Veterinary Coalition to Target Drop in Client Visits DVM 360 Oct. 1, 2010

*sigh* -- if they would only get busy and invent a flea/tick product that wasn't injurious to the dog's overall health and was NOT systemic ...

and ... people probably wouldn't be as leery of taking their dog in occasionally if they didn't feel so pushed to walk out with hundreds of dollars in "products" -- and the vet's true money should be in veterinary care ANYWAY ... not products.  The products tend to lead to 'percs' unfortunately ... wrong way to grow your business.

another quote from the same article

While he challenged the industry to "bet on the veterinary profession," he also called on leaders to back a campaign focused on improving access to veterinary care for pet owners.

"This is not about selling more drugs. It's about giving pets the care they need. I think companies have done a very good job at keeping us competitive. If we can keep it affordable, who better to monitor prescriptions and drug use than veterinarians?"

With that said, Payne acknowledges the U.S. economy is going through a major transition. And with it comes changes to the way small and large businesses need to operate. For years, the profession has pushed to raise fees, but Payne contends, it is contributing to this trend of fewer client visits. "If you graph it out, the number of visits is declining with an increase in pricing. That tells us that we are not convincing pet owners of the value proposition," Payne says.