Innovative Tools in Pets : Smart Pet Technologies for the Early Disease Diagnosis & Advancing Health Monitoring for Pets
As the healthcare industry continues to advance into the digital era, it’s only natural that the same transformation occurs in the pet health industry. From smart health monitoring platforms to wearable devices, owners are now able to track almost every aspect of their pet’s health. Smart pet technology helps make the invisible, visible so that we can provide better care for pets. By using technology to learn about pets, we can detect health changes, follow pets’ health over time, and see the impacts of nutrition which can deepen our understanding of relationships between nutrition and health.
As the healthcare industry continues to embrace the digital era and advance remote patient monitoring, it’s no surprise that this technology is also transforming the pet health industry. With more than six in 10 US households owning at least one pet, pet healthcare is a huge market. With everything from wearable devices to smart health monitoring platforms, owners can now use a variety of wearable and non-wearable pet accessories to track almost every area of their pet’s health. By harnessing artificial technology (AI) and even blockchain-enabled internet of things (IoT) technology, standard products can become smarter to help demystify pet health and help owners provide better care for their animals. These smart IoT devices can learn about your specific pets, monitor a pet’s long-term health, analyze behaviors, detect changes, and identify the impact of nutrition and exercise. Here we will look at some examples of smart devices monitoring pet health. Wearable tech isn’t just for humans anymore. It’s become a rapidly growing opportunity for our pets too. Wearable technology is taking the veterinary space by storm.
Smart pet technology helps make the invisible, visible so that we can provide better care for pets.
Many of us are familiar with smart watch wearable devices, which have been around for years. These devices can be used to monitor and track our own health data, including our activity, sleep, and heart rate. In recent years, similar technology has been adapted for use in pets. Collar-worn wearable devices can be used to track our pet’s movements, including their activity, sleep, and sleep quality. By monitoring health behaviors, we can measure the signs of conditions like dermatitis, and see how behaviors like scratching change in response to food.
Quantifying behaviors like scratching or shaking using smart pet technology may help us recognize skin conditions so that owners can intervene early with proper diet changes such as specialized food from companies like Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Smart technologies can provide data 24/7 even when the pet parent is not home and even provide a more complete picture of a pet’s health for veterinarians.
With wearable technology becoming more common in human health care, it’s no surprise that it is emerging in veterinary care as well. Popular products for pets include collars and collar attachments like Whistle, Fi, FitBark, Link, and Petpuls. Connecting through a smartphone app, they have an array of functions, from GPS tracking to the monitoring of activity, sleep, health-related behaviors, and even emotional states. As they evolve, these products become more lightweight and include more features.
Wearable technology for pets started trending during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Kirsten Oliver, VN, ADVN, CVT, CCRP, CVPP, VTS, because that was when we began “using digital technology to connect with the rest of the world.” Now that things are getting back to normal, “people are wanting to know what their pets are doing at home,
Pet Wearable Market size to exceed $15 Bn by 2032
The report indicates that the increased interest in rescued pets in developed nations such as the U.S. will contribute to the sales of pet wearable devices. Based on data from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, shelters take in nearly 6.5 million animals per year across the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to pet adoption trends, with many Americans turning to companion pets, and in consequence, increasing their spending on pet products. The growing emphasis of non-profit organizations and pet product manufacturers on promoting animal adoption will therefore hike consumer reliance on pet wearable technology.
Real-time video chats & other pet-specific features to accelerate usage of smart cameras
Pet wearable market from smart camera product segment will surpass USD 5 billion by 2032. Pet smart cameras offer real-time video feeds and have built-in alarms to monitor suspicious behavior in pets, thereby playing a major role in tracking their outdoor activities. The product can also ensure continuous surveillance of pets in remote areas where Wi-Fi is inaccessible. Unlike security cameras, these wearables offer pet-specific features including video chats for interaction with pets to address separation anxiety and other common issues, further promoting product consumption.
Rising incidents of lost pets will spur RFID pet wearable tech adoption
In terms of technology, the pet wearable market share from RFID devices segment is expected to depict over 10% CAGR through 2032, due to an increase in pet-missing reports. According to research conducted by Admiral Pet Insurance, in the UK, more than 264,933 cats were reported missing in September 2022. These factors are encouraging governments to promote the implantation of RFID tags in pets’ skin to help owners safeguard and manage their pets. In addition, the rapid innovation of smart devices featuring immediate tracking and mapping applications will propel the penetration of RFID pet wearables.
