Veterinaries' opinions on the safest nutrition methods for pets in Italy 2020

A survey conducted in 2020 investigated what is the opinion of Italian veterinaries about the healthiest way to feed our pets in order to promote their health. Some 86 percent of the veterinaries declared a nutrition based on industrial ready-made food to be the healthiest, with only four percent of the respondents disagreeing on this point. No clear opinion about home-made foods emerged, as half of the veterinaries found it to be a safe method and 35 percent of them did not take a stand. Nutrition inspired by the BARF method, standing for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, gathered supporters accounting only for five percent of the sample. The method most veterinaries strongly disagree with (61 percent) is nutrition based on leftovers from owners' meals, with 87 percent of the respondents discouraging this practice.