Pet owners are putting their cats and dogs at risk of infection by feeding them homemade, raw, vegetarian and vegan diets, a scientist has warned. And a survey of 3,100 pet owners revealed one in five dogs and one in 20 cats are already fed a solely vegan or vegetarian diet by their owners. 'Avoidance of conventional pet foods in favour of home-made and raw food products may put the health of dogs and cats at risk. 'Home-made raw food diets pose an additional risk of infection in the absence of chemical or heat treatment steps to kill potentially harmful bacteria. They identified nine studies which suggested shoppers are turning away from shop-bought pet foods, particularly as the sole diet, in favour of home-made alternatives.

Source: Daily Mail June 18, 2020 22:31 UTC