British pets 'living longer'

There may be an increasing need for pet medication over the coming years as animals appear to be living longer.

Just as the life expectancy of humans is increasing, so to is that of animals. According to the Financial Times, British owners spent around £2 billion on pet food last year, with vet bills and extras costing roughly the same.

Dan Brockman, a professor at the Royal Veterinary College, told the news provider: "The feeling is that pet animals are living longer. We certainly see more old cats in particular, and old dogs.

"The three cornerstones are the genetic coding, better understanding of nutritional needs and the care [the animals] receive."

Gerard McLauchlan, a vet at Glasgow university, added that animal medicine used to be decades behind that of humans, but said this is not the case anymore.

In December last year, the world’s oldest living dog passed away at the age of 26. Pusuke, from Japan, was around 125 years old in dog years when he died.