Trading Secrets - 326. Banfield’s Alea Harrison: Why Preventive Pet Care Could Save You Thousands & The Costs Owners Overlook

Episode Date: August 24, 2026

This week, Jason is joined by Banfield Pet Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alea Harrison for a conversation about the real economics of pet ownership, why preventive care can be one of the smartest financial decisions pet owners make, and how planning ahead can help avoid thousands of dollars in unexpected veterinary expenses. Dr. Harrison shares her journey from leaving the country to attend veterinary school in St. Kitts to becoming a practicing veterinarian and eventually helping guide clinical strategy for roughly 3,600 veterinarians across more than 1,000 Banfield hospitals nationwide. Dr. Harrison breaks down what people should actually budget for when bringing home a pet, including veterinary care, nutrition, grooming, training, boarding, and daycare—and why many of the biggest expenses are the ones owners rarely think about beforehand. She explains why choosing the right food should be based on a pet’s individual health, breed, and lifestyle rather than marketing or social media trends, and reveals why taking a proactive approach to veterinary care can dramatically change both a pet’s long-term health and the owner’s finances. Jason and Dr. Harrison also dive into Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans, why they were designed to make preventive veterinary care more accessible and predictable, and how they differ from traditional pet insurance. Dr. Harrison explains how bundling preventive services can save clients more than 30% compared to paying for each service individually, while plans can include comprehensive exams, vaccinations, diagnostic testing, unlimited office visits, and 24/7 Pet Chat access. She also explains why pet insurance and wellness plans can work together, with insurance focused on unexpected illnesses, injuries, and surgeries while wellness plans focus on routine preventive care. Plus, Dr. Harrison reveals some of the numbers that show just how expensive waiting can become. Heartworm prevention can cost around $25 per month, while treating heartworm disease can range from roughly $1,200 to $6,000 depending on the pet. She also shares that Banfield data shows 80% of dogs and 75% of cats have signs of dental disease by just one year old, explains how certain breeds can be predisposed to costly health problems, and breaks down why spaying and neutering can help prevent serious conditions and certain cancers in addition to controlling the pet population. Dr. Harrison also gets candid about the challenges of becoming a veterinarian, from the competitiveness and financial burden of veterinary school to building a career that can extend far beyond treating individual patients. She explains how her own definition of impact evolved from caring for pets one-on-one to influencing thousands of veterinarians and ultimately helping improve care on a much larger scale. Dr. Harrison reveals why creating predictability, staying proactive instead of reactive, and preparing for expenses before they become emergencies can make all the difference for pet owners. She also leaves Jason with her ultimate trading secret, a mantra she applies to business, family, and veterinary medicine: “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” She reveals all this and so much more in another episode you can’t afford to miss! Host: Jason Tartick Audio: John Gurney Video: Marc Colcer Guest: Dr. Alea Harrison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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light.com slash secrets. Go to my skylight.com slash secrets for $30 off your 15-inch calendar. That is, N-Y-S-K-Y-L-G-H-T dot com slash secrets. Welcome back to another episode of Trading Secrets. Today, we're joined by someone who spent nearly two decades on the front lines of a different kind of financial conversation, one that's near and dear to my heart, the one between pet owners and the true cost of keeping their pets healthy. It's Dr. Leah Harrison, chief medical officer at Banfield Pet Hospital, the leading provider of preventive veterinary care in the country. Dr. Harrison started as a practicing veterinarian back in 2006, treating pets in Ohio and North Carolina before working her way into a role where she now helps guide clinical strategy

for roughly 3,600 veterinarians across 1,000 hospitals nationwide. She's also, board chair of diversity veterinary and medicine coalition and sits on the board of the Banfield Foundation. We're talking about the real economics of pet ownership, why preventive care is really a financial planning question in disguise. How Banfield's

optimum wellness plans are built to turn unpredictable vet fills into a manageable monthly cost. And what two decades of treating pets and running a veterinary system has taught her about the financial pressures pet owners don't see coming. Dr. Harry

Welcome to Training Secrets. Yeah, thank you so much for having me, Jason. You hold such a big role. And, of course, dogs and pets are so near and dear to my heart and Catherine's heart. So I'm so excited for this episode. First and foremost, before we get into the details, I have heard wild stories about veterinary school. Because in any type of medical school or medical program, you learn about the human body and our anatomy. You have to learn all these different animals, how they function, how they work.

