Pet health plans still key to practice, London Vet Show told

Leading clinicians have insisted pet health plans can still be a key part of veterinary practices’ care offer, despite unease over some of their service options.

The future of the schemes has come under greater focus in recent months amid both environmental concerns and an ongoing legal dispute over some of their branding.

ESCCAP chair Ian Wright acknowledged “scrutiny” of the issue as he addressed London Vet Show delegates on the merits of current deworming treatment protocols.

Considerations

He acknowledged environmental and resistance considerations were likely to make testing, rather than routine treatment, a greater future priority.

But he maintained health plans still provided a “fantastic opportunity” to support pet owners, adding: “They’re just a tree on which you can hang offerings on the branches.

“Testing is one of the offerings that you might suggest on a practice health plan to help spread the cost for clients who want to test.”

Concerns about potential environmental harms linked to regular parasiticide use prompted suggestions the schemes may need to be “fundamentally” reformed earlier this year.

Legal row

Meanwhile, a legal row between IVC Evidensia and independent practices which formed the Spartacus campaign group in the spring remains unresolved.

However, talks are understood to be continuing and IVC claims a “significant” number of practices have rebranded their offers.

Despite those challenges, the show heard arguments that the plans remain a vital part of both effective care and successful business for practices.

In a separate session on whether the plans were still applicable in the current veterinary world, Pennard Vets director Matthew Flann described the inclusion of consultations in their plan as “better for vets, better for pets and a win-win for everyone.”

Deborah Wylie, a trainer with veterinary consultancy firm Onswitch, also argued the schemes helped to promote both client loyalty and care consistency.