Where do you stand on nutrition?

Months into the pet food recall, the veterinary world is out of sorts, with some dry and wet food varieties still off the shelves. But amid the frustrations, there's some good news: The recall has shifted clients' focus from cost to quality of their pets' diets.

Doctors and team members can also thank owners' evolving perception of their pets for this focus on nutrition. Ultimately, the recall is moving more clients to ask for—and comply with—your nutritional recommendations.

A golden opportunity

If nutrition wasn't the centerpiece of your client education before the recall, it may be now. Many practices were preaching the importance of feeding pets premium food long before the recall, but it took this crisis for clients to truly comprehend the message doctors and team members were sending, says Gina Toman, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and a veterinary assistant at Seaside Animal Care in Calabash, N.C. Practices with a history of actively educating clients on nutrition seemed to sail through the recall because they established diet recommendations and their doctors and team members consistently communicated those recommendations to clients.

Get a game plan

Is it safe to assume that you've seen the worst of the recall? We hope so. And just as clients shifted their priorities, your team members should, too. Consider this list of common client questions and discuss how you'll answer them at your next staff meeting:

• What's the best food to purchase for my pet?

• Does my pet's diet contain corn?

• What would you feed my pet if it were yours?

• How much should I feed my pet? How often?

• Should I supplement my pet's diet?

• What's the ABC diet, and is it suitable for my pet?

"The recall opened a dialogue among clients and team members," says Toman. "If team members weren't adamant about nutrition before the recall, I hope they take this opportunity to enhance the quality of all their patients' lives."