TOYAMA, Japan: Is Fido looking a bit frantic? Is Mittens moping? At your wits end trying to work out why?

Well don't worry, help is at hand. A company has come up with a way of determining whether your beloved pet is suffering from that blight of our fast-paced society - stress.

That's right - far from enjoying an idyllic life of snoozing in the sun, chasing birds and mice or digging up the garden, our beloved doggies and moggies are losing fur, sleep and peace of mind in the mad rush to keep ahead of the pet next door.

At least, that's what Japanese company Medical Life Care Giken believes. It says its new 'Stress-Level Checker' patch system works within three minutes on pets to determine how wound up your pet is.

The patch claims to measure the stress level of dogs and cats by detecting excessive levels of sweat secretion - believed to be a sign of stress - according to the Nikkei Weekly.

Newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the round, pin-sized patch is applied to the centre pad of your animal's paw, with the patch's color changing depending on how sweaty the pet is.

Medical Life Care Giken, which makes a similar patch for humans, says it worked with researchers from Toyama University to study the sweat patterns of domestic dogs and cats, which secrete sweat from their paws, according to ABC News.

The company expects strong sales amid a pet boom in Japan. The patches are expected to go on sale in Japan later this year, with the price still undecided, AP reported.

Medical Life Care Giken manufactures several other similar products, including an 'Alcohol Tolerance test Patch', and a 'Skin Moisture Checker', according to its website. It also claims to have 300 years of traditional Japanese bio-technical expertise behind its products.

The company's website claims the stress patch will "Deepen your understanding of your emotional and physical health and practice the most appropriate relaxation methods for your self."

"When a person feels nervous or being agitated due to stress, the autonomic nervous system causes blood vessels to contract which results in an increase in perspiration volume. Consequently perspiration also increases on the palms. This increase is said to be 2 to 3 times more than the perspiration level of a person who is relaxing," it continues.

Obsessive Japanese pet owners reportedly go to great lengths to ensure their pets' wellbeing, taking cats and dogs to specialist masseurs and even acupuncturists in bids to ensure their optimum condition.