Japan Pet Owners Lavish New Tricks On Old Dogs
By Elaine Lies
TOKYO — Chieko Ushiyama visits a doctor every two weeks, spending a minimum $200 a month on medical care.
The treatment is not for Ushiyama herself but for Pepe, her 12-year-old Shih Tzu, who has heart disease.
The number of aged dogs in Japan has risen sharply until half the country’s canines are now elderly — surpassing even the well-known graying of the nation’s human population.
The trend has led to a spate of new products and services for which owners are more than willing to pay.
"Pepe is one of the family, so of course I’ll take care of him until the end," said Ushiyama, who is 56.
"But the medicine and trips to the hospital cost money, and there’s the worry about him. So things can be hard."
Ushiyama and dog owners like her now have many options for care. There are diapers for incontinent dogs, spas and hot springs, special food, and even "wheelchairs" — a framework of wheels for dogs whose back legs can no longer bear their weight.
"Just the way services are evolving to take care of aging humans, many of the same things are developing, or will, to take care of aging animals," said Eriko Kanazawa, a senior researcher at Yano Research Institute in Tokyo.
"The amount of money people spend on their pets is increasing and more people want to be with their pets until the very end."
Although there are few firm figures, an average household with one dog spends as much as 120,000 yen ($1,020) a year on their pet, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association.
Elderly guide dogs can even live out their final days in one of two homes for the aged once they are too feeble to work, though such care facilities have yet to be built for pets.
In the past, Japanese saw their dogs mainly as guards, with many tied forlornly outside, whatever the weather.
GROWING OLD TOGETHER
But a falling birthrate, human longevity and changing family structure mean more people are now living on their own — and taking dogs into their homes as part of the family.
"In the past, three generations lived together in the same house, but this is rare," said Munenori Ito, a veterinarian in western Tokyo. "So now more people have pets, to bring back a warm feeling to the house."
Japan’s 127 million people in 2005 owned an estimated 13 million dogs as of last year.
"As people age, the number of dogs increases," said Katsuo Mochizuki, at the Pet Food Manufacturers Association. "The largest number of dog owners in Japan are in their 50s and 60s."
More than half these dogs are 7 years old or older, which vets consider aged. Animals of 15 years aren’t rare and some live to venerable ages like 17 — centenarians in human terms.
Often, both dogs and their owners are elderly.
"I’ve known some aged couples who care for their dog like a child," said 58-year-old Yukiko Ando, whose Alaskan Malamute, Bianca, died two years ago at the age of 13.
"But eventually they get to the point where they wonder who will go first, themselves or the dog."
One of the main reasons dogs live longer is better food. Pet store shelves are full of specialized food aimed at the needs of small dogs, large dogs, overweight dogs — and, of course, elderly dogs, whose food makes up half the overall market.
Better veterinary care is also extending longevity. Many dogs — like their owners — now get regular checkups.
"Animals are just like people — as they age, they have kidney problems, heart problems, liver problems," said Ito, the veterinarian, who over the course of his 15-year career has seen the number of animals with such ailments grow.
Elderly dogs can require more elaborate care, meaning costs mount at a time when owners are often least able to afford them.
This has led to the development of pet insurance, which can cost as much as 49,000 yen a year for the largest dogs.
Ando, who nursed two dogs through their final illnesses at ages 13 and 12, now has another who is five. "When you spend a decade with a dog, you grow older together," she said.
"And if the dog walks more slowly — well, I walk more slowly too."
($1=117.62 Yen)