For both humans and animals, disease is the result of a combination of factors, some intrinsic, such as genetic inheritance, others environmental and linked to living conditions and diet. Looking after an animal's health therefore means looking after its quality of life in the broadest sense. In practical terms, this means protecting them from disease, but also from thirst, hunger, discomfort, suffering, injury, fear and distress, and ensuring that they can express behavior that is normal for their species. Respect for these fundamental freedoms of animal welfare requires the development of medical solutions that help to improve animal care and husbandry practices.

Taking care of your animal means above all looking ahead. Good prevention not only reduces the risk of disease outbreaks and avoids unnecessary suffering, but also avoids contamination of other animals or transmission to humans.

Vaccination is the best protection against infectious diseases. It stimulates the body's immune defenses, enabling it to resist bacteria and viruses. We have developed solutions to combat the main diseases affecting companion animals, and are working on a global scale to combat emerging diseases that are poorly controlled or represent new epizootic risks, for example with the first vaccine in Europe against canine leishmaniasis. At Virbac, we are also stepping up our activities in the field of vaccines for farm animals, as demonstrated by recent investments in vaccine research and production centers in Uruguay, Chile and Taiwan.

More broadly, focusing on prevention means giving vets, owners and farmers the means to act effectively in all areas that have a direct impact on the animal's health: management of internal and external parasites, feeding, reproduction, etc., not forgetting diagnostic tools for practitioners to facilitate early detection of disease, better adapt treatment to the animal's needs and better monitor its state of health through regular check-ups.

Today, half the world's population owns a pet, led by dogs and cats. Their well-being depends on protecting them from disease, looking after them, ensuring their safety and, quite simply, providing them with the right food. Happy, healthy pets for a long time to come: that's the duty of pet owners and our mission.

First things first: keep their vaccinations up to date and control parasites to protect them from the most common and most serious diseases. Making sure they are identified also means looking after their welfare, making it easier to find lost animals and combat trafficking. An electronic transponder fitted by a vet is painless for the animal and makes it easy to find the owner.

Finally, looking after the well-being of your pet means meeting its specific needs. Like humans, pets need a healthy, balanced diet to stay in good health. But unlike humans, all dogs and cats are carnivores by nature. They therefore need a diet that respects their physiology, with a high proportion of animal proteins and a low carbohydrate content, to meet their nutritional needs as closely as possible.

Farm animals help meet many of human society's basic needs. They provide food in the form of milk, eggs and meat, as well as wool for clothing. In the face of changing societal demand for the respect of animals and a growing consumer concern for product quality, the topic of well-being has, in just a few short years, become unavoidable for the breeding sector. Furthermore, a happy animal, which is not denied adequate water nor subjected to stress or to a lack of nutrition, demands less care and becomes a better producer. In order to assist farmers in dealing with these new issues, Virbac advocates for production systems that limit the sources of stress and pain for the animal, as well as protocols that speed up functional recovery and the return to a good state of well-being.