Recent technological developments have made possible a wide range of new medical treatment for animals.  Nowadays, it may not be necessary for a seriously ill family pet to be put to sleep, as was so often the case in the past.  The types of treatment available for dogs, cats and other animals now include chemotherapy, bone-grafts, hip replacements, organ transplants and even brain surgery, to name just a few, and new medical breakthroughs are occurring all the time.

Australia is a bit less advanced than some countries such as the UK and the USA in offering these advanced veterinary services, but their availability here is growing fast, and proving very popular with Australian pet-owners.  An associated development has been an increase in large, referral-only veterinary practices, which have the resources and capability to offer high tech equipment and specialist care.  Many large veterinary clinics include facilities such as ultrasound, ECG machines, MRIs and CAT scans, optical and dental care, and offer preventative health or “wellness” programmes, under which owners pay an annual fee for their pets’ regular checkups and routine treatments. This growth in preventative health is likely to contribute to longer life spans in domestic pets, as medical problems can be identified and treated earlier. 

The potential demand for these services is significant, bearing in mind that there are an estimated 38.2 million pets in Australia, and that most owners take their animal to the vet at least once a year. However, these treatments come at a high cost to owners.  Although the actual costs of medical treatment for animals and humans are quite similar, the Australian government does not subsidize the cost of medical care for animals as it does for people, so owners have to pay the full cost of the treatment.  This can run into thousands of dollars if surgery or other sophisticated procedures are needed.  To address this problem, a number of companies are now offering pet insurance to help cover the financial burden of unexpected medical treatment for family pets. Comprehensive policies are also available which cover the cost of routine treatments, as well as other unexpected incidents, such as the need to recover a lost pet.