduction as very effective and 33% as somewhat effective. Increased exercise was rated very effective by 36% and somewhat effective by 30%. Therapeutic weight loss diets were used less often, with many respondents reporting they had never tried them.
• Diet recommendation gap: 68% of pet owners said they wanted their veterinarian to recommend a routine or maintenance diet, yet only 38% reported receiving such a recommendation during the previous year. Twenty-two percent said they had to ask, and 40% reported receiving no dietary advice.
• Confidence in veterinary nutrition knowledge: About two-thirds of pet owners agreed that veterinarians are knowledgeable about pet nutrition, while 20% disagreed and 13% reported uncertainty.
• Weight discussion and monitoring: 53% of pet owners reported that their veterinarian discussed their pet’s weight during the annual visit, 19% said this occurred occasionally, 20% said only when asked, and 8% said it did not occur. Forty-four percent of respondents reported weighing their pet every few months, while 28% reported doing so yearly.
• Perceived healthfulness of diets and ingredients:
  • Grain-free diets: 40% of dog owners and 45% of cat owners considered grain-free diets healthy, compared with 13% of veterinary professionals who owned dogs and 15% who owned cats. Uncertainty remained high, with 36% of dog owners and 35% of cat owners reporting “I don’t know.”
  • Low-glycemic dog foods: 27.7% of dog owners and 20.3% of veterinary professionals considered these diets healthier, while 62.5% of dog owners and 41.4% of veterinary professionals reported uncertainty.
  • Raw meat diets: 29.4% of dog owners and 22% of cat owners considered raw meat diets healthier than commercial pet food, compared with 5.4% of veterinary professionals with dogs and less than 1% with cats. Uncertainty was also common, with 39.9% of dog owners and 41.9% of cat owners answering “I don’t know.”
• Alternative protein interest: Clean meat was the most appealing alternative protein source, with 55.2% of cat owners and 55.8% of dog owners reporting they would consider feeding it. Interest was lower for cultured poultry, pea protein, insect protein, cultured beef, cultured mouse, soy, mushroom, and fungal proteins, although many respondents selected “maybe” for these options.
• Feeding practices: Dry kibble remained the dominant feeding format. Eighty-two percent of cat owners and 78% of dog owners reported feeding dry food exclusively or most of the time. Canned or moist foods were fed exclusively by 8% of cat owners and 4% of dog owners, with additional respondents feeding canned diets most of the time.
• Pet food purchase influencers: Pet owners were more influenced by marketing claims such as “corn and soy free,” “no by-products,” “non-GMO,” and “organic,” while veterinary professionals were more likely to report that none of these claims affected their purchasing or that manufacturer or employee discount was influential. “Sourced and made in the U.S.A.” was also more influential among pet owners than veterinary professionals.
• Pet food purchasing channels: Pet owners most commonly purchased pet food from online stores and specialty pet stores, followed by big chain stores. Veterinary professionals most commonly purchased pet food through veterinary clinics, followed by online and specialty pet stores.

These findings indicate that many pet owners remain uncertain about nutrition and weight management despite strong interest in veterinary guidance. Differences between pet owners and veterinary professionals were especially evident in beliefs about grain-free diets, raw diets, low-glycemic foods, and pet food marketing claims.