The role of the veterinary profession in preventing sickness and suffering in beloved dogs and cats should be central. But because of conflicts of interest, as between selling product for profit and putting the best interests of the animal patient before those of running a business, the veterinary profession bears similarities to problems with the human medical profession that have been called to question recently by the U.S Institute of Medicine (part of the National Academy of Sciences). Such potential conflicts of interest go deep into the veterinary teaching curriculum, where the influence of the multinational drug and pet food companies is evident at colleges around the world. The effects are seen in everyday veterinary practice.
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