“Research is a bellwether for veterinarians,” says Tony Buffington, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVN, a feline, health advocate and winner of the coveted 2009 Mark L. Morris Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award from Hill’s Pet Nutrition. The award, which includes a $20,000 gift from Hill’s, was donated to Morris Animal Foundation to fund a pain management assessment study in cats.
“Research helps us separate what we know from what we think we know,” Buffington says. A practitioner and professor at The Ohio State University and founder of the Indoor Cat Initiative, Buffington appreciates the fact that research provides veterinarians with an objective perspective to understand the difference between what we see with patients and how that jibes with pet health trends.
Additionally, research helps move the profession forward by providing new tools for care.
