Everywhere
you look, there are new products coming out on the market, everything from food
to household items to medications. You
see commercials on television, ads in magazines and newspapers, and displays in
the stores.
The same is true in veterinary medicine. You will see commercials and store displays for new medications or products. So...what do you do?
Veterinarians are constantly being introduced to new medications. As soon as a new product comes onto the market, manufacturers send out information or schedule meetings with veterinarians to tell them the perks of the new product. Recently, several of Suburban's staff members attended a large veterinary conference where they were introduced to a variety of new products. How do they decide what products to recommend?
One group of items to consider is flea and tick control. Another is heartworm prevention. There is a wide variety of products out there. It can be confusing deciding what to use for our pet!
Please remember that your veterinarian is the best person to recommend a safe, effective product for your pet. This includes flea/tick control, supplements, special food, and prescription medications. For example, many products available in stores simply are not safe. Some don't work as well as others. Veterinarians carefully consider which products to carry based on efficacy, safety, ease of use, and price.
The doctors at Suburban research every new product before deciding if it will benefit the patients. Points to consider include:
- Every product that appears on the
market has first been put through testing and trials to see how well the product does what it's supposed to do and
how it affects the pet. Veterinarians look at the results of
these trials for safety and effectiveness.
- Duration of time the product has
been on the market: For some products,
veterinarians prefer to watch
the product for a time period and see how it does, rather than jump right in with a brand new product.
- Where is the product
manufactured? As with all things, you
have to be careful about where the
product is made. Some products sold
online are counterfeit.
- Ingredients or medications that
make up the product: We want to know
what the active, and even
inactive, ingredients are in the product and how they work.
- Potential side effects: These are
part of the results of the trials the product goes through prior to its release.
- Cost of the product: Is the price
of the product acceptable to us and to our clients? Is there
another product that works just as well that is a little less expensive?
Suburban Animal Clinic will always recommend what we consider the safest and most effective preventative products for your pet.
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