Abstract
In a world of the “Three Rs” (replace, reduce and refine), combined with more research published via open access research journals, there is increasing interest in the statistical analysis of existing literature. Meta-analysis – the combination of multiple studies, can be used to get better oversight into a specific question of interest. Additionally, it can be used to identify gaps in knowledge. For example, while there are a number of publications investigating energy requirements in adult cat and dog, few studies assess older animals. Similarly, in the dog, there is a lack of literature around dogs at the extremes of body size (i.e. giant and toy breeds). Herein, we describe several published examples that have been used to determine energy requirements of cats and dogs, and more recently, the impacts of diet on the microbiome of the cat and dog. This includes the use of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, research findings and general findings related to research design and quality.