Usage Patterns of Therapeutic Nutritional Support Products in Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics: A Survey-Based Study

Therapeutic products such as prescription diets and nutritional supplements have been used for many years in veterinary practice to support treatment and improve animal health. Although many researches have been conducted on the clinical effects of these products, no studies have examined their usage patterns either in Türkiye or in other countries. This study aims to put a spotlight on the factors that influence veterinarians by product-specifics. A voluntary survey was conducted with a total of 287 veterinarians providing services for companion animals in several cities in Türkiye, and the responses were collected online via SurveyMonkey. Twenty parameters were examined with this study, and these parameters were prepared to reveal the factor in which veterinarians consider when they choose products. The findings of these study showed that veterinarians often use prescription diets and nutritional supplements as part of their treatment protocols and regard them as effective. Gastrointestinal, urinary, skin, and renal diseases are the disorders for which prescription diets are most commonly used. Similarly, therapeutic supplements are mostly used in skin, renal, and immune system diseases. Therapeutic products are most frequently used for prophylactic purposes to prevent immune-related disorders. Also, therapeutic product groups that are considered the most effective are primarily used for urinary and skin diseases. The analysis revealed that veterinarians use therapeutic products for cats (74.9%) the most, and the most frequently used dosage forms are twist-off (28.9%) and liquid (27.8%). Veterinarians reported that they pay the most attention to knowledge of product ingredients (78.6%), whereas the origin of the product is not important for 56.2% of them. When they were asked about four factors related to product selection (knowledge of product ingredients, production facility, suppliers, and product certificates), veterinarians stated that all of these factors are important. For the companion animal owners, veterinary recommendation was the most important factor influencing product selection. Additionally, the combined use of therapeutic products may be appropriate depending on the disease, and 56.7% of veterinarians supported the daily usage of nutritional supplements.