Japanese pet owners turn to acupuncture

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http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/features/news/20061226p2g00m0fe034000c.html

 

Japanese pet owners turn to acupuncture, exercise

plans in nation of aging animals

 

Andy has sprouted white whiskers, suffers from lower

back pain and no longer bounds up the stairs like he

used to.

 

Still, the 11-year-old Siberian husky isn't lying

idle: every week he meets his personal trainer for a

run on an underwater treadmill, does laps in a doggy

pool to strengthen his hind legs and unwinds with a

hot spa and massage session.

 

The boom in pet ownership in Japan has led to a new

phenomenon: legions of elderly animals that doting

masters pamper with fortified food and vitamins,

aromatherapy and even acupuncture.

 

" I want to do everything I can for Andy. He's part of

the family, " said Aya Ashiya, 50, of Tokyo as she ran

around the swimming pool with a squeeze toy, cheering

the husky on during a recent session at the dog aqua

fitness gym El Pero.

 

" We've been together for so long, and we've really

learned to communicate, " Ashiya said. " I just want him

to stay healthy for as long as possible. "

 

Though figures are scarce, a study published last year

showed that longevity for cats in Japan almost doubled

between 1991 and 2003, from 5.1 years to 9.9 years.

Dog longevity surged from 8.6 years to 11.9 years.

 

Researchers attribute the jump to better health care,

more vaccinations, a more balanced diet and a new

trend of pets being allowed to live in homes -- once

unthinkable in a country of tatami-mat houses.

 

But longer lives have led to ailments seldom seen

before in pets in Japan, such as cancer, diabetes,

heart disease and dementia, said Hideki Hayashidani,

an assistant professor at the Tokyo University of

Agriculture and Technology, who carried out the

longevity study.

 

" Japanese attitudes toward pets have changed

radically. Owners dote over them like children, "

Hayashidani said. " That means fewer pups and kittens

die from infections, while cancer and heart disease

cases have hit the roof ... And owners will pay

anything to keep their pets alive longer. "

 

Japan's doting owners have helped push pet spending to

new highs. The pet industry here topped $8.6 billion

in 2005. That's only a quarter of expenditures in the

United States, but for Japan represents a 40 percent

increase since 1994.

 

In a sign of the nation's growing obsession with

animal companions, industry figures show Japanese

families now own over 23 million pet dogs and cats,

exceeding the number of Japanese children under 15,

which hit a new low of 17.46 million in 2006.

 

Kyuta, an 8-year-old long-haired Chihuahua, started

biweekly acupuncture sessions at the Kamakura Genki

Animal Hospital after severe back pain struck last

year.

 

At a recent session, the dog gave yelped as a

veterinarian inserted 13 needles into his quivering

back and hind legs, but soon settled down in his

owner's arms.

 

" Kyuta loves coming here. His tail goes right up when

he gets on the examination table, " said Emi Matsuya,

43, a Tokyo hairdresser.

 

The pair travel two hours each way by train for the

acupuncture sessions, which cost $47, Matsuya said,

and the Chihuahua eats homemade meals of meat and

vegetables now that he is getting older.

 

" Dogs crave attention -- that's what makes them happy.

And happy dogs live longer, " said hospital director

Takashi Ishino, who also offers massage and

aromatherapy treatments.

 

Japan's aging dogs also benefit from specially

designed care items such as doggie diapers, harnesses

that support aging pooches on walks and pet strollers.

Elderly cats have their own products, including

climbing towers with extra padding.

 

And owners can take a break from their pets by getting

a nursing care specialist. Keiko Himi, who runs the

pet-sitting service " Nyan to Wonderful " northeast of

Tokyo, says an increasing number of owners ask her to

care for aging pets while they run errands or work.

 

" Caring for old pets is a big burden for the owner,

physically and emotionally, " Himi said. " In one case,

I went to help a family every day through their dog's

last days. "

 

Death doesn't end the pampering. A spate of companies

offers everything from pet cemeteries, funerals and

memorials to counseling for grieving owners. Tokyo's

Japan Pet Ceremony Co. runs a 24-hour funeral hot

line; the Machida Izumi Joen cemetery offers the

ultimate in owner-pet companionship: a shared grave.

 

" It's all about giving dogs a certain quality of

life, " said Ashiya, the Siberian husky owner. " We're

not going to give up just because Andy's old ... not

as long as I have the energy, time, and money. " (AP)

 

December 26, 2006