KEEPING ROVER HEALTHY; $5 BILLION A YEAR BUSINESS; HEALTHY PHARMACEUTICAL MARKET

Ken Clark weighed his dog, Auggie, before the dog was examined for allergies and annual shots.

Tonya Glastettler, a veterinarian technician, and Dr. John Koch, transferred a dog to a stretcher to be taken to a recovery area after being neutered.

Linda Essner, left, and Dr. Karen Bangert at the Skyview Animal Clinic, used an Avid Microchip scanner to check the operation of a computer chip that had been implanted below the surface of the dog's skin. The chip identifies the dog's owner and address.

Creaking joints, stiff muscles -- it happens to all of us eventually.

Even Rover.

Helping make sure pets enjoy their golden years has opened the door to a new line of pharmaceuticals.

Most of the same high-tech medical treatments available to human beings are also available to animals.

These include kidney transplants, heart pacemakers, hip and elbow replacements and much more, said John Koch, a Cape Girardeau veterinarian.

"Everything that can be done for people can be done for animals," said Koch. "You may have to take them to St. Louis, or California, but it can be done."

Pets, like human beings, suffer joint pain and inflammation, which sometimes make it difficult for the animal to continue walks and hikes, said Koch, of the Cape Girardeau Small Animal Clinic, 210 Christine.

Animal health and medical concerns are suddenly big business, and drug companies like Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Ciba-Geigy Ltd., and others have a lucrative business in developing medicines to treat the ailments of man's best friends.

Pharmaceutical companies have come to realize pet medicines are a worldwide market of more than $1 billion and growing.

Pets today are part of more than 55 million American homes, with more than 60 million cats and more than 50 million dogs.

Pets are living longer these days, said Koch, veterinarian Karen L. Bangert of Skyview Animal Clinic, 855 S. Kingshighway, and the veterinarian team of Bill and Brenda Langdon of Dogwood Veterinary Hospital. 1208 W. Cape Rock Drive.

"Five years used to be old for a dog," said Bangert. "Now, many dogs are still young at 10. And it's not uncommon to see small breed dogs live 15 to 16 years old."

"We're seeing cats living 15 to 20 years," added Koch.

People are more aware of the need for better pet health care, said Brenda Langdon.

The veterinarians agree that preventative care and new drugs and technology have added to animals' life expectancy.

"Like humans, however, a longer life for your pet means more age-related diseases," including cancer and spinal degeneration.

When veterinarians detect such problems, they are likely to refer the pet to a specialist or a team of specialists. "Round-the-clock" nursing care is available in some metropolitan areas.

Animal care is not cheap.

Available are $2,500 pacemakers for animals, $5,000 kidney transplants, and delicate surgery or cancer treatments can run into thousands of dollars.

Veterinary pet insurance is available, which will pick up some of the costs for office calls, injections, X-rays, lab fees. Statistics reveal that about a 500,000 pet owners do carry pet insurance. However, only 1 percent of dogs and cats are insured.

Americans spend about $5 billion a year on pet health care. A recent survey by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) found that 87 percent of dog and cat owners make sure their pets have regular checkups, vaccinations and teeth cleanings.

Until recently, lacking specific animal drugs, veterinarians routinely referred pet owners to pharmacies with prescriptions for drugs for human beings, such as antibiotics, anti-depressants and health medicines.

At one time in history, when pets got old and/or seriously ill, they were euthanized. But as the population ages and as more and more pets are being kept in the home, people have also started applying human standards of medicine to the care of their animals.

"More people are keeping their pets in the house these days," said Langdon. "A kind of child-parent bond has evolved between humans and their pets. And, when the pets get sick, health care is sought."

Another AAHA survey has found that more than half of the nation's pet owners consider themselves as their pet's "Mom or Dad."

Many pharmaceutical companies are developing human medicines, such as the antibiotic, Zithromax, and arthritis drugs, for pet use.

Drug companies are also borrowing techniques used in marketing human drugs to sell pet medicines. Pfizer, Merck and Ciba-Geigy are conducting aggressive advertising campaigns for their products.

Some of Pfizer's ad campaigns explain the benefits of the new Rimadyl capsule for animal arthritis. One of Merck's advertisements features a celebrity of the pet world -- Lassie, who also appeared at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando last year.

Like human drugs, pet medicines are promoted by drug-company salespeople who call on veterinarians with brochures, posters and freebies.

Ciba-Geigy had to curtail its Program (flea-control drug) advertising last year, when demand outstripped supplies. But the drug company's officials say ad spending will triple this year, with the promotion of the cat version of the new flea-prevention drug.

"We're seeing products for animals we never had before," said Bangert. "Pharmaceutical companies are filling a void for us. Rimadyl has been great for pain control for arthritic animals."

Program, Ciba-Geigy's answer for flea control, is also great said Koch.

"It comes in pill form, for dogs and cats, and kills flea eggs," he said. "Ninety-five percent of the flea population at any one time consists of eggs. Program is sort of a birth-control pill for fleas."

Since the introduction of Program, at least two new flea control products have been developed -- Advantage by Bayer Pharmaceutical Co. and Top Spot by Rhone-Marieux, a French company.

Top Spot is easy to apply, say veterinarians. "Just place a small amount of liquid to the neck and back of the animal," said Koch. "This is a far cry from the old method of dipping animals, a measure the animals dislike."