Taipei, July 9 (CNA) This year's Chanchao Taipei Pets Show once again displayed the latest snacks, services and trinkets that owners can buy to spoil their pets, but many visitors were more attuned to ways to help their older companions live out their days comfortably.
Andy Wang (王維平), the CEO of a pet care clinic who has exhibited at the show since 2021, told CNA that his booth was attracting significantly larger crowds this year because of growing awareness of the special challenges of caring for senior dogs and cats.
"The number of people approaching us is much higher, and they have a clearer understanding of their pets' needs," Wang, who heads the Caregiver Animal Hospital (寵樂動物醫院), said Sunday, the show's next-to-last day.
Wang said the hospital has been promoting pet health care at the annual show because the growing number of pet owners in Taiwan meant that more people are facing situations in which their furry companions require specialized care.
Among them are pets suffering from cognitive dysfunction or sight loss or that need help with feeding and urine extraction, he said.
Demand for those services will likely be significant, given that roughly one out of every four or five households in Taiwan owns a pet, according to Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳), secretary-general of the Taiwan Animal Protection Monitor Network.
Wang has used the show in part to raise awareness of lesser-known options for pet owners, such as the availability of palliative care, which focuses on enhancing comfort and improving the quality of life of pets during the final phase of their lives.
He has also had the Caregiver Animal Hospital offer free Q&A sessions at the show where animal doctors provided recommendations based on the inquiries of pet owners.
When asked what was the most common question his booth has received, Wang said it was generally related to owners seeking health food products for disabled pets that were unable to see a veterinarian because of their poor health.
The Q&A service mirrored the basic health care consulting services the hospital provides for owners whose pets are in the advanced stages of disease, according to Wang, even if it means serving up solutions that might not be strictly science-based.
"We understand that 70 percent of the Taiwanese public have faith in folk religions. Therefore, we provide rituals that offer spiritual comfort, such as lighting up worship candles (光明燈) for their pets," Wang said.
One visitor to the show surnamed Sung (宋), who came with her 6-year-old dachshund, told CNA she planned to purchase health food products for her pet to "prepare for the future."
Among the items that caught her attention was a smart collar that monitors a dog's respiratory and heart vitals and dog foods formulated especially for older dogs that are highly digestible, she said.
The pet expo, which ends Monday at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, features over 1,000 booths showcasing the latest pet-product innovations.
