THE MAD VET

Chronic health problems in companion animals are on the rise. Periodontal disease alone affects 85% of dogs and cats over three years old, and conditions like diabetes, obesity, and cancer are increasingly common across breeds and age groups. At the same time, the veterinary profession is under enormous pressure — with practitioner suicide rates sitting at four times the Australian national average and many vets feeling caught between their training and what they observe in practice.
Veterinarian Tom Lonsdale believes these issues are connected — and that the answers lie in what we feed our pets. His 35 years of clinical evidence, supported by leading international experts and the subject of government enquiries, points to the role that processed pet food and commercial influence over veterinary education play in the health outcomes we see today. The Mad Vet brings these questions to a wider audience, inviting pet owners, veterinary professionals, and the broader community into a conversation that is long overdue.

Our vision is to start an honest, evidence-based conversation about pet nutrition — one that includes the voices of veterinary professionals, independent researchers, and the millions of pet owners who want the best for their animals.
By examining the forces shaping veterinary care and pet nutrition, The Mad Vet seeks to support the profession — not undermine it — while empowering pet owners to make more informed choices about what they feed their companions.

The Mad Vet seeks to raise awareness and spark meaningful discussion at multiple levels:
Individual: Help pet owners access independent information about pet nutrition so they can make informed decisions about their animals’ diets.
Professional: Support veterinarians in having open conversations about nutrition, clinical outcomes, and the pressures they face within the profession.
Community: Bring the discussion into local communities through cinema screenings, Q&A events, and conversations about pet health.
Broader conversation: Contribute to the growing public dialogue around processed food — for both humans and animals — and the importance of transparency in how it is produced, marketed, and recommended.

Tom Lonsdale’s decades of clinical work, his established support base, and his network of veterinary and scientific experts provide a strong foundation for audience engagement around The Mad Vet.
The film has been developed with community impact at its core. Local cinema screenings allow audiences anywhere to bring the conversation to their area, turning passive viewership into active discussion. Partner organisations with engaged audiences are integrated into the outreach strategy, connecting the film with pet owners, veterinary professionals, and health-conscious communities worldwide.
This grassroots approach — backed by expert credibility and proven distribution infrastructure — positions The Mad Vet to sustain the conversation well beyond its initial release.

We hope audiences will:
Explore the growing body of independent research into species-appropriate pet nutrition and consider what it means for their own animals.
Share the film with fellow pet owners, friends, and their veterinary professionals to broaden the conversation.
Host a local cinema screening and bring the discussion to their community.
Support the veterinary professionals featured in the film who are working to improve outcomes for both animals and the people who care for them.