Australians Spending More On Pets Than Ever Before

[samoyedman]

http://www.smh.com.au/money/budget-for-fou...0308-1blfk.html

Australians are spending more than ever on pets, with medical bills often running into the thousands of dollars.

Like other family members, the four-legged or feathered kind get sick from time to time. They also need a balanced diet and an enriched environment. Budgeting for a companion animal before taking on the responsibility is the first step to a rewarding experience.

A study by the Australian Companion Animal Council shows Australians are spending more on their pets than ever.

Although as a nation we have fewer pets, there are still more pets than people in Australia. We have the second-highest rate of pet ownership in the world, behind the US.

The study says the number of cats dropped 3.3 per cent between 2005 and 2009 but the amount spent on them rose by 22 per cent, to $602 a cat a year.

The two major costs for pet owners are vets and food but a dog owner can spend 21 per cent of their annual pet-owning bills on grooming, walking, burial, insurance, registration, boarding, transport and training. Many cat owners have to factor in the cost of cat litter.

At the University of Sydney's Small Animal Hospital, one owner recently spent $15,000 to keep their dog on life support, due to tick paralysis.

Vet nurse Gianna Pattison says this year the hospital has been inundated with tick paralysis victims - but most have not had to go on life support.

Even without these big bills, just to keep a dog vaccinated and treated for worms, heartworm and fleas costs about $380 a year, depending on the dog's size, she says.

Hip replacement, not an unusual procedure, can cost between $5000 and $6000, she says.

A spokesperson for Choice, Ingrid Just, says owners with a pet that's unmanageable or prone to illness should consider pet insurance.

She says when illness or accident strikes, the owner may not be prepared for the expense.

Choice's last study on pet insurance, however, found it is not necessarily good value in Australia.

Just says pet insurance is capped for older pets or pets with diseases. ''You may not be able to get full coverage.''

The reason animal operations cost so much, compared with human operations, is that there is no Medicare equivalent to subsidise the cost..

Cats and dogs can now receive ultrasound and X-rays, blood tests or urine analysis, treatment of skin conditions, arthritis treatment, major surgery and cancer treatment.

Medibank Pet Insurance says vet bills aren't cheap. Its average claim for multiple fractures is $1381. The highest was $13,525. The average cost for an ear infection is $159, gastroenteritis is $286 and dermatitis is $147.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA, Lisa Chalk, says although all pets need an investment of time and money, the returns are immeasurable.

''Animals enrich our lives in so many ways and science backs that up with research revealing pet owners to be healthier and happier than their non-pet-owning counterparts,'' she says.

''One study found pet ownership in Australia saved the public health budget nearly $4 billion in one year.''

Edited March 11, 2011 by samoyedman

[raz]

So what? Why is this news - if people didnt spend money on their pets when they're sick they'd be slammed...and rightly so.