1.    How We Care for Pets in the New Century

 Over the course of the 20th century, cats and dogs have moved from the barnyard into the family room to become household pets. In the last twenty years, their status has risen to prized companions. “Today, people really value animals as part of the family,” says Dr. Paul Orsini, a veterinary dentist and surgeon at the Veterinary Specialty Center in Delaware.

Not surprisingly, we have come to demand the same level of expert medical treatment for our dogs and cats that we expect for ourselves. That has brought about a paradigm shift in the way veterinarians treat animals, and how people address pet care needs.

Every veterinarian offers basic care, such as vaccinations, spay and neuter surgery, and flea control, and many veterinarians can diagnose and treat a wide array of health problems. All too often, though, pet owners look for advanced care only after receiving a devastating diagnosis about their dog or cat. “I’ve noticed that my clients are becoming more educated as to what’s available for their pet,” says Dr. Maura O’Brien, a surgeon in Madison, Wisconsin. “They learn over the Internet, or from a friend of a friend, that a cancer diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean they have to put the pet to sleep.”

Not everyone has the benefit of a friend’s experience, though, and many pet owners don’t know to ask their veterinarian about advance care options until it’s too late. Few local practices are equipped to provide cutting-edge innovations—the new century medicine—that today may save the pet’s life when routine methods fail. That’s where this book comes in. It provides vital information to help you learn about specialized care prior to your pet’s health crises. It describes what’s involved, what you can expect, and where you can find the best care options. Pet Care in the New Century empowers you to make educated decisions for your pet.

Pet popularity is at an all-time high. Today 71.4 million households in the United States keep cats and dogs—that’s 62 percent of all households. There are 77.5 million dogs and 93.6 million cats owned in the US, according to a 2009-2010 American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey. Nearly three quarters of these pet owners consider cats and dogs their children, and they would go to any lengths to save a pet’s life. In 2001, the year this book first came out, pet owners spent $28.5 billion on their pets. Last year (2009) that increased to $45.5 billion—despite a rocky economy, this is an INCREASE of $2.3 billion in a single year. This “pet generation” is expected to have spent $47.7 billion on pets by the end of 2010 (that’s $12.79 on veterinary care alone), and the trend will certainly continue into the second decade of the new century.