Is it as hard as they say it is? And what is so different about it? Yeah, it is as hard as they say it is. Okay. And so when I think back to my time in vet school, and I actually want to add a little bit on top of that, I actually left the country to go to veterinary school to pursue my passion. And so to be away from family and friends and all that I knew, it was by choice and design, because I can immerse myself in this environment where I had nothing to do but study.

And so learning all these different species, I think we counted one time. It was up to 25 different species that I became familiar with within my first year. Oh, my gosh. And so anatomy, yeah, when you're just focused in human medicine on that one individual human, we have to know small animal, large animal, ruminants, like, you know, all these different species, lizards, you name it, we see it. And it's also really competitive, isn't it? Very competitive.

At the time I went to vet school, there was less than 30. veterinary schools. Okay. And so to get in, you know, it has its own trials and tribulations, but I was so fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to go to Rosh University. Oh, my gosh. School of Veterinary Medicine, which is on the island of St. Kitts. And that's where I got to pursue my passion and my dreams and forever changed because of it.

Forever changed. Forever changed. And decades later, you guys are making huge impact across the country to millions and millions of pet owners. And of course, I'm trading secrets. We talk a lot about finance and we talk a lot about consumption. And there are so many question marks right now because I think families experience a bill with a veterinarian a lot different, right, from household to household. And pet owners don't really always understand what they're actually paying for. What do you think the biggest gaps are that you've seen between how the veterinary teams talk and then how these families experience the bills?

Absolutely. I think, you know, when I, I too was a client before I became a clinician with BANfield. I think most importantly, when we put ourselves in a client's shoes and in those family's shoes, we have to understand through their eyes. And they're so used to human health care, right? Where you have co-pays, where you have direct billing. There's not somebody necessarily coming in and going line by line through an estimate with you. And so the best way that you combat that is making sure that you have that trusted relationship with that veterinary team, right?

And that's at the center of veterinary medicine. We call it our client-veterinary patient relationship. It's everything. And without that foundation of trust and understanding, it makes those conversations that much more difficult. I also think it's important just lead not only with empathy for, these families, but transparency. So we always want to make sure before we go into any form of treatment that we're going through a treatment plan, that we're discussing different options so that we can meet each family where they're at. I think that's always important to think of.

I think the idea of the trust piece is so important because you're right. It's not like, you know, I go through my health insurance and I know what approved hospitals I could go to or doctors, right? What in plan, out of plan? Like I could see it all before. You know, I go through. I go, an emergency comes up or something happens with your pet, and you don't really think like that. Yeah. But it's important that maybe we start. So trust becomes a big part of it when you're working with all the vets that you're working

with across the country and you live and die by this, that we have to build trust in our communities. What are things that, I guess, people should do when they go to a vet or questions they should ask? And what are some things you also, like, teach and train your vets to do to build that trust? Yeah. Well, it starts with communication. And unfortunately, that's not something that was taught in vet school when I went, right? Yeah.

But it's so important. It's important with any relationship that you foster. And I don't take for granted one day that somebody, when I was a clinician, that somebody chose me, right? Somebody chose to walk through those doors because the pet can't walk themselves through the door, right? It's that owner. And so how are you making sure that? that you're bridging that gap, that you're building those relationships, that starts with communication.

Yeah. That starts with understanding the concerns. It starts with building relationships so that you can openly communicate. And so when I connect with the veterinarians that also work for BANField, it's important that I lead by action, right? That I communicate properly and so that they can then carry that forward to you. I think it's also important to make sure that we put our clients at the center. I think when you lead with that and you lead with empathy and understanding, then ultimately that's going to help that pet receive the best outcome.

That's really, really good advice for a consumer, especially like on the intangible front, right? Build trust, feel comfortable communicating with your vet and know that your vet should have empathy and give you options when they're also suggesting treatment. I think that's great. Now let's go to some tangible. Let's go to some black and white.

So if someone's never budgeted for a pet before, what should they actually be planning for in year one? We're seeing so many people get pets now from all different types of pets. But what should they be planning for in year one? And what's usually the most unexpected things that they don't plan for? Okay. I just have like 15 things popping in mind. So I'm not going to go down a whole list of 15.

Okay. I do want to name a couple. And then I'm going to focus on two. Okay. Two really, really important things. I think things that, you know, and I always get these phone calls, whether it's my family or my friends, but top of mind, you have to think about first and foremost, veterinary care, right? What does veterinary care look like in their first year?

I mean, that is going to be vaccinations, that is going to be, I would hope, spay and neutering our pets to make sure that not only do we have population control, but we're also reducing the risk of diseases that we know present itself when they're intact. The other piece is nutrition. Nutrition is a huge component of a pet's health. So the first two for me is veterinary care and nutrition. A lot of disease processes can be prevented through proper diet. And then a list that just goes on and on that people don't really think about grooming, training.

