2023 VANGUARD AWARDS

Companies representing the cream of the crop in the eye and ear care category dedicate substantial resources toward scientific research and transparency in innovation. Pet King Brands and Vetericyn are among those pet care manufacturers who continue to bring forth safe, effective and antibiotic-free options to pet owners looking to relieve an assortment of issues at home.

Demand for drug-free solutions is increasing along with the growing population of more educated pet owners. This is spurring Vetericyn to ensure it is meeting its partners where they need support the most to further promote education and trial. “We’ve seen growth in all categories, including eye and ear care,” said Geoff Hamby, Director of Marketing for Vetericyn Animal Wellness. “As more and more customers discover the power of HOCl they naturally find Vetericyn and seek out information. We have a strong online presence and feature articles, social content and e-mails that help educate pet owners. We also have a focus on retailer education. We have a nationwide team of reps who host trainings, in-store events —when safe—and act as a direct line for product questions. It is critical for brick-and-mortar retailers to educate sales associates in this category to enhance the store experience and build trust with consumers. It is an opportunity to set their store apart from others

Eye and Ear Care

and we’re happy to help out. We continue to encourage pet retailers to look into product reviews, especially in this category, before stocking on the shelf.”

It was concern about the overuse of antibiotics that led Pet King Brands to develop its ZYMOX and Oratene products to support ear, skin and oral health.

“Pet King Brands’ ZYMOX Dermatology line is a recognized leader in pet healthcare and grooming categories, recommended by veterinarians and groomers and endorsed by The International Cat Association,” said Director of Marketing Debra Decker. “The line has earned trust by resolving ear, skin and mouth conditions for more than 25 years with antibiotic-free, enzyme-based products. At the time ZYMOX was launched, the awareness of antibiotic resistance was just starting to be discussed in the industry as veterinarians, groomers and pet parents were experiencing frustration with medication failure and side effects. Antibiotic resistance has remained a threat and has fueled the demand for products like ZYMOX that are safe and continuously effective because the prevalence of pets experiencing ear infections and itchy allergy skin continues to be on the rise.”

This year, the company celebrates its 25th anniversary as a leader in enzyme-based solutions and in the last few months has branched out with solutions for pets outside of dog and cat; its new Zylafen skin topical product for reptiles was named Best in Show at this year’s Global Pet Expo.

Hamby with Vetericyn similarly credits the company’s adherence to drug-free solutions for its longevity. “Vetericyn’s success in the category is largely due to our focus on being antibiotic-free, non-sensitizing—won’t sting or burn—and providing remarkable results. These product attributes give a tremendous boost of confidence to pet parents for treating eye and ear issues at home. We also have fantastic reviews across our entire line. As they say, the results speak for themselves.”

The category lends itself to a lot of products that are not backed by evidence-based medicine since regulatory oversight is lacking, he said. “We pride ourselves on making medical-grade products for the pet parent.”