9 Feb 2023
Developers believe the platform can help vets tackle the subject with their clients and say professionals need to take the initiative before clients look for answers elsewhere.
Allister Webb
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Image: © New Africa / Adobe Stock.
A new online pet nutrition resource has been launched in a move its creators hope will make the subject more accessible to both vets and their clients.
The CentreSquare initiative from the Purina Institute offers support materials in six areas – life stage nutrition, focused nutrition, therapeutic nutrition, understanding pet food, nutritional and clinical assessment tools, and nutrition conversations – and in several languages.
Its developers believe the project can ease vets’ workload by providing the information they need in one place, while also making potentially difficult discussions with pet owners easier.
Daniel Rodes, the institute’s European leader, said: “Even before the pandemic, the reality was that while 4 out of 5 pet owners said they wanted pet nutrition advice from their veterinarians, only 1 in 5 veterinarians were proactively discussing nutrition with clients.
“If veterinarians and clinic staff members don’t lead the nutrition dialogue, their clients will look for answers elsewhere – often from unreliable sources.
“We believe it is time for veterinary professionals to take back those important conversations.”
Initial research in North America has indicated strong support for the platform, with 85% of respondents saying they found the information easy to share with pet owners.
The project has also been backed by veterinary nutritionist Myriam Hesta of the University of Ghent, who said it can increase professional confidence in dealing with the subject.
She said: “It’s very easy to find information on a certain topic and the vet, who’s always limited in time, can even choose what to watch/read based on the available time as the informative videos have a time indication.
“As nutrition is key in the health of our pets, this will improve the pet’s well-being and this is the goal of every veterinarian.”
Purina has also announced it is donating one million pet food pouches from its Felix and Gourmet ranges to Community Shop, a social enterprise supermarket that sells food to its members at heavily discounted prices.
Purina has donated to Community Shop in the past, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this is its biggest donation to date.