You know, you're bringing these pets into your home. You want to make sure that you invest in training in how to adapt, especially if they're coming from traumatic circumstances or an unknown background. So training is extremely important. Boarding. So if you have to travel, who's going to take care of your pet? Like, what does that look like? The other things that you have to think about daycare, that's a big, big hot topic right now is pets have separation anxiety. and as people return back to work, what are you going to do?

How is your pet's going to be entertained? And so, you know, the list can go on and on of all the things that you have to consider to have them socialized, trained, properly cared for through nutrition as well as veterinary care. And what about vacation and traveling? That's important, too. That is a money list of trading secrets right there because it's all the things we don't think about, but the things that are so pertinent to our dog's health, our pets' health, and also our health with our pet in our house and the mental aspect of it too.

So I think that is so brilliant. One thing he kept touching on there was health and nutrition. So just as selfishly as a pet owner, what are some common mistakes you might see pet owners make when it comes to nutrition and diet for their pets? Specifically, I'm going to ask for dogs. Yeah, no. Love that question. I think now, especially in this season of great marketing and branding, not all diets are good diets. And so sometimes you'll see these great shiny packaging or you'll see a trend.

Social media has a big role that it plays there. I think it's so important, A, to have a veterinarian relationship that can understand your pets' needs, your pet's lifestyle. And that way you all can pick a proper diet based upon those facts and data. I love that. Right? Not what packaging looks the best. Yeah. And nutrition, oh, it has kind of.

so far. You have breed-specific diets. You have kibble that is designed to help, you know, make sure that dental disease is reduced in pets. There's so much to consider. Wow. So my ask would be that you just don't go grab for the first thing or just because somebody else is using that diet. You have got to make sure that you gear it towards your pet's needs. Customization, right? And talk to the professional that you trust, right? Also, that professional, right? They're not tied to an incentive on a promotion of a product. They're tied to education and knowing your pets health. So I think that's brilliant advice. But let's get back to finance. What do you think a financial decision that pet owners make with the best intentions? They're trying to do it right.

But it ends up costing them more because of the decision that they made. Yeah. I think the best way that I can answer that question would be have a proactive mindset. Okay. And so by me saying that prevention is key. The more you can get in front of it, and let me say it like this, I tell my kids this all the time. If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. And I use that when I think about my patients. As long as we can get baseline health information, understand their habits and their routines, when you can be proactive in that approach, it completely changes how you treat that pet over the span of their life. And so those conversations go from, what's wrong with your pet today, if they're always coming in for something, versus, hey, what can we do to keep your pet well?

It completely shifts how you're setting that pet up for success long term. And so the more you can lead with that proactive mindset, the more you can think about how to prevent disease through vaccinations, through flea-tick and heartworm prevention, I can go on and on, the better it is long-term, not only for health, but also from a budgetary standpoint. It's so intuitive because the same rules apply to us, right? The same exact rules apply to us. And sometimes I think we forget to apply those same rules to the other living beings under our roof.

I think it's so important. So we know Banfield leading provider, a preventative veterinary care in the U.S., 19,000 plus associates, over a thousand hospitals. More than two-thirds are located in pet-smart stores. So you oversee a lot of this. I was curious, we talk about preventive, right? Proactive. One thing I always learned was when people are usually cutting a bagel

or doing something at home and slip with a knife, it's usually the biggest reason. They end up in the ER and it gets expensive. Do you see any type of commonalities with some of these people that are bringing in their pets for something? Like, is there a baseline? if there's one thing I really want you to do back at home, right, it would be this. Is there anything like that that you can take away from all your years' experience?

Yeah, absolutely. I think it was very telling at first in my clinical practice, practicing years, and even now. It's very telling at first what bought that client into the hospital. And usually it was a problem. Usually. Either they're new to the home and they have lots and lots of questions, or perhaps it was some form of urgent case that needed immediate attention. Okay.

But once you get them in there, how do we make sure the next time I see you is not just because, again, there's an injury, right? How do we make sure that perhaps we put in place some things that can prevent these injuries from occurring? And that's where that proactive mindset and that preventive care comes into play. I think that's a really good transition to I'm one of two million clients now that you guys have that are enrolled in the optimum wellness plan. I have my reasons for why I'm enrolled, but I always love when I'm across the table from someone who's had a huge influence on these programs and these plans and driving change, the why. So what was some of the strategy of why? Why did Banfield build a membership model instead of just charging per visit? Yeah, that's a really great question.