Growing consumption of smartphones to drive wearable tech use for pet identification & tracking
Based on application, the pet wearable market from identification & tracking segment is slated to reach USD 3 billion by 2032. This is a result of the high penetration of smartphones and the increasing need for real-time positioning and tracking of pets. Several pet product manufacturers are also integrating safety features including GPS into products such as smart collars to seamlessly identify and track pets using smartphones. The report further says that the acceptance of smart cameras and smart dog-training collars will augment the use of pet wearables for identification & tracking applications.
The pet wearable market from commercial end-use segment will expand at a CAGR of 15% CAGR from 2023 to 2032, on account of the robust product application scope in fitness and health monitoring of horses and other livestock. A variety of integrated GPS-based systems can trach predator activity and the health conditions of livestock and create invisible fences to limit their range. The report reveals that their capability to help cattle owners earn profit through high-quality milk delivery will add impetus to industry development over the forecast period.
Rise in pet ownership and health concerns may stimulate pet wearable demand in APAC
Asia Pacific held over 10% share of the pet wearable market in 2022, owing to the increasing pet adoption, especially in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. The growing concern about pet wellness is also influencing owners to adopt wearables to track every aspect of their pet’s health, including nutrition. Furthermore, the growing disposable incomes and improving consumer lifestyles are anticipated to boost pet ownership and in turn, accelerate the sales of pet wearable electronics across the region.
Advanced product launch strategies to influence the global industry landscape
Key participants operating in the pet wearable market are Whistle Labs (Mars Incorporated), Tractive, Scollar, Inc., Petcube, Inc., PetPace LLC, Nedap NV, Loc8tor, Ltd., Halo Collar, Garmin International, Inc., Fitbark, Inc., Dogtra, and Afimilk Ltd. These companies are focusing on product developments and business expansions to strengthen their presence in the global pet wearable industry.
For instance, in January 2023, Invoxia introduced a lightweight biometric health collar for dogs. This product, designed to ensure long battery life and accurate GPS tracking, was meant to allow owners to track their pets’ vitals, activities, and location. Its low-power sensor feature also aids in monitoring existing heart conditions, seeking lifesaving preventative treatment, and early disease detection. This innovative product launch will help the company establish a strong presence in the industry.
Pet Wearable Tech
Pet wearable is an advance technology in IoT that can monitor your beloved pets. As we are becoming species obsessed with data. Therefore, it has been important to us to keep monitoring our pets when we are in a distance. In addition, it also keeps the real-time data of health condition time-to-time feeding etc. If any hazard occurs it notify us for taking any action. In this way, pet wearable has become the modern demand and also a bright choice for future industry.
- RFID-Based: Firstly, we are not happy by just monitoring our own health, lifestyle rather we want also to secure our pet lives. Therefore, to fulfil our wish technology has been adopted by the experts. RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) has become the leading technology to identify and track our pets. Moreover, it offers the best reliability, accuracy, productivity and transparency. RFID-based pet wearable are used along with various sensors which keeps tracking the real-time data of health-related parameters such as body temperature, heartbeat, pulse rate, calorie intake. In addition, RFID-based pet wearable along with Wi-Fi can monitor the real-time position and make a record of whole day’s position, movements etc.
- GPS-Based: Basically, GPS-based pet wearables help to track the position of our pets such as if our pet is lost or stolen then the owner will get notifications through their smartphone application. Moreover, its two-way technology i.e. to connect integrated devices with software platform has also made its vast impart in customers.
Pet Wearable Devices
The following are some IoT based pet wearable devices:
- Invoxia Pet Tracker
- Whistle 3
- LINK AKC
- Xiaomi Petbit
- Fitbark
- PetPace Smart Collar
- PitPatPet
- Pawbo iPuppyGo
- Felcana
- Petnet
- Petcube
- Tailio
Pet Camera
Whoever don’t want to see his/her pets become a social media star? So, pet wearable is providing you that most attractive feature like everyone can able to see the world through your pet’s eye. Basically, the only thing you have to do is that put the cameras( GoPro Fetch, Eyenimal Cat videocam etc.) around your pet’s neck and you can able to get the video clips from the movement of your pet and also can upload those videos in social media. Isn’t it cool?
Activity Monitor
Firstly, it can monitor your pet’s activity such as how much exercise he/she has done, sleeping, illness etc. Some wearable devices Fitbark, PitPat etc can track your pet’s activity.
