Buying
a Veterinarian
by
Dr. Laurie Coger
I recently read a highly
informative article by Dr. Laurie Coger regarding pet foods sold at veterinarian
offices. More importantly, how those
food companies are impacting the thinking and decision making of veterinary
students.
Pet Food Programs in Vet
Schools
Most if not all veterinary
schools have some sort of Pet Food Program featuring brands like Royal Canin,
Hill’s Science Diet, and Purina. Suddenly, “premium” food and “prescription”
diets are affordable to the broke vet student. The very foods listed on the
laminated notebook insert with the conditions where they should be used are clearly
listed. The products they hear about in their internal medicine lectures, the
brands that have given them books, backpacks, scrub shirts, and other imprinted
sway are all available to students at an exceptionally low cost. When Dr. Coger
was a vet student, she could purchase a 40 lb. bag of Science Diet Maintenance
for a mere $10. A case of canned food could also be purchased for $10.
Recommending Those Same Foods
in Their Practice
Dr. Coger recommended those food
to all her clients when she went into practice. She recommended their “prescription” diets for patients
will all sorts of health issues and never considered any other brands. Her
loyalty and medical recommendations had been bought $10 at time over her four
years of veterinary college.
We are all influenced by our
experiences. Veterinary students think warm thoughts to those that provide them
with a research laboratory, discounts on products, or gifts such a t-shirt or
other swag. This leads to blindly
trusting that pet food company without any scientific thought or open mind.
Purchasers of pet food need to
be aware of the subliminal marketing effects of these pet food companies and
their participation and support in veterinary education.
Please read the article in its
entirety at http://healthydogworkshop.com/buying-a-veterinarian/
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