And the best way I can answer that is what continues to drive us today. And so I want to break that down into a few different components. First and foremost, it's pretty simple. It's a simple formula. It's providing access. So access to care where if you have a problem, we have a team ready to address it. And then second, it was affordability. How do we take preventive care, which is our foundation?

it's our culture, it's who we are. It's how we practice medicine. And so to do that, you need to ensure that you have the clients and the patients that have a similar mindset and understand and believe in its importance as well. And so I believe that's why it came into play over 30 years ago. Why it exists is because now it's woven into our fabric. It's who we are. And as a veterinarian, those optimum wellness plans are the vehicle and how I can deliver care. So it removes barriers that I would have to face otherwise.

When my clients can have predictability and what it is that their patients need, that I'm there to help answer that call. Yeah. And so these plans are set up so that twice a year, we know you're coming in for a comprehensive exam. We also know that you're going to have all of your vaccinations covered. It's going to include diagnostic testing that's going to help us have an understanding of baseline health and make sure that we're checking for any other disease processes. So when I talk about, oh, and most importantly, unlimited office visits.

And outside of office visits, 24-7 access to pet chat. That's one that got me big time. Especially the way I travel and stuff like that. The unlimited visits, like if I'm traveling and Teddy Moose have an issue, one, we have a pet chat and two, they can go right away. It's not like a think about it. It's not how much is it? Is it a vet there? What's going on?

It's just go. Like here's the pet chat. Here's where you go. Don't think about it. Take them. Take them. And having over a thousand locations in the U.S., it provides the ability to give that access to you when you need it. Yeah.

Right? And so that was the design. Yeah. And that's why we created it. And we want to continue to break down barriers as access to care has been a huge conversation in veterinary medicine. We have got to, you can't treat a pet that's not present, right? We've got to be able to get them in to be seen. Yeah.

I mean, we see so much technology and AI and that's all great and all. But when it comes to health care, like you said, we need that in-person experience. Absolutely. I think the other thing that's really cool is obviously we talk business on this show. It's using economies of scale. the best way possible. It's saying, like, we have the infrastructure. We are in pet smarts. We are all over the country. How can we bring a premium product designed to be more affordable over the long period of time? So to me, that makes sense. I do remember when I got our OWP plan, the first time I

heard about it, I had a little confusion because I was like, is that pet insurance? That kind of sounds like pet insurance, but it's not pet insurance. I now know that. But I always love to have guests on and have them break it down in their words. Like, okay, for Anyone that might think it is pet insurance, how is it actually different? How do you explain that to a family that's weighing the difference between pet insurance or an OWP plan? Absolutely. I got to start by saying I am a believer in both, but it's also important to understand the difference. Okay.

And so when I think about pet insurance, that is a need to have for urgent injury, sickness, unexpected surgeries, anything outside of prevention. That is where you are going to want insurance to help cover the needs of your pet. When you think about our optimum wellness plans, they are packages of preventive care. So these preventive care packages are bundled services. So there are services that we are able to bundle. And because we can provide it in a package, you can save over 30% of what you would pay per item. when you package that bundle through that wellness plan. And so it's a huge cost savings for our clients. We're also, it's a win-win.

So it's a cost savings. You're also able to deliver the care that the patient needs from a preventive lens. And then if there is any injury or sickness or anything that is not included in that package, then you get a discount based off of the plan that you're on. So you will get a discount on any additional services. And so that is the difference. There's no, I think the other thing that's important to highlight insurance, there's pre-existing conditions that you have to consider.

And so not every pet is eligible for insurance. If there is a pre-existing condition, that is not a concern when you're just packaging together preventive care. So that's another big, big difference. When you're ready to start your business, Northwest registered agent helps you do more than just file paperwork. You get all the tools to build a real business identity from day one. A business address, website, phone number, operating agreement, free guides, and more at no extra cost. They're the largest registered agent in LLC service in the U.S. with over 1,500 corporate guides,

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And it just feels like when we take those approaches, it just puts us in a position to win. And for me, I think about it with our OWP plan. What I love the most is you get so busy in life, right? And there's so many places you have to go, things you've got to do. And sometimes we forget to even like go to the doctor ourselves, right? So then if we're coming down on that list, so do our pets. Yeah. And I think it's a lot of the proactive reminders, suggestions and things that Banfield has set up,

where it's like their medicine comes, it's already on like an automated schedule. The next appointment, it's already booked and done. They know what has to be done before I remembered what has to be done. And so I think it's also like the proactive approach that they use is very, very helpful with that. And that's the name of the game. You mentioned 30%. So talk to me a little bit about this 30%. Like the derivative of it.

