Mars flags early switch from puppy ...

More than half of dog owners move their puppy onto adult food before the animal reaches 12 months, according to consumer research released by Mars Pet Nutrition ahead of International Dog Day on 26 August. The company puts the figure at 53% but has not published a sample size, a fieldwork period or the markets covered.

Mars contrasts the finding with veterinary practice, under which the switch is timed to the point at which a puppy has reached its expected adult size – a stage that can take up to two years in large breeds. Puppies require up to 3.5 times as much protein and twice as much fat as adult dogs, along with higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which the company links to brain and vision development. Where a growth diet falls short of requirements, Mars points to deficiency risks including impaired growth and weak bone development.

The company sets the finding against wider ownership data: according to Mars Pet Nutrition, there are more than one billion pets worldwide, and 37% of owners regard their pet as the most important thing in their lives. Neither figure is sourced in the material.

The research was issued as part of a wider set of nutritional talking points under the name of Elisabetta Pierangelo, global VP of R&D at Mars Pet Nutrition, with input from the group's Waltham Petcare Science Institute. The remaining points cover the role of pre-, pro- and postbiotics in supporting the gut microbiome; the fact that dogs cannot synthesise vitamin D through the skin and depend on dietary supply of 11 vitamins and 12 minerals; insect protein as a lower-footprint alternative protein source; and dental care, where Mars cites gum disease in four out of five dogs over the age of three, likewise without a source for the figure.

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