Nothing to Salivate Over

Aug. 13, 2008

Preventing pet problems resulting from animals licking and biting sore spots is the goal of a new product line launched by Lauren International at New Philadelphia.

Nurtured Pets is the company’s branded line of health and wellness products for pets.

“Anti-Lick Strip Prevent is the first product of its kind to effectively deter pets from licking and biting surgical wounds, granulomas and hot spots – in place of using an E-collar,” said Cindy Miller, marketing director for Nurtured Pets.

“Anti-Lick Strip Prevent has been clinically proven to immediately and effectively correct obsessive licking and biting behavior. This product gives pet owners the first truly effective solution for addressing this behavior since the introduction of the E-collar. Based on initial feedback, we’re quite confident it will be highly successful,” she added.

That could be an understatement.

After the company ran an advertisement in a veterinary magazine and three pet-related magazines, “We had over 10,000 requests for samples over a three-day period,” Miller said.

“They were e-mailing us with all kinds of unique situations that pets had about licking issues – there was nothing on the market that could help them. They sounded pretty desperate in some instances. We even had a man in Texas with a Cockatoo that kept pulling out its feathers. We sent him samples and are awaiting feedback.”

Lauren owns the rights to the in-house brand, buying them from the inventor and paying him royalties. He designed it, but didn’t have the means to manufacture and market it, Miller explained. A few people have been hired at Lauren, with others reassigned to help produce it “Because we’re a Lean manufacturer, we can manage the demand for now,” she said.

The company conducted clinical trials “that showed a 90-percent confidence level that any dog would be deterred from excessive licking or biting,” she said.

The company will present a white paper on the findings at CVC West, a show for veterinarians at San Diego Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. Prior to that, the product line will debut at the HH Backers Christmas Show at Chicago, which primarily targets small pet specialty shops as well as some mass retailers and distributors.

Anti-Lick Strip Prevent is available for purchase in Petz Place at New Philadelphia and due out in retail stores nationwide this fall.

It is constructed from all-natural active outfacing ingredients with a peel-and-stick medical-grade adhesive backing for easy application by customers to their pets, Miller said. The product is available in three sizes – small, medium and large – and hermetically sealed in individual sleeves.

The patent-pending product has active powered ingredients on the outfacing top surface. It works by delivering all-natural active ingredients to the animal’s nose through smell and to the tongue upon licking, Miller explained.

Anti-Lick Strip Pro C is being sold exclusively to veterinary clinics, available in 96-inch rolls. It is designed as a post-surgical treatment for application over vet wrap or gauze.

Dr. Eric Shaver of East Veterinary Clinic at Millersburg uses the strips in his clinic.

“The Anti-Lick Strips have been a very effective chewing deterrent; even some of our worst offenders have respected the strips,” he said in a testimonial.