Just Love Me, Feed Me, Never Leave Me: Understanding Pet Food Anxiety, Feeding and Shopping Behavior of US Pet Owners in Covidian Times

Rombach, Meike; Dean, David L.

doi:10.3390/ani11113101

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…This article makes an intervention into alternative food geographies, utilizing critical animal studies and critical pet studies to highlight the importance of research on pet food because of these impacts. Additionally, it contributes to the literature on pet food that primarily examines nutrition (Buff et al, 2014;Nestle, 2008), sustainability (Alexander et al, 2020;De Silva and Turchini, 2008;Okin, 2017), pet food as a by-product of the meat industry (Castrica et al, 2018;Pirsich and Theuvsen, 2017), and consumer behaviors and understandings of dog food (Dodd et al,2020;Heinze, n.d.;Higa et al, 2021;Kamleh et al, 2020;Rombach and Dean, 2021;Rothgerber, 2013).…”

Section: Bring Pets and Their Food Into Food Geographiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That is, the innocence and non-violence towards pets distracts from the non-innocence and violent relationships we have with other nonhuman animals. A stronger bond between the dog and the human results in an increased desire to feed a pet premium or super-premium pet food, which generally contain a higher percentage of animal-based ingredients than non-premium food (Pirsich and Theuvsen, 2017; Rombach and Dean, 2021). The intimate dog-human bond alters and reinforces distant human-animal relations resulting in collective killing for the individual bond in the form of pet food (Gibbs, 2020).…”

Section: Tracing the Certified Humane Value Chainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, on their premium nutrition page, Open Farm claims that ‘dogs and cats thrive on quality protein, and quality protein starts with the animals, farms, and fisheries it's sourced from’ (Open Farm, Sept. 2022: ‘Premium Nutrition’). A significant portion of consumer understanding about premium nutrition comes from marketing in the pet food industry (Rombach and Dean, 2021). In a study of pet owners’ attitudes towards nutrition, the results showed that pet food packaging was the third leading factor in consumer decisions about which pet food to feed, behind veterinarian recommendations and online information (Kamleh et al, 2020).…”

Section: Wild Dog In the Home: Recruitment Of Consumers In Meat Produ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the same time, the dog's requirement for meat removes the human as an agent of killing as they fill their role of being a ‘responsible’ pet owner (Wrye, 2015: 109). Ultimately, the dogs’ needs are prioritized by the consumer, who is highly involved in the relationship with their dog, and farmed animals are ‘necessarily’ used as ingredients (Rombach and Dean, 2021).…”

Section: Wild Dog In the Home: Recruitment Of Consumers In Meat Produ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Humane dog food? caring and killing in the certified humane dog food value chain

Baker

2023

Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space

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The marketing of dog food influences pet-owners to nurture the ‘carnivorous’ nature of the dog, keeping animal-based protein central to the industry. Alas, dog food has a significant impact on welfare. Consumers are aware of this impact, shifting the industry towards alternative pet food movements such as Open Farm, the first certified humane food. This article examines the material and discursive practices through which ‘humaneness’ is constituted as a quality within the humane pet food supply chain and how it reinforces embedded animal hierarchies. By reviewing the marketing and history of commercial dog food production, I show how ‘caring’ for the carnivorous dog lays the framework for killing. I use Open Farm's transparency tool to trace the value chain and compare it with the imagery, discursive claims, and material practices found within the Global Animal Partnership standards. I argue that instead of questioning animal-based protein, humane certification creates an alternative in which the pet owner could still ‘care’ for the wildness of their domesticated dog while simultaneously ‘caring’ for farmed animals. Thus, it reinforces the hierarchies of the industry. Additionally, the validity of the humane claims depends on the animals’ charisma and proximity to humans. In other words, marketing in the humane dog food supply chain creates animal–animal positionalities, in which the animals’ care or killability is mediated through the humans’ supply chain and marketing. However, as I show with interview data, the hierarchies are fragile and must be continuously reinforced, as animals can slip into different positions. Their proximity to humans alters their positionality and their killability.

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Section: Bring Pets and Their Food Into Food Geographiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Tracing the Certified Humane Value Chainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Wild Dog In the Home: Recruitment Of Consumers In Meat Produ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Wild Dog In the Home: Recruitment Of Consumers In Meat Produ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Humane dog food? caring and killing in the certified humane dog food value chain

Baker

2023

Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space

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“…In response to the rising awareness of pet obesity and the associated dietary restrictions imposed by owners, manufacturers of pet probiotics have discerned the evolving needs of pet owners. This recognition has prompted a focus on developing products that align with the dietary requirements of obese pets, reflecting a growing market demand for specialized pet nutrition ( 6 – 8 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary supplementation with probiotics promotes weight loss by reshaping the gut microbiome and energy metabolism in obese dogs

Kang,

Kwak,

Lee

et al. 2024

Microbiol Spectr

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Obesity and overweight among companion animals are significant concerns, paralleling the issues observed in human populations. Recent research has highlighted the potential benefits of various probiotics in addressing weight-related changes, obesity, and associated pathologies. In this study, we delved into the beneficial probiotic mechanisms in high-fat-induced obese canines, revealing that Enterococcus faecium IDCC 2102 (IDCC 2102) and Bifidobacterium lactis IDCC 4301 (IDCC 4301) have the capacity to mitigate the increase in body weight and lipid accumulation in obese canines subjected to a high-fat diet and hyperlipidemic Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) strain VS29. Both IDCC 2102 and IDCC 4301 demonstrated the ability to reduce systemic inflammation and hormonal disruptions induced by obesity. Notably, these probiotics induced modifications in the microbiota by promoting lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacillaceae , Ruminococcaceae , and S24-7 , with concomitant activation of pyruvate metabolism. IDCC 4301, through the generation of bacterial short-chain fatty acids and carboxylic acids, facilitated glycolysis and contributed to ATP synthesis. Meanwhile, IDCC 2102 produced bacterial metabolites such as acetic acid and butyric acid, exhibiting a particular ability to stimulate dopamine synthesis in a canine model. This stimulation led to the restoration of eating behavior and improvements in glucose and insulin tolerance. In summary, we propose novel probiotics for the treatment of obese animals based on the modifications induced by IDCC 2102 and IDCC 4301. These probiotics enhanced systemic energy utilization in response to high caloric intake, thereby preventing lipid accumulation and restoring stability to the fecal microbiota. Consequently, this intervention resulted in a reduction in systemic inflammation caused by the high-fat diet. IMPORTANCE Probiotic supplementation affected commensal bacterial proliferation, and administering probiotics increased glycolysis and activated pyruvate metabolism in the body, which is related to propanate metabolism as a result of pyruvate metabolism activation boosting bacterial fatty acid production via dopamine and carboxylic acid specialized pathways, hence contributing to increased ATP synthesis and energy metabolism activity.

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An Examination of the Pet Food Buying Behavior Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cozma

Cosma

Văleanu

2022

Post-Pandemic Realities and Growth in Eastern Europe

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Just Love Me, Feed Me, Never Leave Me: Understanding Pet Food Anxiety, Feeding and Shopping Behavior of US Pet Owners in Covidian Times

Cited by 7 publications

References 66 publications

Humane dog food? caring and killing in the certified humane dog food value chain

Humane dog food? caring and killing in the certified humane dog food value chain

Dietary supplementation with probiotics promotes weight loss by reshaping the gut microbiome and energy metabolism in obese dogs

An Examination of the Pet Food Buying Behavior Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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