Vet Innovations, Inc.--maker of PortionPro Rxtm--selected to present at the 2017 Kansas City Animal Health Investment Forum

BURLINGTON, Conn., July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kansas City Animal Health Investment Forum provides a unique opportunity for venture capital funds, investment firms, and animal health companies to hear from emerging businesses with the newest technology. Companies invited to present are judged by a panel of industry leaders, and the strongest presenter receives the coveted Innovation Award.

Vet Innovations' mission is to dramatically improve the lives of pets, pet parents, and veterinarians through groundbreaking technology to reduce pet obesity and enhance wellness.  PortionPro Rx is the only professional-grade veterinary device that automatically dispenses timed, portion-controlled food to a specific pet while denying access to food to all other pets, a key aspect of a successful veterinarian-prescribed wellness and weight management program.

This innovative solution received extraordinary response at meetings of the NAVC (North American Veterinary Community), WVC (Western Veterinary Conference), and AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) and has now attracted the attention of the 2017 Kansas City Animal Health Investment Forum, where Vet Innovations, the maker of PortionPro Rx, is one of only 18 companies selected to present.

"It's quite an honor to be selected to present at this prestigious annual event," says Bob LaRoche, president and chief executive officer of Vet Innovations. "This invitation confirms the importance of PortionPro Rx in fulfilling the significant need to reverse the epidemic of pet obesity in multi-­pet households in the United States, Canada, and beyond."

It is a sad but true statistic: more than 50% of all cats and dogs in the U.S.?nearly 100 million pets?are either overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP). And alarming new data indicates a trend toward super-obesity. In cats, the obesity rate climbed from 22% in 2009 to 28% in 2015. In dogs, the obesity rate rose from 9% in 2009 to 20% in 2015.¹ Furthermore, Banfield, the largest operator of veterinary hospitals in America, has declared pet obesity an epidemic and has sounded a rallying cry to the profession and industry to redouble efforts to fight those extra pounds and reduce the risk of the more than 20 health conditions associated with overweight and obese animals.²

This problem is estimated to affect more than 53 million U.S. households, where turf battles and food stealing often complicate pet mealtimes. To feed individual diets in a house full of pets, pet parents must closely monitor and/or separate pets at mealtimes, which can be an inconvenient, stressful, chaotic, and ultimately ineffective exercise.

PortionPro Rx offers a breakthrough solution designed to solve veterinarians' frustrations when it comes to pet parent compliance. The product uniquely integrates patented Pet Field Communicationtm (PFC) technology to identify individual pets and control access to food.

"I came up with the concept behind the PortionPro Rx because I saw so many clients every day who were struggling with taking weight off their pets and realized how challenging and stressful it was to comply with and adhere to my recommendations," says Vet Innovations expert Dr. Troy Hexter, who is also a practicing veterinarian in Connecticut. "It has been beyond my expectations to see the incredible reception our product has received and hear how our access control technology will help so many pets and their families."

PortionPro Rx will be available in late 2017 and only through veterinarians. Vet Innovations' distribution partner VetSource will deliver PortionPro Rx directly to pet parents throughout the U.S. Vet Innovations is exploring international distribution options to meet global demand.

About Vet Innovations, Inc.

Vet Innovations' mission is to dramatically improve the lives of pets, pet parents, and veterinarians through groundbreaking technology to reduce pet obesity and enhance wellness. The company's proprietary robotic-based electromagnetic technology automatically identifies individual pets to control their access to devices such as the PortionPro Rx and other future products under development.

Visit portionprorx.com to learn more and see how this first-of-its-kind device works, or contact Vet Innovations directly.

Learn more at vetinnovations.com. Follow us on Twitter (@vetinnovations) and Linked In. Or email us at [email protected].

References:

1. Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Accessed December 16, 2016.
2. Banfield Pet Hospital. State of Pet Health Report. Available at: https://www.banfield.com/state-of-pet-health/obesity. Accessed July 5, 2017.

SOURCE Vet Innovations, Inc.