Vetting the Innovative Path for Effective Veterinary Care

At a time when humane and ethical care of pets and animals are hot topics of debate on social media, here is a farsighted Keralite entrepreneur who has taken the treatment of four-legged bundles of joy to another level, in the literal sense. Alappuzha-based Manoj Kumar R is blazing a new path in the scientific, cruelty-free treatment of pets and livestock.

The CEO of VetCetera Health Care, Manoj Kumar, owns the credit for finding new frontiers in animal care solutions by combining science and technology to come out with lifesaving diagnostic kits and therapeutics, which bring a smile to both pet owners and farmers. In an exclusive interview with Unique Times (UT), he elaborates on his decision to foray into this niche segment and his innovative products.

Manoj Kumar, who began his decades-long career as a medical representative for the famous pharma firm Cipla in 1998, boldly took the road less travelled by when he decided to foray into the animal healthcare sector. His business acumen and farsightedness honed by several years of experience in the Middle East made him identify the rich potential of research and development (R&D) in veterinary products.

Quitting his well-paying job in the Sultanate of Oman, he forayed into veterinary medicine and diagnostics by starting VetCetera Animal Health way back in 2018 by manufacturing a few products for clients. Seeing the vast potential for growth in veterinary care, he lost no time in roping in R&D to come out with cutting-edge therapeutics and diag- nostic tools.

When asked about the inception of the new venture, Manoj Kumar told UT that it was in 2022 that VetCetera Health Care was born. Its top-notch, cost-effective products soon became a hit so much so the brand name became a force to reckon with in the veterinary healthcare segment in India.

Answering the question about the product which made VetCetera a formidable presence in the market, the CEO said it was WoundCet--a one-stop herbal panacea for fungal infections, mouth ulcers, wounds, insect attacks among others in pets and farm animals. It was a meeting with a veteran commissioner of the FDA of the Government of Gujarat, which gave Manoj the idea to come out with a unique product.

“During the discussion with him, I found that he had a patented onestop solution for almost all ailments plaguing pets. We developed it and thus WoundCet was born. It has been in the market for three years and we sell around 1.2 lakh tubes a month at 120 rupees per 50 gm. It is effective, sans side effects and economic as well,” he quipped.

He added that they decided to slash the price of the product without any compromise on its quality and there has been no looking back. “This gave a shot in the arm to the publicity of VetCetera which began to be noticed in the vet market.” Today, it has seven exclusive products and more are slated to join the VetCetera stable soon.

“We understand that animal health care is crucial and indispensable to the wellbeing of the ecosystem and people. Our objective is to come up with innovative solutions

By Ranjit L Morris

to tide over challenges in the animal health care sector,” he said with a smile.

WoundCet is just the beginning. It was soon followed by another hit therapeutic product named TixCet, which is a boon to pet lovers in the country. Made of pulverized diatomaceous earth (the fossilized deposits of diatoms), this powder is perfectly safe for pets and has a pleasant lavender fragrance. “If pet owners massage this powder on their furry pals, the microscopic serrated structure of the earth particles rupture the waxy skin of ticks and mites and they die of fluid loss. The same happens to their eggs as well. Since it is eco-friendly, there is no question of any harm to pets and owners,” he explained.

Asked about the idea behind this product, Manoj narrated how he saw something similar in Muscat while visiting a British expatriate, who explained its efficacy and near-zero side effects. Upon returning to India, the innovator in Manoj made him search high and low for raw materials. Finally, his search ended in Rajasthan from where he procured materials to manufacture TixCet. Today it is a hit in the market with close to 50,000 bottles sold each month.

Manoj’s science background and his penchant for innovation have resulted in diagnostic kits for pets of the canine, feline and avian kind. They can detect a whole gamut of common ailments. On the anvil is a prefilled syringe to bring solace to dairy farmers who are worried about teat edema or swelling of the udder of cows. “Current procedures mandate that if a teat is badly affected, it has to be removed. This forces them to opt for pre-filled antibiotic syringes. But such injections on the teats run the risk of contaminating the milk with antibiotics,” explains the visionary entrepreneur.

He adds that VetCetera syringes tide over this problem as the medicine used is herbal. So, there is no need for a seven-day weaning period.

Asked about the efficacy and safety aspect of all VetCetera products, Manoj Kumar says there is no compromise on clinical trials even if they are meant for animals. Products are launched only after solid clinical trials, he said.

VetCetera, which has already transcended national frontiers in so short a time, is all set to expand further in the years to come, said Manoj Kumar with a smile of confidence

Dr Arun Oommen MBBS, MS (Gen Surg), MCh (Neurosurgery), MRCSEd,MBA Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon VPS Lakeshore Hospital

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