Most of the people I hang with have a PhD, although a few have an MS. We’re all pretty knowledgeable about scientific matters.
Ironically, most of the people I see who are obsessed with nutrition are not scientists, and their knowledge is... well, to be blunt, most of it falls into the realm of pseudoscience. It is my observation that the majority of nutrition information available out there is just plain wrong. I do not doubt that many of the people making their own dog/cat/baby food read quite extensively on the subject—it’s just that they don’t have good sources for their information.
Pet food manufacturers are required to test their foods empirically, by feeding them for several months to animals whose health status is assessed by a veterinarian before and after the feeding study. Unless people use recipes that have been tested in a similar manner, they cannot really know they are feeding foods containing all of the needed nutrients. Cats, for example, can go blind if their food lacks a specific amino acid (taurine)—how many people can test whether a food contains adequate taurine in their kitchens?
Despite the plethora of bad nutrition information that exists, I think that most people do have some instinctive sense about what we should and shouldn’t eat or feed our babies, but we don’t have that same instinct about our animals. So it really is a challenge to make sure they get the proper food. A dog or cat can’t tell you if their diet is making them feel bad.
we don’t have that same instinct about our animals. So it really is a challenge to make sure they get the proper food.
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This is the source of our extremely low grade disagreement.
The properly motivated have access to a plethora of resources from which to choose. It is not a challenge to find good information at all, if one is willing to put in the effort. A good place to start? Your vet. I am blessed with a great one.