Survey weighs up potential reasons behind the pet obesity crisis
A new international survey of pet owners has revealed that: Over half of cat and dog owners always or often give their pet food if they beg for it (54 percent) Almost a quarter (22 perce...
Mars Petcare acquires Genoscoper Laboratories
Mars Petcare acquired Genoscoper Laboratories, a specialist in molecular diagnostics for companion animals. The acquisition will accelerate the pace of discoveries in genetics, to form the basis...
A new way to test new umami flavours that might appeal to cats
How many taste sensations do you have? Until recently, most of us were taught at school that there are four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Scientists have been able to show that we have ...
A starch-rich horse diet impacts hormone levels used to diagnose equine disease
It’s an unfamiliar look for a horse: a long coat all year, abnormal sweat patches, and unusual body fat distribution. Yet a proportion of aged horses may be exhibiting these signs as part of the chang...
Grass length can affect muzzled grazing behaviour in ponies
Grazing muzzles can be an effective tool to help with equine weight management, according to new research, but longer grass can be more difficult for muzzled ponies to graze. This can cause frustratio...
Cat foods need the perfect combination of great flavour and nutrition
A study has revealed that while flavour is important initially cats learn to choose their food based on nutrition rather than flavour. The study published in Royal Society Open Science confirms that o...
Are you feeding your horse enough hay?
Horses have evolved to graze frequently on small amounts for up to 15 hours a day. But today, horses and ponies are frequently stabled for part or all of the day and fed a limited supply of preserved ...
Weight loss significantly improves overweight dogs' quality of life
February 2012Owners of obese dogs that are successful in losing weight notice significant improvement in their dogs’ health-related quality of life, a collaborative team of researchers has shown. The ...