The AVMA has tentatively approved partnering with Fort Dodge Animal Health on National Pet Wellness Month, a proposed national observance promoting general wellness of pets.

The partnership will move forward after negotiation of a detailed agreement.

AVMA Executive Vice President Bruce W. Little recommended that the board approve the partnership with Fort Dodge, which has pledged substantial financial support for the next two years. There is no direct cost to the AVMA.

National Pet Wellness Month will be a clinic focused, educational program designed to generate consumer awareness, traffic, and value perception for twice-annual wellness visits.

Key program messages will emphasize how routine, twice-annual visits promote early disease detection, general advantages of regular care, and caring for the special needs of patients.

Recent consumer and AVMA research show that, on average, pet owners visit their veterinarian 1.9 times annually and are receptive to twice-annual visits when the advantages to the pet are clear.

The program will provide practitioners and staff with easy to use educational tools, support and strategies to confidently integrate a twice-annual wellness protocol into their practices.

The month-long observance will be a multi-year, AVMA/Fort Dodge cooperative initiative intended to grow and strengthen over time. The first year is critical in terms of providing veterinarians with proper tools, support and time to individualize a twice-annual protocol in their practice.

At the same time, the pet owner would learn more about the advantages to pet wellness and twice-annual visits from the proper source: their veterinarian.