Díaz-Regañón Fernández, David RafaelLlorca, CeliaSainz Rodríguez, ÁngelRodríguez Franco, FernandoVillaescusa Fernández, AlejandraOlmeda, PatriciaGarcía-Sancho Téllez, Mercedes Guadalupe2025-02-062025-02-062025Díaz-Regañón, D., Llorca, C., Sainz, Á., Rodríguez-Franco, F., Villaescusa, A., Olmeda, P., & García-Sancho, M. (2025). Exploring the popularity of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats: A cross-sectional opinion survey in Spain. The Veterinary record, e5013. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.50130042-490010.1002/vetr.5013https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/117895Author Contributions: Conceptualisation: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Literature review and questionnaire development: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Investigation: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Data formatting and analysis: David Díaz-Regañón and Mercedes García-Sancho. Writing—original draft preparation: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Writing—review and editing: Ángel Sainz, Fernando Rodríguez-Franco, Alejandra Villaescusa and Patricia Olmeda. Project administration: Mercedes García-Sancho. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.Background: Research on the general public's knowledge and usage patterns of pet food, particularly regarding raw meat-based diets (RMBDs), is limited in many countries, including Spain. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted to assess the Spanish population's understanding and perceptions of RMBDs for cats and dogs. Results: Of the 712 respondents, 46.77% were familiar with RMBDs, and 6% of pet owners reported using them. Dogs (7.61%) were more likely to be fed an RMBDs than cats (3.23%). While 66% of those familiar with RMBDs believed in their benefits, 96.40% recognised potential disadvantages. Concerns about risks to pets (63%) and those handling the food items (44.74%) were noted. Moreover, almost one in four owners (22.58%) who fed their pet an RMBDs lived with immunologically vulnerable people. Interestingly, confidence in veterinary advice was lower among owners using these diets. Limitations: Limitations intrinsic to questionnaire studies, such as potential response bias, are acknowledged. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of improved veterinarian‒client communication regarding pet nutrition, emphasising the need for veterinarians to play a more active educational role.engAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/journal article2042-7670https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.501339865417open access636.084Biologically appropriate raw foodDietPet foodPet ownersRaw meat-based dietsNutrición y cuidado de los animales3104.06 Nutrición