Ensuring Quality in Multilingual Veterinary Documentation

The global pet food industry generates an estimated US $120-130 billion in annual revenue. Spain accounts for approximately $1.6 billion and 2.7 billion, representing around 1.5% and 1.7% of the global market.
The projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the global pet food market between 2025 and 2030 is 4%-6%, while Spain is expected to grow at a similar pace of 4%-5%.

Why Translate Your Documentation, Marketing Materials, and Videos?

1. The answer is simple: translation drives commercial performance. In other words, customers buy what they understand. According to CSA Research in its Can’t Read, Won’t Buy: B2B Edition (2023) report, 76% of consumers prefer to purchase products with information in their own language, and 40% will never buy at all if the content has not been translated.
2. In regulated industries (veterinary, pharmaceutical, food, industrial machinery), the translation of labels, technical sheets, manuals or safety notices is a legal requirement.  These regulations vary from country to country. In the European Union for example, Regulation (EU) 2019/6 requires veterinary medicinal product information to be available in the official languages of the country where the product is marketed.
   Failure to provide required translations, or providing incorrect ones, can lead to fines, product recalls, or even denial of market authorization in a given country.
3. Translation strengthens brand reputation and customer perception. Professionally translated content (whether videos or text) signals cultural awareness and respect for the end user. Clear, well-written messaging keeps customers focused on the information you want to convey rather than distracting them with linguistic errors. In highly technical or scientific sectors, even minor terminology mistakes can quickly undermine trust.
   In international markets, it is well-known that the quality of communication has a direct impact on the perceived quality of the product.
4. Translated materials facilitate technical understanding and reduces operational risk. In machinery and animal health products, terminological precision is critical.
   For example:
   – A clearly translated machine installation manual makes it easier for the user to assemble it correctly.
   – Accurately translated maintenance instructions help technicians perform procedures safely and efficiently.
   – A properly translated medication leaflet can help prevent misuse and safety risks, while an accurately translated gear oil dosage guide can help prevent equipment breakdowns.
5. Localization also plays a strategic role in international growth and global SEO performance.
   A website translated into the end user’s language is significantly more visible in local search results. When the translation is aligned with relevant keywords, the impact on search rankings is even more favorable.
6. More than simply a linguistic expense, this is an investment with a measurable return. If we analyze the cost of a good translation, it represents only a small proportion of the total investment of a project, yet its impact can be significant:
   – Higher conversion rates (up to 60% increase)
   – Fewer returns and incidents
   – Greater trust from distributors and end customers
   The more technical and regulated the product, the greater the risk of a bad translation — and therefore, the greater the value of doing it well.
7. Translation not only improves communication with customers; it also strengthens internal communication across teams and international distributors. Clear, consistent materials reduce inconsistencies in catalogs, presentations, training content, etc.

   

Translations as a Driver of International Marketing and Sales

Professional translation is a core component of international marketing and sales strategy — especially for companies operating across multiple markets or languages.
Global companies need communication that resonates in each country and culture. This requires professional localization to ensure that messaging and tone are understood in each market.
Localization involves adapting examples, visuals, units of measurement, symbols, etc., so that they make sense to the target audience. This adaptation ensures the message sounds natural, not translated.

Customers buy more when they understand what is being offered. This statement needs no examples.
Translating and localizing key materials such as websites, videos, catalogs, and digital campaigns enables companies to enter new international markets faster and at a significantly lower cost than opening new offices.
Well-translated materials (catalogs, videos, guides, emails) facilitate the commercial work of distributors, and reinforce the image of a professional, trustworthy brand.

Translation should not be viewed as a communication expense, but as a strategic sales investment, to achieve global growth and trust.
It is a tool that transforms international marketing efforts into measurable business growth.

How Localization Can Influence a Veterinary Company’s International Sales

In the veterinary industry, translating and localizing technical and commercial materials — including product sheets, videos, websites, and user manuals — plays an essential role in ensuring regulatory compliance, technical accuracy and the trust of distributors and end customers.

• Adapting technical language and terminology in line with national regulatory frameworks such as AEMPS, EMA, FDA, and EFSA, helps companies avoid penalties and secure legal access to new markets.
  Even small terminology errors, such as confusing a “food supplement” with a “veterinary medical product” can result in regulatory non-compliance and financial penalties.
• Well-localized materials signal professionalism and credibility to veterinarians and distributors, making products easier to recommend. When terminology is accurate and aligned with local regulatory language, veterinarians are more likely to confidently recommend the product to their clients. Conversely, distributors or veterinarians may reject a product if they perceive translations as careless or imprecise. In highly regulated sectors such as food and animal health, a translation error can be interpreted as a lack of scientific rigor.
• Localized videos and written content also increase engagement, and when properly adapted, they contribute directly to purchase decisions. By contrast, content available in only one language limits SEO visibility and weakens the performance of international marketing campaigns.

Industry Best Practices

Work with translators who specialize in veterinary medicine and pharmacology, with knowledge of regulatory frameworks and terminology validated by agencies such as the EMA or AEMPS.

In the veterinary sector, translation quality goes far beyond “sounding good” or “reading naturally.” It means ensuring that the translation:
– Accurately conveys technical meaning without conceptual errors. For example, “external antiparasitics” is not equivalent to “insecticide.”
It is also essential to define the target audience of each translation:
Text intended for veterinarians should use precise terminology and complete data.
Text intended for animal owners should be clear, unambiguous, and focused on correct product use.

-Uses terminology consistent with applicable legal regulations (e.g. EMA, AEMPS, and EFSA).

– Aligns with the manufacturer’s existing documentation (articles, catalogs, website content, etc.) and brand tone.

– Serves its intended communicative function (technical sheet, label, instructions, commercial video, etc.).
This is achieved by working with professional linguists who specialize in the field, supported by validated translation memories and comprehensive, regularly updated glossaries.

– Build and maintain glossaries and translation memories to ensure technical consistency across products and brands.

– Localize videos and multimedia materials using professional voiceover or subtitles that reflect the appropriate local tone (e.g. educational videos for veterinarians or tutorials for animal owners).

Conclusion

In the veterinary sector, translation and localization are not operational expenses, but strategic investments.
Companies that properly adapt their technical and commercial content gain:

• Better access to regulated markets
• Greater trust from professionals and end customers
• Higher return on investment (ROI) in international communication

In a global and competitive market, rigorous and culturally adapted multilingual communication is one of the most powerful levers for growth.