Americans are Spending More on Healthcare Than Ever Before… for Fido.

According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans are expected to spend over a billion dollars more for their pets healthcare this year compared to last year.

Their 2011-2012 Pet Owners Survey shows that pet ownership in America is up 2.9% from last year to 72.9 million households owning at least one pet.

According to the Survey, there are more than 78 million dogs, 86.4 million cats, 151.1 million freshwater fish, 8.61 million saltwater fish, 16.2 million birds, 16 million small animals, 13 million reptiles and 7.9 million equines owned in the U.S. Approximately four-out-of-ten pet owning households in the U.S. are multiple pet owners.

The survey also reveals that, despite the slow economy, Americans are still willing to spend money on their pets as the pet industry continues to see unprecedented growth. The survey specifically asked respondents if the economy in any way affected their pet ownership and the majority responded "no".

(What I would like to see is a breakdown of how much pet owners of Americans with children spend on their pets vs those without children.)

How much do you spend on your pets healthcare in a year? What's the largest vet bill you've ever paid?