GPS Tracking
In order to keep your pet safe and secure one of the key feature the wearable device provides is the GPS tracking. Basically, it gives the exact real-time location of the pet to the owner via smartphone applications as we have previously discussed. In addition, Motorola Scout 5000, a connected dog collar, has the feature to talk with your dog from afar. Likewise, Tabcat tracker has the feature to track your cat within 122m range. Moreover, the owner can also send a beep to the device, worn to the collar, to guide them the come home.
Emotion Sensor
Nothing can be more tress reliever if the owner can get the emotions of their pet such as is your dog happy or not. The temperature sensors attached with wearables nailed it. So, here are some emotion measurable devices like Inupathy collar which measures the heart-rate and show the mood of your pet by changing colours. Likewise, the DogStar TailTalk which helps to understand the language of the tail by using the complex tail belt to understand the waggings of your pet dogs.
Translator
Basically, this is a new invention of wearable technology which claims that it can be able to translate a dog’s bark into human language. But, this invention is still under progress. Moreover, surprisingly it can also convert the dog’s brain waves into human speaks. Therefore, it can communicate with your dog and also understand their response. Laser Red such a company has invented this product.
Behavior Modification
Firstly, bark collar helps to improve the behaviour of your pet dogs such as when dog barks it emits a mild electric shock and an irritating noise which dog doesn’t like. Hence, it makes a dog to keep away from barking continuously. Likewise, TabCat by Loc8tor it also beeps and creates a visual display to your cat. Moreover, this also sends a signal to the cat when the owner wants it to return home.
Impact on Industry
Above all, pet wearable brings a huge change in the industry because of it’s so many attractive and fruitful features. Not only it helps the owner but also the veterinary doctors to identify the possible disease symptoms in early and provide the appropriate treatment for the same.
So, based on its various features the market demand is increasing and segmenting into monitoring, controlling, tracking and identification, health checkup, safety and security. The tracking and identification segment grabbed the market with a share of over 63% in the past year and this trend is continuously increasing over the forecast period.
Every year around 10 million dogs are lost and stolen in the US only. Therefore, in order to prevent such occurrences, pet owners got some relieves using the smart collars for tracking their pets. Likewise, the market is also increasing for the safety and security-based pet wearable. However, according to a study released by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) in April 2018 around 60% of cats and 56% of dogs were found either obese or overweight. Therefore, the smart health pet wearable devices here play an important role to take care of their health, send alerts if any health parameter shows an abnormality.
Future Scope
According to a latest report published by Fact.MR, titled “Pet Wearables Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2019-2029.” it is anticipated that the market to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period. Likewise, pet insurance companies have been showing high growth in recent years.
One of the significant factor for affecting the pet wearable industry is that the usage and need for pet wearables recommended by insurance companies. Likewise, the pet food, pet one-day cares, grooming services, nutritional supplements, pet accessories companies also have seen an exponential increase in the recent past.
New companies like Xiaomi have implemented their human pedometers with pet trackers to provide additional fitness data and analytics for consumers. Moreover, some companies are working on the development of the communication standards like NB-IoT for pet tracking. Apart from these all, the trend to treat pets as family members are increasing the market of pet wearables. However, the cost-effectiveness and impact on pet healthcare system will reveal the role of pet wearables in the forecast period.
Smart Pet Health Trackers
Following the human fitness tracker market boom, the wireless pet wearables industry has expanded from location trackers to include solutions powered by IoT technologies that help owners monitor their pet’s health. Whistle Health is a wearable always-on health tracker that monitors a pet’s health and activity levels to generate a wellness score, providing the owner with a big picture of the animal’s overall health. You can see how often Fido licks, scratches, eats, and drinks. It also monitors his sleep quality, sets activity goals, and includes a food portion calculator and access to a tele-vet service.
Pet Monitoring Cameras
Pet cameras can monitor pets 24/7 and offer features far beyond traditional security cameras. With the ability to track pet movement and sound, these smart devices allow owners to see, hear, talk, and even play with their furry friends when away from home, and some will even dispense treats. For example, the Petcube Cam Indoor Wi-Fi Pet and Security Camera connect to a phone app that provides live two-way video, audio, night vision, and smart alerts. It also works with smart home assistants and offers built-in vet services that can advise owners on their pet’s health, behavior, and nutrition. The Furbo Dog Camera works similarly but will also alert the owner if a pet looks directly at the camera or has been crying, barking, or howling for over a preset time.
