A new study shows that pet owners are buying up pet oral care products at a fast pace. According to Market Trends: Oral Care for Pets, a new report from research publisher Packaged Facts, U.S. retail sales of pet oral care products reached $425 million in 2004, reflecting annual growth averaging 35% since 2000.

"One factor underpinning the rapid rise of targeted oral care products for pets is the competitive necessity of marketers to come up with ever more innovative product concepts," said Don Montuori, Acquisitions Editor of Packaged Facts. "Adding value to products represents a way to breathe life into mature categories and pump up price points and margins, as well as gain the favor of the major retailers, PETCO and PETsMART."

The study goes on to cite veterinarians as playing an ever more important role in marketing these products, suggesting that vets are going to become deluged with brochures, free samples, and vet-to-vet salesmen.

I mean, when I visit my doctor, there's always at least two pharmaceutical salesmen there at any time of day. My doctor knows these salesmen so well, that some of them walk into the office, into his stock room to replenish his free samples, without even checking in. I imagine HIPAA cops are going nuts with this. That's how its going to be with vets.