Why Our Cases—and Market—Aren’t Like the First World’s (Yet)
When you walk into a typical veterinary clinic in the Philippines, you’re far more likely to hear “positive for ehrlichia” than “diagnosed with hypothyroidism.” And it’s not a coincidence—it’s a reflection of what truly defines our local practice:
We are still an infectious disease country—more than a metabolic one.
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INFECTION: The Reigning King of Philippine Vet Medicine
From Manila to Mindanao, veterinary clinics continue to be dominated by cases like:
- Parvovirus in puppies
- Distemper outbreaks
- Ehrlichiosis and babesiosis from rampant tick exposure
- Leptospirosis from contaminated environments
- Severe mange, fungal infections, and parasite overloads
These cases aren’t rare—they’re routine. And they continue to define the focus of most general practices.
Why?
- Warm, humid, vector-friendly climate
- Widespread stray animal population
- Gaps in preventive care education
- Limited diagnostic access, especially in provincial clinics
METABOLIC DISEASE: Present, But Not Prevalent
Let’s be clear: metabolic diseases do exist in the Philippines.
Urban clinics are diagnosing:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Cushing’s and Addison’s disease
- Chronic kidney and liver disease
- Heart disease
- Hyperthyroidism in senior cats
But these cases are still far fewer than infectious ones. The reasons are systemic:
- Many pets don’t live long enough to develop chronic illness
- Diagnostic tools (hormone assays, ultrasounds, etc.) aren’t always accessible
- Chronic care requires owner compliance, repeat consults, and long-term budgeting—still a challenge for many
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A Market Shaped by Disease Patterns
This disparity isn’t just clinical—it’s commercial.
Metabolic-focused therapies like Solensia, Librela, and Vetmedin are available in the Philippines—but remain niche.
They treat age-related, diagnosed conditions that:
- Aren’t frequently identified
- Require client commitment
- Are outpaced by the volume of infectious cases needing urgent, short-term care
Instead, top-performing products remain:
- Tick and flea preventives (e.g., NexGard)
- Dewormers
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics
- Core vaccines
These are the tools of survival in a system where infection, not inflammation, is still the primary enemy.
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The Shift Is Coming—But Unevenly
There is progress.
Metro-based clinics are seeing more metabolic disease cases.
More owners are investing in diagnostics.
Lifespans are improving with better preventive care.
But this evolution is slow, localized, and not yet nationwide.
For now:
- We’re treating parvo before pancreatitis
- Managing blood parasites over blood sugar
- Fighting ehrlichia before endocrine disorders
Final Thought: We Heal What We See
Our market is shaped by our medicine.
Our medicine is shaped by our environment.
And right now, in the Philippines, infection still trumps chronic inflammation.
But with time, awareness, better access to care, and improved education, we’ll get to a future where:
- Pets live longer
- Metabolic diseases become routine
- And veterinary medicine shifts from fighting to preserving life
Until then, we stay on the frontlines—one ehrlichia, one parvo, one tick bite at a time.
Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a vet. Like and follow if you’re with us.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
