Today's Veterinary Practice

JUL-AUG 2012

Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.

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HOT TOPIC PRESERVING YOUR PARASITE PREVENTIVE PROGRAM Christine M. Meredith, VMD, and Travis B. Meredith, DVM, MBA, Diplomate ACT I t's summer again and most practices are in the swing of the preventive medicine push. As the bugs come out, much of our time is spent communicating with clients about preventing the clinical diseases associated with fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and other vectors. The exceptionally mild winter in many areas of the country gave rise to an early spring and predictions for a more intense risk of parasites. In April, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (capcvet.org) released a report predicting increased risk of heartworm disease nation- wide (petsandparasites.org). This initial "parasite forecast" is based on National Weather Service data, weather trends, parasite preva- lence statistics, and the collective opinion of partici- pating parasitologists. This fall, CAPC plans to issue another parasite forecast, expanding their predictive forecasts to include ticks. These forecasts, along with other incidence publica- tions, can be utilized to support a clinic's messaging and are often integrated into client communication tools, such as in-clinic posters or handouts, emails, and newsletters as well as social media and website content. While any exercise that increases pet owner aware- ness is good for preventive medicine, we often wonder if these forecasts will change our clients' perceptions or what we do in our practices. From a day-to-day perspec- tive, does awareness alone influence our clients' buying behavior or are there more factors that shape this issue? Links to CAPC Forecast & AAHA Industry Review r To read about CAPC's 2012 Heartworm Forecast, go to capcvet.org/about-capc/news-events and select: » CAPC Encourages Veterinary Visits with Successful Spring Forecast Initiative » CAPC Releases Public Service Announcement on Heartworm Disease. r To view AAHA's State of the Industry 2010 Review presentation, visit trends.aahanet.org/uploads/201 1AAHAStateoftheIndustryReport1.pdf. 70 Today's Veterinary Practice July/August 2012 COMPLIANCE It is no secret that patient compliance for preventive products purchased through the veterinary practice is less than stellar: UÊ/hiÊ miÀiV>nÊ i>ÀÌÜoÀmÊ-oViiÌÞÊheartworm society.org) reports that 64% of dogs leave their vet- erinarians' offices without heartworm preventive. UÊ VVoÀ`in}ÊÌoÊÌhiÊ miÀiV>nÊ nim>lÊ oëiÌ>lÊ ÃÃo- ciation's (aahanet.org) State of the Industry 2010 Review, less than 40% of dog owners who visit their veterinarians regularly purchase preventive products from them as well. UÊ"nlÞÊ1/3 of veterinary practices audit patient com- pliance for preventive products on a regular basis. From our perspective, the real challenge of client compliance and parasite prevention isn't just aware- ness—it's the reality that more and more consumers are seeking preventive products outside the traditional veterinary channels. WHY NOT US? So why are pet owners looking outside the veterinary practice for parasite preventives? Convenience Pet products that were once only available from the veterinarian are now everywhere: on television, online, and on retail shelves. Because our profession has traditionally refrained from marketing, veterinar- ians have naturally dropped from the top of the con- sumer's mind when they are purchasing these prod- ucts. Instead, pet owners turn to the first places that come to mind—the outlets that expose them to these products on a regular basis. In retail, convenience can be one of the most signifi- cant drivers of consumer purchase behaviors. UÊ ÊÓääÇÊ ÃÕÀÛiÞÊLÞÊ ÌhiÊ iilÃinÊ om«>nÞÊ ÀiÛi>li`Ê that the number one reason cited by consumers for shopping online was convenience, followed by (saving) time, and with price a distant third.1 UÊ nÊÓ䣣]Ê>nÊiÃÌim>Ìi`Ê£xäÊmillionÊ1°-°ÊVonÃÕmiÀÃÊ made at least one purchase online.2

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