According to some economists the total pet health spending (services and products) is expected to increase 6.7% to nearly $30 billion in 2011.  Why is this?  Well over the last ten years the 60% of households that own pets have doubled their spending on pets.  This is mainly due in part to advances in veterinary technology that are keeping our friends alive longer.  Preventative care (ie vitamins, medicines and yearly check ups) have increased the lives of our pets by an average of 2 years.  With increased longevity comes more health conditions therefore an increase use in veterinary services and pharmaceuticals.  And with most of us treating our pets like "kids" we will spend money on preventatives and the wide range of products to help keep them comfortable and alive later in life.   In order to help defray health costs, more owners will invest in pet insurance, which is forecast to grow at double-digit rates

While cats accounted for 45 percent of all pets in 2006, more dollars are spent on dog health care. In fact, dog health care products accounted for 65 percent of total pet health care product demand. This difference is partially due to the fact dogs are more likely to be outdoors for extended periods of time, and their potential exposure to pests, bacteria and viruses then becomes higher than an indoor only cat. In addition, dogs tend to be more prone than cats to some medical conditions, such as heart disease. As a result, health care products for dogs will remain the largest segment of pet health products demand.

So good numbers if you own shares in a pet pharmaceutical company and great numbers for those of us who want our pets to be around a little bit longer.