A Viral Approach To Pet Healthcare

The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has launched a You Tube viral video to highlight key pet healthcare messages and raise awareness of its Pet Health Information website www.pethealthinfo.org.uk among animal lovers.

The new campaign is NOAH's first venture into social media. The video will be posted on various websites and circulated via e-mail.

It shows various pet characters auditioning in front of a panel of talent scouts. Each animal in the series of three auditions is however hampered in its performance by a common healthcare issue.

Launched last year, the Pet Health Information website provides animal health information and advice to help owners and potential owners make informed decisions about their pets’ healthcare.

Research by NOAH has shown that pet owners fall into two categories which it called 'preventers' and 'non-preventers'. The survey found that only 55% of dogs and 46% of cats over two years of age are being vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases.

According to NOAH, 'preventers' make a conscious effort to ensure their pet is protected from a wide range of problems with 96% regarding worming as a regular part of pet health care, whereas 'non-preventers' are more likely not to worm their pet because they see no reason to do so, with over a quarter (28%) not deeming it to be necessary.

The research also showed that the two out of five owners who sleep in the same room as their pets - with the pet in the bedroom, on the bed, or even in the bed itself - are no more likely than other owners to practice preventative health care such as worming or flea control, despite their close proximity to their pets.

Phil Sketchley, NOAH Chief Executive said: “We are seeking to reach a new audience, to highlight our Pet Health Information website as a resource and to emphasise the core preventative health care messages."