Press Releases
QUESTIONS ARE LEADING TO BETTER ANSWERS FOR VETERINARIANS AND THEIR PATIENTS
FORT WORTH, Texas — Do dogs giggle? Do cats dream? Do pets have senior moments? Asking questions like these is the driving force behind a new Questions Lead To Better Answers initiative and a cascade of new developments for pet care from Virbac Animal Health.
“We see the U.S. market as the key for future growth in companion animal health because this is where the majority of important trends and new products are born,” said Erik Martinez, president and CEO, Virbac Animal Health, U.S. “We’re not only going to be expanding our offering of innovative products and delivery systems this year, we’re investing in the growth of our people to be sure they are a knowledgeable, supportive resource.”
Included in the Questions Lead To Better Answers initiative is a new advertising campaign, which was introduced in veterinary trade magazines in November 2009. This year, a new series of articles that focus on topics of special interest to pet owners was also added. Each article sets up a story with an intriguing question, then provides helpful insights and advice. The series is being distributed to more than 200 select metro, regional and local media outlets nationwide.
“We’re extremely excited about the coast-to-coast potential for reaching out to help pet owners understand more about caring for their pets, disorders that affect them, and innovative solutions that are now available through their veterinarian,” said Michael Walsh, Virbac Animal Health marketing manager.
Better answers has been a guiding principle for Virbac Animal Health for the past four decades, according to Martinez. “We’re just making it an official part of our brand and products, both inside and outside our walls.”
One of the major goals of the Questions Lead To Better Answers initiative is to significantly increase Virbac’s U.S. resources at the R&D level and in the marketplace. It will also help to:
• Accelerate development of new products and programs specifically adapted to the needs of U.S. veterinarians and their patients
• Expand continuing education opportunities for veterinary professionals at Virbac University
• Introduce new programs to help improve pet owner understanding of pet care
“The influence of American veterinarians on Virbac is profound,” Martinez said. “It started over 20 years ago, when Virbac originally became known for dermatology solutions among U.S. veterinarians. Since skin conditions are some of the most common reasons pets come to see veterinarians, it was a good place to start asking questions for better answers. Ultimately, it inspired the development of products containing spherulites and glycotechnology to prolong relief and help reduce topical infection, irritation and inflammation.”
Since then, Virbac has continued to introduce solutions for pets in numerous categories, including antibiotics, anti-parasitic, dental care, dermatology, endocrinology, gastrointestinal, heartworm, nutraceuticals and nutritionals.
“We firmly believe our success is directly linked to the success of our veterinary clients,” said Pierre Pagès, DVM, COO of the Virbac Group worldwide. “Our founder was a veterinarian, and two of his four children are veterinarians. Three of the five members of our management board are veterinarians, and our president and CEO is a veterinarian. So it’s very much from the veterinarian’s perspective that we push ourselves to ask new and different questions. In many cases, we have discovered powerful solutions that work even better than we thought.”
One of the World’s Largest Laboratories Dedicated Exclusively to Animal Health Virbac develops, manufactures and distributes a wide range of products and services intended for the prevention and treatment of common pathologies in companion animals. The Virbac Corporation U.S., located in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading companion animal health company offering products in the heartworm, tick and flea, dermatology, antibiotics, endocrinology, senior care, behavior, critical care nutrition, and oral hygiene markets. Virbac products are available to pet owners exclusively through a veterinarian. For more information about Virbac and the company’s products, please visit www.virbacvet.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Michael Walsh • Market Development Manager • Virbac Animal Health • 682-647-3546 • michael.walsh@virbacus.com
Dave Hill, Management • Supervisor • Stephens & Associates • 913-661-0910, Ext. 111 • dhill@stephens-adv.com
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