This photo shows an elderly cat with declining kidney function, but who managed to live a long life of 20 years with the help of therapeutic pet foods. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO -- Therapeutic pet foods for sick dogs and cats are in short supply as an increasing number of people worldwide are adopting the animals amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the situation exacerbated by resellers charging stratospheric prices.

       "Owners are in a state of minor panic because the therapeutic food they used to feed their pets is no longer available," said Tomoaki Shobudani, 35, director of the Maru Pet Clinic, a veterinary hospital in the city of Hiroshima.

       According to Shobudani, supplies of the food available from the manufacturer have been extremely low for about a year, and some products are now completely unavailable.

       Therapeutic pet foods are given to treat diseases in the kidneys, heart, digestive organs, skin, and other parts of the body. It takes a lot of time to develop the products, including adjusting the nutritional balance to suit the disease and fine-tuning the aroma and taste so that even dogs and cats with reduced appetites will want to eat them. If there is a supply shortage, it is difficult for other manufacturers to fill the gap immediately.

       There are no alternatives to some of the therapeutic foods currently in short supply. Shobudani received some heartbreaking comments from owners, including, "Alternative foods caused diarrhea and made my pet lose weight. I really felt sorry for them, and it was painful (to see it)."

       This provided photo shows Tomoaki Shobudani, director of the Maru Pet Clinic. (Photo courtesy of the Maru Pet Clinic)

       Why is there a shortage of therapeutic food? The main reason is the surge in global demand triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

       The foods are mostly imported, and according to research firm Fuji Keizai Co., two companies, products of Royal Canin Japon Inc. and Hill's-Colgate (Japan) Ltd. account for about 90% of the Japanese market.

       Royal Canin told the Mainichi Shimbun that "many people, especially in Europe and the United States, have got pets because they are spending more time at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, leading to a sharp increase in demand."

       Added to the failure of production to keep up with demand, the disruption in the shipping system caused by the pandemic is said to have accelerated the supply delay.

       With the shortage, there is now a serious problem. Resellers are offering therapeutic food at prices several times higher than the list price on major internet shopping sites and flea market apps. When looking at one site, this reporter found a single can of food for dogs with digestive disorders listed at 3,500 yen (roughly $31), about 10 times the original price.

       This photo shows a dog whose renal function deteriorated with advanced age but who lived 18 years with the help of therapeutic pet foods.

       Therapeutic foods were originally produced on the premise that manufacturers would distribute them to veterinary hospitals, as they could cause illness if owners fed them to their pets without a medical examination. In recent years, however, the foods have become available at mass merchandisers such as home improvement stores, pet stores, and on major online shopping sites.

       It is believed that some resellers are buying up what little stocks are left at mass merchandisers and other establishments and reselling them, and several information websites on "sedori," a method of earning money by reselling products, have introduced therapeutic pet food as a "highly profitable product for resale."

       Shobudani started a petition on online campaign site Change.org on July 30 to demand major internet shopping sites and flea market app operators regulate the high resale prices of therapeutic foods.

       "Making money by turning therapeutic foods into high-priced resale products is the worst kind of business, taking advantage of the weakness of owners of sick dogs and cats. It's a life-threatening matter, and I absolutely want it to stop," said Shobudani, who stressed the need to introduce regulations.

       (Japanese original by Yuki Machino, Business News Department)

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