Virbac Animal Health of Fort Worth, Texas, reported today that it has developed a program called Beware of Dog Breath. The program, which will continue through 2011, is designed to assist veterinarians with educating their clients about periodontal disease, said Denise Piekarski, senior marketing manager of the company. It also aims to increase awareness about the disease among pet owners. “The ‘85 percent of dogs and cats have periodontal disease’ statistic has been thrown around for a number of years, and our question here at Virbac is, what can be done to bring this number down?” Piekarski said. The Beware of Dog Breath program includes: • Pet owner education tools for veterinarians to use in clinic • Take-home education tools for veterinarians to provide to their clients • National consumer public relations efforts • Advertising in national pet enthusiast publications To request the education tools, veterinarians can contact their Virbac Animal Health sales representative. They can also call 800-338-3659 and ask for ‘inside sales.’ In addition, Virbac offers nine C.E.T. University continuing education courses online that focus on pet dental health. The courses are designed for veterinarians and technicians. Market research has shown that one of the biggest problems veterinarians face in the fight against periodontal disease is at-home dental care compliance, according to Virbac Animal Health. “Because we know compliance can get in the way of good oral health habits for pets, we offer a variety of products, so veterinarians can send clients home with the option that will work best for them,” Piekarski said. “We call it the Good, Better, Best system. Oral hygiene chews are a ‘good’ way to reduce tartar and plaque. Complementing chews with a water additive or oral rinse is ‘better,’ and also helps freshen breath. But the ‘best’ option is always brushing.” <Home>
