Targeted marketing to sway dog owners, but, that may be it
Jope, Inc. is a manufacturer of dog supplements, in particular, an alleged “veterinary grade” Hip and Joint Supplements. I wonder, does the US Food and Drug Administration define “Veterinary Grade,” somewhere? Last I looked, the US FDA did NOT define “Veterinary Grade,” that’s marketing-speak, not veterinarian-speak, or nutraceutical-speak.
The principals of Jope are both veterinarians, and their gospel can be compelling. At one point, while listening to the principals of Jope on a podcast, I was about to stand in the aisle of a church, with my crutches, scream, Hallelujah, and declare my ability to walk again; …… I was so compelled by Jope’s marketing. THEN, I reminded myself that the pet supplement business in the United States, alone, is responsible for $1.1 Billion to $1.3 Billion in sales, annually. There’s a lot of false promises and Snake Oil in that mix.
In an attempt to make an old, healthy dog more comfortable, we gave Jope Hip and Joint Supplements a try. We are 6 weeks into the trial, and so far we have noted no change in our dog’s mobility or aging joints. The effect of Jope Hip and Joint Supplement, thus far, has been a placebo effect.
The people from Jope say that it could take 3 or more months, of daily administration of Jope Hip and Joint Supplement, at prescribed dose, to produce a therapeutic effect. So, we will stick it out, and see. In the interim, I am not optimistic that Jope is anything but another Snake Oil, but, we will wait and see.