Dog owners across the UK have shared concerns about shortages of some types of pet foods.
Earlier this week, businesswoman Deborah Meaden from the Dragon’s Den TV programme tweeted her 440,000 followers, asking: “Anyone experiencing pet food shortages?”
This followed an email sent on Monday by Sainsbury’s to customers who usually order pet food, apologising for running out of dog and cat food pouches due to a “national shortage”.
Responding to the post by Meaden, who said in a 2020 interview that she had four dogs and two cats, other social media users shared their own tales of grumpy pets who were facing restricted diets.
One said: “Yep, struggling to get branded dog food pouches and having to rely on supermarket's own at the moment. Although the dog would rather I just get him a chicken.”
Another said that their preferred brand was made in Europe, which had sparked delays after the end of the Brexit transition period: “Got an email from pet food company saying that as they manufacture in Germany they will be out of certain lines for a while. “
Other dog owners said they had struggled to get specific foods to support their pets’ health and dietary needs.
“For the particular prescription diet I need (ongoing degenerative condition), that’s been the case since January. Manufacturer told me they don’t expect it to get any better and told me was due to demand at the back end of last year and Brexit. Incredibly worrying,” one owner told Meaden.
Another added: ”Fellow dog walker on the green this morning saying they can’t get their usual brand of Hills special dog food. The dog has kidney problems that are kept under control with Hills, but refusing to eat alternative brand.”
