Science Meets Flavor: Enhancing Pet Food Palatability After Surgery

Dogs and cats have an intense ability to smell, and their preferences are used to develop tasty pet foods. This is important because you can have the best nutrition in the world, but if dogs and cats don’t want to eat it, you won’t be effectively delivering that nutrition. Additionally, we all know that it’s important for pet parents to give their pets foods that are not just good for them, but that they will enjoy eating. However, since our pets cannot verbalize their preferences, we rely on research tools like preference tests to understand what they desire in their food. Preference tests, which are essentially taste tests for pets, allow dogs and cats to decide which foods they like. When transitioning to a new food, there are tips to facilitate the process, ensuring effective communication between the veterinary healthcare team and pet parents to support their understanding of proper feeding practices, especially when recovering from surgery.