The AVMA recently released its 2012 US Pet Ownership & Demographic Sourcebook.  Every five years a survey is conducted.   The statistics are pretty interesting.  Of the top 10 pet owning states, Vermont ranked highest at 71% with New Jersey, Utah and Nebraska at 51% of pet owning households.

In the US, there are now 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats. 

Arkansas has the most dog owners at 47.9% and Illinois has the fewest at 32%. 

Interestingly, between 2006 and 2011, there was a significant decrease in veterinary visits, and it wasn’t related to the economy. In fact, spending on other pet products and services continues to climb and are at all-time highs.

Part of the reason is as pet owners, we are doing our research, increasing our knowledge and asking more questions when it comes to the well-being of our pets.  For example, as we learn the dangers of over-vaccination and over application of toxic pest preventives, we begin to reject the so called preventative care that is traditionally administered by veterinarians. So there is now less reason for routine vet visits.

As pet owners or better yet, pet parents, we want to be more proactive when it comes to the health of our furry kids. Annual wellness visits are smart and we recommend them.  If you focus on keeping your furry kids healthy you may not have to treat illness later.  Your pet generally doesn’t become sick overnight.  Illness usually progresses in stages and you want to identify and address the problem at the earliest possible stage.  When more veterinarians become proactive, we may find that the results of the next survey will show a reversal of this statistic!

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888