Rising awareness of the need for pet healthcare in Asia

Demand prompts investment

Pet owners’ willingness to find the best treatment for their pets, coupled with the increasing demand for veterinary medicines, is prompting leading pharmaceuticals to invest in the Asian pet healthcare market. It has also led to the opening of pet care centres and veterinary hospitals providing 24/7 services.

Veterinary innovations

East Asia is the epicentre of all technological advances in pet healthcare in the region. Increasing awareness of the importance of pet health, plus the rising adoption of pets in China and Japan, has created an ideal environment for leading healthcare companies to expand their footprints.

Boehringer Ingelheim, for instance, acquired equity in the China-based New Ruipeng Group (NRP Group) in September 2020. NRP Group is a renowned veterinary care and e-commerce business that serves the Chinese pet healthcare market. Similarly, in August 2020, Merck Animal Health acquired the worldwide rights to Vecoxan® (diclazuril), an oral medication to prevent coccidiosis in ruminants. Vecoxan is available in South Korea and Japan.

Tele-health

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many veterinary hospitals are working towards providing continuous care and support for pets across the region. In June 2021, DCC (Dogs Cats & Companions) animal hospital in India decided to start providing virtual tele-health services to meet the demand for reliable and accessible pet healthcare in the country.

Emotional benefits

As in the rest of the world, closer relationships with pets have led to the humanisation trend. This has triggered pet adoption and next-generation innovation in pet healthcare – especially in Asia. Coupled with the growing awareness of the benefit of a pet for the human state of mind, this is expected to substantially influence the pet healthcare system in Asia.

Insurance for assurance

Losing a dog or a cat as the result of a car accident, or unexpected serious health issues, creates an emotional burden as well as a financial one. That is why pet owners in Asia are increasingly seeking health insurance for their pets, and this has led to the emergence of a multitude of pet insurance schemes.

According to some reports, the number of pet insurance clients in China has skyrocketed – from less than 5,000 clients to a baffling 160,000+ clients in the past 5 years. Similarly, rapid pet adoption rates and rising per capita expenditure on pet healthcare in Japan has led to a surge in pet insurance policy sales.

Oral care campaigning

Periodontal disease is increasingly diagnosed and treated in pets across the globe, especially in dogs and cats. And dental problems often lead to other major health issues.

To tackle this, several organisations across Asia are running major awareness programmes and ‘dental camps’. Plans for setting up multi-speciality hospitals and surgery facilities dedicated to the treatment of pet and farm animals are also ongoing in various countries in the region. One example of this is Tata Trust partnering with the People for Animals organisation to develop state-of-the-art hospitals and emergency clinics for the provision of veterinary health care.

Huge strides

Even though the pet healthcare system in Asia is in its infancy, it is taking huge strides forward in providing highly effective pet care. This will greatly improve the lives of many pets and also make a contribution to finding new ways to deal with disease. Growing expenditure on pet well-being is expected to lead to further transformation of the pet healthcare industry in Asia.