Sharon and Cassandra discuss their collaboration and share insights from the veterinary leadership conference.
Cassandra's background:
Focuses on senior dogs and has been involved with Young at Heart, a shelter specializing in senior pets.
Cassandra's Professional Journey
Education:
Graduated from Purdue in 2009.
Early Interest:
Initially focused on horses through an internship but shifted to mixed animal practice and then to small animal veterinary work.
Work Experience:
Work with Young at Heart, a senior pet rescue.
Transitioned from corporate job to a general practice (GP) location where Young at Heart followed her for better proximity.
Development of Young at Heart:
The organization evolved from foster-based to building a shelter and clinic, culminating in their opening just before COVID-19.
Current Role:
Working at Young at Heart for over three and a half years in a nonprofit capacity, leading to lower salary compared to corporate roles.
Side Business:
Engages in in-home euthanasia for flexibility and additional income while providing support to pet owners.
Passion for Senior Medicine:
Finds great fulfillment in senior pet care, compares it to internal medicine due to its complexity.
Project Overview
Start of Discussion:
Sharon initiates the discussion on their project and seeks Cassandra's input on their concept for a pet nutrition product.
Product Concept and Goals
Focus on Nutrition:
Product aims to improve dog health through better nutrition, targeting the human-animal bond with pet owners.
Concerns noted:
Difficulty for pet owners to navigate what is healthy, messy product options, and community engagement with vets.
Target Audience:
Direct to consumer: Pet owners while integrating veterinarians into the product life cycle as key stakeholders.
Formation of Community:
Goal to establish a community of 50 founding veterinarians to help guide communication and product growth, ensuring that the vet perspective remains central.
Team Composition
Project Contributors:
Sharon (boarded nutritionist),
Blair (PhD animal nutritionist),
Erin (professional chef),
John (supply and quality expert),
Advisors: Dr. David Haworth (oncology, genetics) and Dr. Ernie Ward (pet obesity prevention).
Discussion on Pet Nutrition
Importance of Nutrition:
Nutrition impacts longevity and quality of life in dogs, particularly for senior pets.
Consultative Approach:
Emphasizing collaboration with veterinarians for dietary recommendations.
Mention of various dietary issues, including those experienced by dogs transitioning into new homes and diets.
Personal Perspectives from Cassandra
Palatability Issues:
Senior pets often struggle with palatability, leading them to refuse prescribed diets.
Cost concerns are prevalent among pet adopters regarding prescription diets, leading to dietary reevaluation in homes.
Experiences at the Shelter:
Majority of adopters prioritize food quality and costs but often confront difficulties when their adopted pets do not acclimatize to prescribed diets.
Highlighting the need for education on nutrition among pet owners.
Key Themes from Discussions
Nutrition's Role:
Nutrition directly correlates with longevity and health in pets.
Education Gaps:
General misunderstanding of pet nutrition, influenced by market trends around diet cost and quality perceptions.
Product Development Insights
Development Process:
Emphasis on science-backed research for product formulation, including through feeding trials.
Quality Control:
Ensuring that products meet legal and nutritional standards as set by organizations like USDA and FDA.
Community Feedback:
Focus on building a communication style that resonates with both pet owners and veterinarians, along with establishing a guide to support healthy pet diets.
Understanding Current Market Challenges
Market Positioning:
Discussion on fresh diets, their rise in popularity, and the pitfalls of non-researched dog food options.
Insight around misleading practices in pet food marketing leading to confusion among pet owners.
The Need for Transparency:
Pet owners often have misconceptions about nutritional quality correlated with diet price and advertising, highlighting a need for clearer communication.
Future Considerations and Closing Remarks
Inviting Additional Feedback:
There is an open invitation for further engagement on product features and future communication strategies with veterinarians.
Acknowledgment of Popular Veterinary Brands:
Acknowledging the brand loyalty and trials needed for acceptance in a competitive market.
Launch Plans:
Emphasis on transparency about product launch timeline in spring 2022, prompting excitement for trials among participating vets.
Commitment to Communicate Updates:
Continuous follow-ups for progress and feedback on the product development process.