Internet survey of feeding, dietary supplement, and rehabilitative medical management use in flyball dogs.

A survey was designed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of feeding, dietary supplement use, and rehabilitative management use in flyball dogs. The survey was completed by 394 respondents. There were 12.5% ( n = 49/392) and 33.4% ( n = 131/392) of owners who fed home-cooked and raw diets, respectively, to their dogs. About 77.7% ( n = 306/394) and 56.6% ( n = 223/394) of owners used dietary supplement and rehabilitative management, respectively, primarily joint supplements (89.8%, n = 275/306) and chiropractic (73.1%, n = 163/223). Owners were more likely to use supplements ( P = 0.0002) and rehabilitative management ( P = 0.0001) when their dogs were injured. Dogs with more than one reported injury received rehabilitative management ( P < 0.0001) and used supplement ( P = 0.0006) more often. Key clinical message: There is considerable demand for non-commercial food, supplements, and rehabilitative management among flyball dog owners, underscoring the importance for veterinarians to understand the motivation of dog owners' decisions as well as the risks and benefits of these practices to ensure optimal outcomes for their patients.
(Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)