Unconventional feeding methods in dogs and cats

Abstract

The goal of this thesis was to investigate owners’ motivation behind their current feeding regime, mainly the decision of using meat based or plant-based diets, as these diets are becoming more popular. Another important factor was to investigate which sources owners used to gain information about their current applied diet. An online survey which consisted of 42 questions was made and published in multiple Facebook groups associated with raw feeding; (“Raw food diets for dogs and cats” with 2500 members), plant-based diets (“vegan dog food” with 19 000 members) and a Norwegian hunting dog group (“Beagle Norge” with 5200 members). The data were collected in the fall of 2021. Eighty-five responses were collected for the dog survey and only eight cat owners