An Overview of the Factors Impacting on the
Animal Health Care Industry
The Australian Companion Animal Council reports that there is an estimated 33 million pets in Australia living in 8 million households (i.e. 63% of households own a pet) and that Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world. 36% of households own a dog and 23% own a cat. There are also (approximately) 18.4 million fish, 8.1 million birds and 1 million other pets including horses, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals.
There are many reasons why people keep pets. They can be a means of curing loneliness, companionship, protection and recreation. Pets have become an important part of the family and are increasingly being viewed as equals. Owners are progressively more aware and concerned about their pet’s health and wellbeing and are spending extra on preventative and elective veterinary and complementary medicines. With advances in veterinary medicine and owners spending more on veterinary services, the lifespan of the dog is anticipated to lengthen increasing the number of elderly pets who are likely to require ongoing care. It is thought that people who access complementary medicines such as homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic and physiotherapy are more likely to seek similar treatments for their pets. Having pet insurance has also become more common due to the increasing demand for veterinary care. It is anticipated that the demand for complementary medicines will continue to rise and will become more mainstream in the next 5 years. As this demand increases, veterinary clinics will need to start offering an option to access alternative animal treatments in order to compete with other clinics and to satisfy the wants of owners.
There are many factors that impact on the animal health industry. This industry was affected by the recent world economic downturn as people cut down on unnecessary spending. In the last 5 years pet ownership numbers declined and people turned to owning less expensive pets such as fish and birds. Now as the economy recovers and disposable incomes are starting to thrive again, it is anticipated that people will once again start spending more on their pets. The growing population is also anticipated to increase pet ownership numbers.
Living styles, lifestyle changes and other social factors also impact on the animal health industry. There has been a shift toward urbanisation as people move into apartments and smaller dwellings. This has caused a decline in dog ownership numbers and a rise in the numbers of small animals such as birds and fish. These days’ people are busier and work longer hours. This lifestyle has contributed to the decline in larger animal ownership numbers. On the other hand other social factors such as a higher incidence of divorce rates, people marrying later in life and the ageing population has increased the demand for pets as companions as there is a rise in the number of people living alone.
In 2009, people spent $6.02 billion on their pets (products and services) with spending on dogs accounting for 60% of this figure. Of the $6.02 billion, 36.9% was spent on veterinary services. This spending figure is anticipated to flourish and increase each year as the economy continues to improve; population expands and disposable incomes thrive again.
Animal physiotherapy is expected to become more mainstream as owners seek out complementary medicines and are increasingly concerned for their animal’s wellbeing. As demand for physiotherapy becomes apparent, veterinarians will need to offer or refer for these services to keep up with trends and in order to keep customers happy. All in all the future of animal physiotherapy looks bright!
By Sandy Sharpe
Animal Physiotherapist and APG QLD representative
Information from the Australian Companion Animal Council
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