A Pets at Home study into pet food labelling has discovered that one in four pet owners (24 per cent) admit they have never read the ingredients label on their dog’s food – and eight per cent cannot remember if they ever have.

The retailer has launched its What’s in the Recipe?’ campaign, backed by farmer and television personality Jimmy Doherty.

With terms such as ‘meat and animal derivatives’ and ‘derivatives of vegetable origin’ listed on pet food labels, Pets at Home said the confusion expressed by a quarter of pet owners (25 per cent) comes as no surprise. Some 42 per cent admitted they did not know how the ingredients are listed on a dog food label and choose the food mainly because their dog likes the taste (46 per cent).

The report found that, on average, pet owners will feed their pet the same brand of dry dog food for three years and will only switch brands twice in their dog’s lifetime. One in 10 have not changed brands in over five years, Pets at Home said.

Jimmy Doherty said: “We all want to know what goes into the food that we eat, so it’s only right that we know what’s in our pet’s food too.

“With Pets at Home’s help and expertise, pet owners can learn how to read the label and check the ingredients on their dog’s food, and free in-store nutritional consultations will help people learn more about choosing the best diet for their dog.”

Scott Jefferson, marketing director at Pets at Home, added: “At Pets at Home we think ingredients matter, so understanding ingredients is the first step in choosing the right food for your dog. We want to make it clear what dog food ingredient terms really mean, so pet owners have a better idea of what goes into their pet’s food.”