Smart Litter Boxes
For feline owners, IoT is turning normal cat litter boxes into smart litter boxes that help owners monitor their cat’s health. Tailio by Pet Wireless is a non-wearable connected sensing device that uses cloud-based data analytics. It lets owners know when their cat needs care by measuring their waste, elimination behaviors, and weight. It’s suitable for multiple cat households and smart enough to differentiate between different cats. It works with all types of litter and can detect any changes that could be an early sign of a health issue, such as urinary tract issues, so owners can act quickly to get their pets the treatment they need. The owner only needs to place the device under the litter box and download the accompanying app, and the device will send alerts when potential issues are detected.
Interactive Toys and Pet Cameras
Another option for monitoring and interacting with pets when not at home is PlayDate, which doubles as a camera and a pet toy. PlayDate is a robotic camera-enabled smart pet ball that owners can control using mobile devices. While the camera on the ball allows owners to see their pets and the environment, it also has built-in software that captures data about the animal’s health and behaviors. The device connects to Wi-Fi, and owners can use the app to move the ball around as they play with their pet and then drive it back to the charging dock to recharge. There’s also a built-in speaker and microphone so owners can interact with their pets.
Smart Pet Collars
While some wearable trackers are wireless tags attached to a normal pet collar, the PetPace Collar is an actual collar. Designed for both cats and dogs, it continuously monitors and measures their vital signs, including activity, pulse, respiration temperature, and burned calories. It provides a convenient and accurate way to monitor pets with existing medical issues while aiding with preventative care. Owners and veterinarians can get comprehensive, accurate, and immediate information about an animal’s health via the website and smartphone app.
Smart Pet Thermometers
It’s standard for a cat or dog’s temperature to be taken rectally, which can be invasive and uncomfortable for the animal. However, the Mella Home Pet Thermometer accurately measures an animal’s temperature from under its foreleg or hindleg. Available to use by both owners and vets, the non-invasive, non-rectal smart thermometer uses machine learning to track a pet’s axillary temperature in less than 15 seconds. Using Bluetooth® connectivity, the device automatically records the data and sends it to the owner’s app, which can be exported and sent to their vet in real time.
Many companies are working tirelessly to improve the capabilities of this industry. Here are 7 pet tech startups developing cutting-edge smart pet technology.
Pet Tech Startups
Pet Wireless is an IoT startup that has developed a health monitoring platform for pet owners and veterinarians, called Tailio. Tailio helps pets live longer, healthier lives, helps veterinarians provide better patient care and increase revenue, and brings pet owners peace of mind. Tailio consists of non-wearable pet-friendly connected sensing devices, cloud-based data analytics and a mobile app.
Dinbeat is a medical device manufacturing company that specializes in providing a wearable device. The device tracks the most important vital signs of a pet’s from a remote wireless monitor and receives an alert to cloud software and push notifications through a software application platform.
PitPat is the UK’s most recognized dog wellness brand, offering the top-rated and best-selling dog activity monitor and app-based management of exercise and weight. Based in Cambridge, their multidisciplinary team of vets, technologists and dog-lovers is on a mission to get the nation’s dogs fit and healthy. They deliver our services to dog owners directly and through partnerships with leading pet insurers, food brands, and others.
Obe Digital Pet Health and Wellness
Obe’s digital wellness platform makes it easier for veterinarians and pet parents to keep their dogs and cats healthier and happier, for longer. Real-time, accurate consumption data allows better health and nutrition decisions to help with preventative care and early diagnosis of potential problems, long before the problems are acute.
Mella Pet Care builds accessible technology and diagnostic products for vets and pet parents to better understand and keep track of pet health, starting with a smartphone-enabled, AI-assisted, non-rectal thermometer. They built a non-rectal and non-invasive smart thermometer allowing for axillary temperature measurement in <10 seconds that pairs with a mobile and smartwatch app. In addition, this pairs with patient management systems (PMS), including Covetrus, which represents 90% of the market, so the vet does not have to think about or write down the temperature during examination.
Scollar is a full-stack open platform, equipped to manage every aspect of animal care for every breed of animal, from cats to cattle. It consists of three tightly integrated technologies: a modular smart collar, a mobile app and a data cloud service. Scollar will reshape the future of animal management by enabling countless animal care requirements to be managed through a single device. The masses of data collected in the Scollar data cloud will be a catalyst for algorithm development that offers a complete, portable picture of an animal’s health.
