The legitimacy of veterinary prescription or therapeutic diets is frequently scrutinized. While ingredients of these veterinary diets may appear similar, considerable testing goes into their formulations to be able to be called a therapeutic or prescription diet.
This article covers considerable ground to explain the differences and reasons for veterinary oversight and the real issue of the higher cost for therapeutic kibble.
Source: Tufts Your Dog, March 2017.
As you can probably imagine,” Cailin Heinze, VMD, DACVN says, “all of this testing can get VERY expensive — costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per diet, and these tests often need to be repeated every time there are any changes made to the diet. These costs must then be incorporated into the cost of the diets.”
INSIGHTS: Animal health pros will value this explanation of the differences in OTC and therapeutic or prescription diets. Consider using this article in a team meeting at a veterinary hospital or a retail location.