The world of pet products and services is doing something most other industries aren’t: growing. That’s according to an annual review of spending data and reports by the American Pet Products Association (Greenwich, Conn.).

The comprehensive review shows overall spending in the pet industry was a little over $45.5 billion in 2009, up 5.4 percent from $43.2 billion in 2008. The review covered pet food, supplies, live animal purchases, veterinary care, and other services such as grooming, boarding and pet sitting.

Furthermore, APPA projects that spending in the pet industry will increase 4.9 percent, to $47.74 billion, in 2010.

The fastest-growing category is veterinary care, up 8.5 percent from 2008. Much of this increase is attributed to the broader availability of advanced—and costly—medical diagnostics and treatments, such as CAT scans, root canals, cancer surgery, antidepressants and even grief counseling. This category is expected to grow another 6 percent in 2010.

The pet services category continues to grow as offerings are more closely modeled after those offered to people. For example, bathing a dog in the tub at home is giving way to convenient baths at self-service dog washes. Furthermore, the number of service-based businesses such as dog walkers, poop scoopers, trainers and even massage therapists is growing in part because people who still had jobs worked longer hours and needed more help caring for their pets.

Pet supplies and over-the-counter medications showed steady growth, up about 4 percent in 2009.

The gap in quality of life between humans and their pet companions is quickly disappearing in all categories, from food and clothing to health care and services, said Bob Vetere, president of APPA.

“These higher-quality products and services, combined with a strong consumer focus on their pets’ well-being, [made] health and wellness the most powerful trend in 2009 across the entire pet industry,” said Vetere. “We feel our pets give us so much it is no longer enough to simply give them a treat. We want to keep our pets healthier, longer, and are willing to spend what it takes to make it happen.

“People become more attached to their pets in times of uncertainty and stress so we continue to reward them for their unconditional love and companionship. Couple this with the trend of humanizing products and services for our pets, and the result is an overall increase in spending so we can strengthen that human-animal bond,” said Vetere. [April 2010 PET AGE]