The Veterinary Corporation: Profits over Pets?

There is a scene that gets played out multiple times a day at veterinary hospitals that are controlled by corporations.

The doctor gets a call from a business manager asking why she is selling Brand B of heartworm product over Brand A. The vet explains that her preferred brand offers additional protection against whipworm. She has just treated a dog who presented with bloody diarrhea and dehydration. After being hospitalized and put on IV fluids, the dog is doing better, but the patient had been using the company-preferred brand and had indeed caught whipworm.

The business manager reminds the doctor that the corporation's policy is to use Brand A, not Brand B. A Board Certified Vet at corporate research has chosen Brand A as the better product. Plus the company has a "special" relationship with Brand A's manufacturer who sponsors company events. By the way, do you like working here?

Every day, veterinarians in corporations are put in the position of choosing between what is best for the pet and the policies of their employer. I believe this is a division of loyalty which never works in the animal's favor. Who's calling the shots at your vet?