We love numbers here. So, you know, where does the 30% come from and kind of help me back into that a little bit? Yeah, I guess the best way I can think about it is bulk. When you think about being able to provide services in a package, it's almost like a bulk discount. So the goal in order to be able to have that 30% saving. So if you were to walk into a door at perhaps another veterinary hospital that don't offer wellness plans, then you're paying for each item separately. So it's piece-filling.

Okay, you're going to need this. you're going to need this, you're going to need this, and you're going to pay full price. But when we can bundle those services, the best way I could think about it and not to buy all means cheap in it would be like a bulk. Why do people, why do I spend my Saturday at Costco when I could easily go, and I'm not, I love that analogy, though. Using that as a comparison for medicine. You know what I mean? It clicks when you say the analogies like that. Absolutely.

There's reasons why, you know what, I could say. here, but I'm also getting high quality. Yeah. And so that is, that would be the best way that I can explain. After you package those services, when you price things out separately, it is a 30% reduction in cost that you could receive if you were to pay each item separately. And it's all, the whole model is based on catching things early. Absolutely. But then the model is backed by scale and both. And bulk, you say family saved 30% on average, as opposed to piecemealing it together. One of the things I remember that was important for Teddy and Moose was once I heard about

the customization of the plans and then I heard about the plan model, obviously did my research, did my little trade secret studying. And then I was like, okay. And obviously the differentiation between insurance, everything. I'm like, all right, this makes, I'm it. I'm sold. This is, this is it. But then I will, then the next step was which plan? So you guys, what I thought was really cool. Even I own an agency. And so we manage public figures. And one of the big things we always say about managing public figures is one size fits none, right? Because you can't just have one cookie cutter model for someone because everything about them is different. Their brand is different. Their trajectory is different. Their wants, their desires, their needs are different. It's also the same

with pets. And that's what I thought was pretty cool that you have 10 different plans. So how do you walk a family through the decision making of which of the plans is best for their pet? And what are some things that our listeners should think about if they're going to look into one of these plans? Absolutely. You know, I'll bring it back to where we started. And it's starting with that relationship and that trust. And the goal is not to say, all right, Teddy and Moose, this is a great plan for both of you without understanding their needs. Oh, and guess what?

As individuals, they're unique in their own right. Teddy's a little bit more overweight. No, no, Moose is a little more overweight. I was going to say, I was banking on the name, but I didn't want to judge. They gave the vet scale. They said, do you want your dog at a five? Moose is like a 7.5. Teddy's more a six.

We can work with that. So he's on a different plan. But that is, it is truly formulating a plan. And the only way to do that is to prescribe it, to make sure that you have that connection with that veterinarian and that you all are sitting down through conversation and figuring out what are the needs of my pet. And that's where the customization comes in. So we have our standard, our standard level plan that truly does incorporate the most needed preventive care measures.

But on top of that, you know what? Moose lifestyle is a little bit different here. And maybe I am going to want to check on this. Or perhaps Teddy's more predisposed to these conditions. So perhaps we may want to test for this. And so that's where those customizations come into play. It doesn't happen if you don't have the veterinarian, the client, and the patient, and together communicating, as I said earlier, on what's the needs, what's the lifestyle? What are the things that we want to be cautious about?

And how about let's do some preliminary blood work. Let's see what we're working with and then build on customizations as we go. And it doesn't, just from my vantage point, it doesn't feel like a lot of other fat sort of, or competitors are offering such customization and plans of this. I'm sure you're doing this research to understand what the competition is doing and how you're differentiating. What does that look like from your level? Yeah, I would say that the biggest research we do is what's needed for the pet, right?

And so anything we do at Banfield or within our network of Mars Veterinary Health is evidence-based. We pride ourselves on evidence-based medicine. So I'll just go a layer deeper. It's not always what's that person doing or what's that person doing? Of course, we would love to be the trailblazers in this industry. But most importantly, what are we seeing happening with pet insights? What do we need to do different?

And for an example, let me give you something to maybe chew on a little bit. COVID six years ago, can you believe six years has passed since COVID. That's crazy. So at that time, we had the highest amount of, pets being introduced into the home. I remember a figure of like during that one time, over 20 million additional pets were introduced into U.S. households. Those pets are now turning six, right? And so when you think about this aging population, how are we taking care of our senior pets? Because they're knocking on the door of perhaps we need to do some different testing. We also still

have our puppies and kittens and their needs are different. And so that's why that lifestyle, that customization, age, breed, all of these things fit into the care that we need to provide our patients and consideration. And while those numbers are new, right, in the last six years, you already mentioned this, but the optimum wellness plan isn't new. That's correct. It's been around for almost 40 years. It's not some new pop-up thing because it might feel good given that most people have a lot

of pets in the last six years. It's something tested and tried, which I think is pretty unique. And it's cool to just have it myself so I could speak to it. We also have to innovate, right? Like, just because we've been here 40 years, what work then? Right. Doesn't work today. More customization, more options.

That makes perfect sense. This is more of a question just around the industry as a whole. Well, it's just animal welfare, really. When you think about the overpopulation crisis we do have with dogs in this country, you mentioned spade and neuter, huge proponent of spade and neuter myself. From Vanfield's perspective, you guys do spade and neuter. You offer a spade and neuter, right? And could you also educate the consumer?

tumor base a little bit on why it's something that as a vet you would suggest and something that you feel strongly about? Absolutely. I can speak in the voice of Dr. Harrison. Yes, that's what I would love. It's so important. And I think before I was a veterinarian, I was raised in a community where population control, there was an opportunity, right? Most people didn't get their pet spayed or neutered. And so it's so important from a disease standpoint. and being able to control preventable diseases. It's so important for the pet's health. And so there is clear data that shows different disease processes the longer.

Let's take a female dog, for example, when they are not spayed, they can get debilitating conditions, one called pyometria, which is an infection of the uterus. But this can turn fatal, right? And so if they were spayed early on in life, that's not a condition you have to worry about. There's also cancer. There's a great deal of cancer that can be preventable if you spay and neuter your pets. And so I think people go straight to population control, but there's so many other chronic conditions and diseases that we can make sure they never get if we just spay and neuter.

And so there's a lot more that goes into it. And I think those, I'm just giving you some common ones, those are the ones that typically hit at the heart of our clients. Like, well, I didn't realize that they'd be at risk for testicular cancer or mammary cancer. And you can reduce that occurrence dramatically. You can prevent it. Yeah. I've always thought about it as a one checkbox item, but that list is much longer than one checkbox. And thank you for educating us on this.

Back to affordability, affordability conversation pet care keeps evolving the way it does. Preventive care, it feels like, becomes the default, right? Yeah. I think that becomes the default in human medicine too. And one of the biggest questions I think I probably get from my audience is when does it stop? Like, what do we do for the price point to become possible for us to take care of our pets the way that we should? And I think some people are feeling like they're getting priced out. They're feeling that in human medicine too.

We had recently a CEO of a health insurance company on to speak about it. What's your take on that perspective? Yeah, I think affordability needs to remain at the top of conversation because affordability equates to access, right? And when I say that, I mean when clients can afford care for their pets, we need to be there to provide that access to care, but that means they're walking through the doors. And so what I will say, as myself is a veterinarian, for the veterinarians that I support, and for this industry, there's a lot of discussion around affordability.

And a term that is used more regularly now is spectrum of care. And it means just that. We should be able to provide care no matter where that individual fits on that spectrum. Right. And so that's meaning that every pet, every time, deserves care. And it may not be the same exact treatment plan, but we should all be skilled and knowledgeable to be able to meet with those clients and provide options.

And I think that is extremely important to keep at the center. Every single client that walks in the door is different. And so we can't, you know, just do this broad, brush where everybody fits in one box. You have to meet people where they are. And to do that, you have to be able to communicate, understand, okay, what is it that we can do today? What is it that perhaps we can do two weeks from now? What could that look like a year from now? What can we prevent? You know? And so that's where the conversation starts versus this is your one option. Yeah. And so as long as you keep that at the forefront, that spectrum of care, and understand that

people are going to fall every which way on that spectrum. And as an industry, we have to support what that looks like. And here at Banfield, I can tell you that is what we keep top of mind. We've got to meet our clients again, putting them in the center, meeting them where we are. We try and make care as predictable as possible by offering our wellness plans. And even outside of that, it's that trusted relationship that will carry the rest of the way. Makes perfect sense. All right, you talked about one day, one week, one month, one year.

Let's just, we'll take one month, okay? Sure. Right now I'm big on takeaways. Okay. So what is one thing that you would want every pet owner listening right now to do, let's say in the next month to prepare for an unexpected pet bill? What would it be? Give us one thing we could do the next month.

One thing that you can do. Or several things, but in the next month, what can we do? Okay. I think that I will lead with, if I've said nothing, Nothing else that landed. Yeah. Have a proactive approach. That is what I'm going to say.

