There are plenty of products on the market that make claims about curing certain pet conditions and diseases. These remedies promise to benefit your pet, but these pet cure-alls can seem too good to be true. When a product comes with a guarantee of ridding your pet of an illness or condition, that usually means buyer beware!
Yes, there are many new herbs and pet supplements that can be advantageous to your pet. Yet, there are others that can lead you down a path of hopeful deceit. Union Lake Veterinary Hospital is here to help sort out the true from the false, and quickly identify truly helpful products versus pure quackery.
Buyer Beware: Identifying a Pet Cure-All Scam
Quacks are potions, formulas, and remedies that offer hope to pet owners worldwide. Unfortunately, these products that make promises about relieving conditions like cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and a number of other things can be misleading. In fact, if someone decides to use a cure-all for treating pet cancer, the end result can be tragic. In other cases, these scams simply do nothing.
Here are a few key things that can tip a pet owner off to pet product scams and quackeries.
- Products that claim to cure several conditions, not just one. If the company is advertising a product that cures a number of illnesses or conditions that affect pets, it is likely a scam. The formulation of any remedy requires a strict focus on the disease it is treating. These multiple cure-alls simply cannot address everything they claim they do.
- The terms “ancient” or “secret” in their formulas. These enticing adjectives offer mystery and allure, but if the company isn’t willing to share their ingredients and real research to back it up, it is quack.
- Products that promise quick cures. If your pet has a chronic condition, it is understandable to want to use a product that offers rapid results. Sadly, these promises aren’t supported by science. Your veterinarian can help dispel the true from the false and offer actual research-backed treatment for your pet.
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Testimonials from pet owners that are suspect. If the company has several testimonials that seem rehearsed or too good to be true, chances are, they are! Real testimonials give weight to the product and offer credibility. Lots of quack companies populate the first page of search results with their sales pages masquerading as reviews.
- Money-back-guarantees if your pet’s health doesn’t improve. Have you ever had a doctor promise to refund you on a pharmaceutical if it doesn’t work, or have your veterinarian offer a money-back guarantee of flea and tick treatment? Probably not. There’s a reason for that. Real veterinary medicine is truthful and supported by actual science, rather than snake oil.
It’s Easy to Waste Your Money on Pet Product Scams
It’s easy to lose yourself in promises when your pet is ill or has a long-term condition that hasn’t improved. Or you want to help your pet be healthy and live as long as possible. Unfortunately, alternative formulas that aren’t rooted in research or clinical studies are more than likely a placebo or benign product. A few may be proven helpful one day, but most won’t and will fade away to market another pet product scam.
Even medicinals or supplements that are natural can interfere with medications or other treatments your pet may be receiving. With any supplement, it’s important to check with your veterinarian for recommendations or to review the product with you.
If you have any questions about pet cure-alls, or are giving your pet supplements and want to check on their effectiveness, please call us!