118. Viral vs empirical: Informing Pet Parents How to Make Appropriate Pet Food Purchasing Decisions and Tackling Nutritional Misinformation.

Abstract The pet food market has expanded substantially alongside the growing importance of dogs and cats within modern families. The role of companion animals has changed rapidly as a consequence of social transformations. As a result, dogs and cats increasingly serve as sources of emotional support and companionship, leading to profound changes in the relationship between owners and their pets. This societal shift has been accompanied by increasingly sophisticated nutritional approaches, with products tailored not only to the physiological needs of dogs and cats but also to the cultural values, lifestyles, and philosophical beliefs of the families that care for them. At the same time, concerns regarding the environmental impact of human food consumption have intensified, making companion animals an important consideration in discussions of environmental sustainability and responsible resource use. Field studies demonstrate that pet food purchasing decisions are primarily driven by emotional attachment rather than objective nutritional criteria. The selection of higher-quality and more expensive diets is significantly associated with the strength of the human–animal bond rather than household income or educational level. This perception of dogs and cats as family members has accelerated pet humanization, creating a self-reinforcing cycle in which owners’ expectations are strengthened and indirectly encouraged by industry marketing strategies. One consequence has been the expansion of nutritional approaches and commercial products based largely on consumer desires rather than scientific evidence. Many product development and marketing strategies prioritize owners’ cultural values, personal opinions, and philosophical preferences. Although these approaches may meet consumer expectations, they do not necessarily represent the healthiest choices for companion animals, and best options to human society, or the environment. Veterinarians and the pet food industry play central roles in shaping owners’ perceptions of nutritional quality, food safety, and environmental sustainability. Recently, social media platforms and so-called influencers have increased their influence, becoming a new component of the pet food purchasing process, shaping consumer awareness, attitudes, and perceptions of product quality, particularly during the pre-purchase stage, by influencing the definition of what is considered “healthy,” promoting pet humanization, introducing new feeding philosophies, increasing trust in emerging brands, and accelerating the adoption of niche diets. Consequently, owners often struggle to distinguish scientifically supported nutritional claims from marketing-driven messages or influencers on social media. In this scenario, the presentation discusses the need to balance the perspectives of all stakeholders and examines the potential drawbacks of product development and communication strategies that prioritize owners’ expectations over the biological and nutritional needs of dogs and cats. Finally, the presentation advocates for communication and marketing strategies based on education and scientific evidence, rather than consumer beliefs, as the primary drivers of product development and marketing, thereby supporting better owner decision-making, animal health, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility.