Akira Ishii, a 57-year-old TV and radio scriptwriter in Tokyo, and his wife have made it their nightly custom to roll out a futon in a living room to sleep alongside their geriatric 17-year-old dog, Hank.
The couple take turns caring for the "shiba inu" through the night, helping the dog turn his body while sleeping so he will not suffer bedsores. Soaking pet food in hot water and putting it into Hank's mouth is another routine chore.
Medical expenses have since weighed on the Ishiis, who spent more than ¥120,000 [$1500] in April alone on medication for Hank, ranging from twice-a-day pills for his heart and liver to a tranquilizer designed to prevent him from barking at night.
The need for 24-hour care prevents Ishii and his wife from staying away from home together for extended periods and limits the sphere of their activities...
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120719f3.html#.UAdqZHr4InM
Experts on relationships between people and pets say such a change in part reflects declining birthrates, noting there are a number of owners who consider their pets like a child or family member.
Against this background of pet-nursing, the pet insurance market is growing in popularity.
Anicom Insurance Inc., the industry leader with a market share of some 60 percent, has about 400,000 contracts with annual insurance premium revenues totaling about ¥13 billion.
andalaugh: 
