Posted: February 25, 2009, 5 a.m. EST
Advantage Topical Solution from Bayer Animal Health has launched the Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet Campaign.
The mission of the national initiative, which launched Feb. 16 during the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas, is to distribute more than $250,000 in veterinary vouchers to help offset costs and concerns for pet owners during these economic times.
From Feb. 16 through Feb. 28, the campaign will give up to 13,000 pet owners the chance to receive a $20 rebate good toward preventive veterinary care, including vaccinations, wellness exams, flea and tick treatment and prevention, heartworm preventives, and dental care.
Vouchers are available on a first-come basis from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST every hour on the hour with up to 1,000 vouchers distributed each day. More than 80 vouchers will be distributed every hour.
“During these challenging economic times, we want to help consumers defray the cost of preventive care for their pets,” said Joerg Ohle, president and general manager of Bayer Animal Health of Shawnee, Kan. “At Bayer Animal Health, everything we do is to help protect, cure, and care for pets. That mission is at the core of this new campaign.”
The new website will also include money-saving tips on pet care for owners from Marty Becker, DVM, a veterinarian, author, and lecturer.
According to Bayer Animal Health's new “The State of Preventive Veterinary Care Report,” a compilation of third-party and original research of pet owners and veterinarians, as many as 98 percent of veterinarians believe that preventive care is one of the best ways to forego added medical costs and treatments in the long run for pet owners.
The report also found that nine out of 10 veterinarians expressed concern about the future health of pets if veterinary visits and preventive care decline, with almost half of them expressing deep concerns.
In addition, the report revealed that nearly half of the pet owners surveyed pointed to the cost of clinic visits and exams as barriers to taking their pets to the veterinarian, and 30 percent of pet owners admitted they have not taken their pet to the veterinarian for routine and/or preventive care in the last six months.
Nearly 50 percent of pet owners said they will now wait until there are obvious, visible problems with their pets before visiting a veterinarian, with almost 80 percent of them pointing to economic or financial concerns as the reason for the delay, the report states.