Lots of factors are responsible for the growth in the number of people owning pets. Some are a better standard of living and more media attention and advertising which has drawn people to keeping pets. Some people are less inclined to have children and choose pets instead. A new social awareness about the positive aspects of owning a pet has also encouraged more people to become pet owners.

This, in turn, has stimulated the whole industry of pet care. With the increase in demand and improved attitudes to animal rights, veterinarians are able to practise their skills more fully. In the past, many clients were not interested in the more complex and costly therapies. But now they just want what is best for their pets.

It is a good time to be a vet. Gone are the days where I had to beg clients to be allowed to perform the simplest measures. And there is now more time in consultations for other important issues.

However, with the good comes the bad. As interest in animals grows, more people are tempted to make a quick dollar at the expense of our furry friends. There are now many more confusing 'medicines' in pet shops that promise to make your dog stronger, healthier, prettier and happier. It is increasingly difficult to find what is useful among all the useless options. There is also an increase in the numbers of animals being kept in pet shops, and quicker turnaround, to offset high rents. This puts greater stress on the animals.

The rapid breeding of animals has resulted in an increase in incidence and severity of hereditary diseases. The demand for ever-smaller animals has created an array of cute dogs and cats with poor joints.

Then there is the misinformation. Just like the exaggerations and outright lies unregulated non-professionals make about their miracle products in the beauty industry, the pet industry is rife with false information. I encounter clients overloaded with misinformation from all sorts of sources.

A typical example is the client who brings in a cat suffering a strange skin disease. (In fact, all skin diseases in cats are strange because cats rarely get skin problems.) Inevitably, questioning reveals that the owner has fallen victim to a pet shop's recommendation that the cat receive a weekly bath. I have never bathed any of the 30-plus cats I've had in my life. Cats clean themselves - a regular brush is all they need - and this is a prime reason why they make such great pets. Not only is the trip to the pet shop for a cat bath worthless, it exposes the cat to contagious diseases under stressful conditions, a certain recipe for disaster. Then there are the clients that read something on the internet and take it as gospel, whatever its dubious source.

Another worrying trend is the sensationalistic style of many newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong. In an attempt to spice up the 'news', many highlight details that are inconsequential but which can mislead the public. I am regularly questioned by reporters and find myself often dodging questions that are attempts to sensationalise an issue.

One example: when a wild boar that injured some dogs and villagers was shot dead by police, I was called for interviews by various newspapers about the issue. One of the reporters was clearly leading me to give an answer that could be sensationalised. Initially I was asked about the life of a wild boar and why they would encroach on populated areas. Then suddenly the questions turned to how much damage a wild boar could do, how deep a wound a wild boar's tusk would cause, whether such an animal could maim or kill a child? It wasn't that these questions were wrong or even irrelevant, but I was concerned that the report would highlight these aspects and could unnecessarily paint wild boars as evil villains when they are just wildlife living too close to suburbia.

So the battle for the truth rages on.