Ethics matter. I usually try to keep the blog fairly upbeat but every once and awhile, ethical concerns need to be presented for your consideration. A few months ago, I used a product from Veterinary Orthopedic Implants in one of my patients. I was very unhappy with the performance of the product so I contacted the company. The response from Dr. Claude Gendreau (Co-founder and CEO of Veterinary Orthopedic Implants) as well as his nephew, Mr. Patrick Gendreau (President and co-owner of Veterinary Orthopedic Implants) disappointed me at many levels. In my experience, ethical companies respond quickly, fully
and bend over backwards to care for the patient and their clients. Unfortunately, that is not my perception of their response in this case. I even provided repeated opportunities for them to step up and do the right thing.
Contrast that to my experience with Nutros. Many years ago, one of my patient’s became ill from his dog food. While this is rare, it can happen to any manufacturer. Nutros paid for the dog’s care and he made a full recovery. I think we would all agree that reputable companies take responsibility for their products just like Nutros did. Therefore and regrettably, I can not recommend using products from Veterinary Orthopedic Implants. If your pet is having surgery requiring an implant such as a plate or screw, ask who the vendor is that the hospital uses? If the answer is Veterinary Orthopedic Implants, you will have to decide but in my opinion, there are many other vendors I am more comfortable using to provide such vital technology.