What does that look like? Well, that can be different based on the individual. But I'll give some examples. If you're not on flea-tick and heartworm prevention, please, that is a start of being proactive. Okay. Let me give you some facts that go with that. Yes.

So 21% of our Banfield clients still believe that mosquitoes don't try. transmit heartworm disease in their state. I know that heartworm is in every state. And so we've got to be mindful of how we are preventing these diseases. It could cost anywhere from $25 a month. There's now injections you can give that will last one injection, last a whole year. That's prevention. treatment of heartworm disease can range from, it depends on the size of the pet, but you're probably looking at 1,200 rural minimum to 6,000,

but that's not including the amount of time that they have to be rested. They have to be contained for weeks and sometimes months after treatment. And so the treatment alone can be traumatic, not just for the patient, but also for the client. So that's just an example of when I say be proactive. It could be in the realm of flea-tick and heartworm. It could be in the realm of dental, making sure that you're focusing on dental disease. That's another one, the cost of dental,

because you have to do surgery, right, most of the time. Absolutely. They have to be anesthetized. And you're talking thousands of dollars for any type of dental issue. It can. It absolutely can be. So the more you can be proactive about that. We know that 80% of dogs, 75% of cats have signs of dental disease by year one. By year one. That's what our data shows. And so again, the more you can prevent it, the better, then you're not paying thousands of dollars to extract rotten teeth because they have diseased mouths. And so that is just two examples of when I say, just take a proactive approach. it's just that is what I would want to leave this audience with. And those numbers just don't lie.

I mean, you're talking about $25 for prevention versus thousands to treat if it occurs. Like there's just, it just doesn't lie. Are we seeing, as you're speaking, I'm just getting curious, are we seeing, let's say specifically dogs, humans are living longer? Are dogs living longer? Is it medicine advances? Yes. I love that you ask this question. You can tell it's a passion point for me.

I'm like, please. But they are. Like, we can, data shows that pets' lives are increasing. There's longer, there's more longevity in a pet's life current state. And a lot of that is because veterinary medicine is rapidly advancing. And so I absolutely think it's a symbiotic relationship. And so as we advance in medicine, the benefit goes directly to that pet. And clients are definitely playing a key factor there.

Wow. I love it. Okay, one more personal curiosity. Yeah. From a breed standpoint, are there any things that you see consistencies with that people should be aware of? Like I've heard goldins might just be, I don't know, generalized comments you hear. Goldins are more susceptible to cancer or, you know, bulldogs have certain things. Is there anything that as consumers we should think about or at least know that you see in commonalities and breeds? Oh, yes. And I could not sum it all up. on this show. You're like, we'd have to do a whole other podcast for that. We'd have to do a whole another podcast. But what I, what I will say is absolutely, think about us as humans too.

Okay. We know that certain genders are more predisposed for things. We know certain ethnicities and cultures. Same goes for pets. And so, yes, there are a lot of predisposed concerns. I'll I'll give you an example of a personal story. Yeah. So my sister calls me all the time. She always has a story about my nephew, and that's her dog. I do have human nephews, but she loves her dog. That's her baby.

Sure. And he is a big boy. He's about 175 pounds. And so when she first got him, I said, listen, joints, he's a big boy. You've got to pay attention to joints with him. And so now, two surgeries later, because he's torn both his, what I would say, his ACL. I always call him ACLs, but they're not ACLs, right? His knees, both of them had to have surgical repair, but he's a big boy and he's very active and he doesn't know his size sometimes.

And so it's just a prime example on making sure again through diet, joint supplements, there are, and because of the breed he is, he was more predisposed to this happening, right? So I'm just given an example that hits close to home, like I could have called it, before it happened, not that I want to, and I don't wish that. But yeah, you can look and say, oh, I know I'm going to see you in two years for this, just based off of a breed at times. I like it. That's good advice.

Do your research on your breeds to be prepared. Well, a question I have for anyone that's pursuing the career that you pursued, tell me the biggest challenge becoming and being a veterinarian and someone at your level in management within that industry. the biggest challenge of someone's considering this career track and they're starting to think about the next steps at school or they have a son or daughter that is? Yeah, I think the biggest challenge,

well, I'm trying to make sure it fits with trading secrets. Finances are a barrier many times to getting into vet school. It's not cheap. It is extremely competitive. But I also want to make sure that you understand challenges can be overcome. And if I were sitting here over 20 years ago, I wouldn't expect to be in the position that I am today. And so it's well worth it. This career has given me more than I could ever dreamed of.