PlayDate is building a video-based pet monitoring system to keep dogs and cats happy and healthy throughout their lives. They’ve built a robotic, camera-enabled smart ball that pet owners can control using their mobile devices allowing them to play with their pets remotely. To accompany the smart ball, they are also building software services that capture data about pet health and behavior. This solves much-needed problems in the pet care space such as early health detection, automated training, and exercise.
Pets and Wearable Tech : A Growing Market
The growth of this market is being driven by a few different factors. One is the accessibility of the technology needed to make it work. Many of these devices are tied into apps that run on our iPhones, Androids, or tablets, which are pretty much always in our reach these days. We are also becoming more aware and accepting of wearable tech for people, such as Fitbit, the Apple Watch, and GoPro cameras.
Another reason is that we are closer to our pets than ever before. They have truly become an integral part of our families. Along with this strong bond comes an interest in finding new ways to connect with our furry friends and give them the best lives possible, which is what many of these devices promise to do.
Pet GPS Trackers
Like wearable tech for people, a large part of this market for pets is focused on tracking location and promoting fitness. For instance, Whistle combines GPS technology with activity monitoring in a special on-collar device. It works with an app, which lets you check your pet’s location and set activity goals. You can also establish a geo-fenced area and get an alert if your pet goes outside of this zone.
While Whistle and their competitors can help you keep tabs on your pet, they should never take the place of a microchip. Microchipping is an important way to help make sure your pet is returned home safely if they ever get lost. Since it is implanted under the skin, it can’t come off or be removed like a device attached to your pet’s collar.
Pet Health Monitors
As a veterinarian, the kinds of wearable tech for pets that I find most interesting are ones that can have a substantial positive impact on a pet’s health. One such device is called PetPace, which has a Smart Bio-Sensing Collar that monitors a pet’s temperature, pulse, respiration, heart rate variability (HRV), activity level, position, and calories burned. This collar works together with a 24/7 Health Monitoring Service and an app that allows you to check on your pet anytime.
The PetPace Health Monitoring System sends notifications and alerts about changes in your pet’s vital signs directly to your smartphone. For instance, it can alert you to changes in temperature or difficulty breathing. This allows you to detect potential problems early, so you can get your pet medical care sooner, which can make a difference in the outcome.
In addition, the PetPace Health Monitoring Service can share and send data alerts to your veterinarian at the first sign of trouble. It can also provide your pet’s doctor with valuable vital signs and activity history to better identify potential health issues.
Advantages for Pet Parents
Our pets can’t tell us what is going on with them, but PetPace can give you a better understanding of how they are feeling. For instance, it can detect a rapid heart rate, which could indicate pain, stress, or an underlying illness. PetPace can be particularly useful for older pets or those with health conditions that need close monitoring, like a heart arrhythmia or hypothyroidism.
It can also help put a first time pet parent’s mind at ease. For example, if you took your young pup out for a brisk walk on a hot day, you might be worried that the heat and activity were too much for them. You can look for visible signs of a problem, but you might still have concerns. With PetPace, you can check for early symptoms of heatstroke, like an elevated body temperature or heart rate.
Of course, a pet health monitor should never take the place of your veterinarian. However, it can be a useful tool to help you and your pet’s doctor provide your pet with the best care possible.
Benefits for Veterinary Practices
PetPace can help veterinary practices care for their pet patients by continuously monitoring their vital signs. It provides data that can be used to inform treatment plans and alert the medical team to problems that require immediate intervention. It can be useful for pets who are recovering from surgery or receiving care for an injury or illness. It also provides an easy and non-invasive way to take a pet’s temperature and check vitals during a veterinary visit. All the veterinarian has to do is put on the collar.
Onboard Cameras
Unlike health monitors and location trackers, some wearable tech for pets is mostly for fun. One example of this is the GoPro Fetch, which is designed by the company who made the GoPro. GoPro Fetch has a harness and a small camera that can be mounted on your pet’s chest or back to capture different angles. While it might be interesting to see the world from your dog’s perspective, there aren’t any real benefits for your pet—unless perhaps you and your pup are looking to become YouTube celebrities.
If you use a GoPro Fetch or similar product, please keep your dog’s comfort and safety in mind. Never force your dog to wear the harness or a camera if they don’t like the idea. You should also never use the harness to walk your dog since it was not designed for this purpose. Additionally, always supervise your dog when they are wearing it since the harness or camera could slip off and cause an injury.Whether or not any of these devices is worth the cost is up to you. One thing for sure is that wearable tech for pets is here to stay and will continue to be an interesting market to watch.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