And so, yes, finances are challenging. You have to pay for school. So look for scholarships, looks for grants, look for different opportunities that can help pay for a veterinary school. obviously scholarships, I would keep at the forefront. But also, when I think about this career, it's an industry that can take you any direction you want to go. And so I came into this industry because I loved pets. I thought that's what I would be doing my entire career.

And what I realized was more important to me as I got comfortable in my career was how do I help more pets? and that had to happen not through me as an individual contributor. How do I have impact? How do I influence? How do I now take thousands of veterinarians and make them want to love what they do and feed that back into the pets to get the care that's needed?

So, yeah, as an entity, I could have my own clients and pets, and I could have done that every day and love that. But now I get the opportunity to scale and have impact. even greater and still get to be tied to a profession where I get to love and just be so passionate about the work that I do. I love that answer. And I also think for anyone listening, when you think about consumer protection, building that trust, there has been a lot of change in the industry over the years, right?

And when you even talk about costs, I think you probably agree with me that 99% of vets aren't going into the profession. to get rich. That is correct. They're going into the profession for passion and care and impact. And I think an observation I have made in speaking with you and speaking to many people at Banfield and knowing Mars that when you talk to your vets, let's just say you think you're not feeling trust for some reason in price points or something.

Ask your vets the passion they have about where they work and why. and I think it might open your eyes. And when you see, and the way you speak about Banfield and the connection Banfield has to an unbelievable organization like Mars, it's undeniable, right, that it's a good company that makes huge impact in communities, the other companies they serve. I mean, it's consistency, it's longevity. And I think that's a big part, like I would urge a lot of people,

it's like build trust with your veterinarian. And also, if you build that trust, ask them why they work, they work and what it means of them. And you just gave that answer without me asking. And I think that's really important in a space that's ever so changing. You know, that's just, that's just my little take on that. But this has been a very, very fun episode of trading secrets. Do you have any pets yourself? Currently? Yes. No. I have all my nieces and nephews. You're like, I have thousands I work with every day. I have thousands I work. I have pets my entire life. And so I'm at a spot now where I'm figuring out what's next? Who do we want to bring into our home next? And what could

that look like? So more to come. I love it. And when you're serving millions, millions of pet owners, you have that luxury to take your time because you see many on a day-to-day basis. All right, well, we got to wrap with the trading secret. So it's got to be very something special from your career track, what you've done, maybe a piece of advice based on what you do and how you do it. but it could be anything. Anything from your perspective, we need one trading secret. What can you leave us with? Okay, well, I'll leave them with something I said earlier on.

Okay. And that's, if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. And I honestly have used that mantra in every facet of my life, whether that be business and planning strategies and need to make decisions on a whim, motherhood, you know, being a wife of almost 20 years. I mean, it is, it's creating predictability. So I'll just keep going back to that. The more that you can create predictability,

the more that you can stay on your toes and have a plan in place, the better the outcome. And there'll be some curveballs. But when you've seen enough, you know, different things, enough times, you can definitely maneuver through those with no problem. And that's kind of like the theme. of this whole podcast. It's like proactive, not reactive. Absolutely. One size fits none, right? Yep. And that one connects with me a lot, especially I think a lot of people. We wear a lot of

different hats today, right? We wear the partner hat that whatever we're pursuing is our career, our life, all the finances, all these moving things. And I think in all those areas, right, when you're ready, there isn't so much time prepared and getting ready. Right. It doesn't mean you know what's coming at you. Right. But you know something's coming. But you know something. And you know had a bob and wee. Yeah, and the pivot and the resilience to do it is important. And to think that that trading secret actually connects to preventive animal health care is just, it's really important. It's really cool. So Dr. Harrison, this has been awesome. Your career resume, it's so cool to see what you've done and grown it in the way you have all the way to chief medical officer and

the areas that you serve. It's really, it's so, so cool. So thank you so much for coming on trading secrets. It's an honor to speak with you. Where can everyone find everything that you have going on and where can everyone find everything Banfield Pet Hospital? Yeah, well, please visit our website. We are highly accessible. So banfield.com. You can find all the information you need, especially around our wellness plans,

but just around the care that we provide and I'm accessible on social media as well. I love it. That's awesome. Dr. Harrison, this has been so cool. And I'm telling you, the OWP, it's that 24-7 advice from a veterinary professional for me. That's the big thing. I love it.

and of course the saving. So Dr. Harrison, thank you so much for being on training secrets. Thank you for having me. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer.

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