Today’s pet owners seek out ways to get more involved in their pets’ health care. They want real-time information, easy access to professional advice, and tools to monitor their pets’ well-being. This is where AI steps in, bridging the gap between pet owners and veterinary professionals.
As we explore these innovative AI applications in the veterinary industry, we’ll see how they’re enhancing client engagement, improving pet health outcomes, and transforming the relationship between pet owners, their beloved animals, and veterinary practices. This evolving dynamic is a crucial part of the modern veterinary practice journey, and exactly what we’ll be covering at this year’s Modern Veterinary Practice Theatre at the London Vet Show.
Want to learn more about AI for your practice? Check out the last two articles we wrote about AI for your front desk tasks and AI for management tasks .
AI-Powered Symptom Checkers and Information Platforms
Two platforms, Joii Pet Care and TTcare, are bringing AI symptom checkers and information platforms to the veterinary industry. Let’s explore a few ways your veterinary practice can put these platforms to use:
Instant Symptom Assessment
Joii Pet Care and TTcare leverage advanced AI algorithms to provide instant symptom assessment. Pet owners can input observed symptoms or behaviours into the app, which then analyses the information to provide potential causes and suggested actions. This immediate access to information can be invaluable, especially during off-hours when veterinary clinics may be closed. The AI’s ability to quickly process complex medical information helps pet owners make informed decisions about their pet’s health.
Smart Triage and Care Recommendations
These platforms go beyond simple information provision by offering smart triage services. By assessing the symptoms and their severity, the AI can recommend whether immediate veterinary care is necessary or if home monitoring is sufficient.
Joii Pet Care, for instance, uses a traffic light system to indicate the urgency of the situation, helping pet owners determine when to seek professional help. This triage function can help reduce unnecessary emergency visits while ensuring critical cases receive prompt attention.
Recognising that AI can’t replace veterinarians, Joii Pet Care also offers virtual vet consultations.
Personalised Pet Profiles
Both Joii Pet Care and TTcare allow users to create detailed profiles for their pets, including information such as breed, age, weight, and existing health conditions. This enables the AI to provide more tailored advice and recommendations. For example, TTcare’s AI can factor in breed-specific health risks when assessing symptoms, providing a more accurate and personalised health assessment for each pet.
Continuous Health Monitoring and AI-Enhanced Wearables
Wearables offer continuous monitoring capabilities, providing both pet owners and veterinarians with invaluable insights into an animal’s well-being. Let’s dive into two innovative solutions that can help your clients monitor their pet’s health, Mavin.pet and Mella Pet Care.
Maven.pet: AI-Powered Continuous Health Monitoring
Maven.pet has developed an innovative AI system that takes pet health monitoring to the next level. It’s an app that helps pet owners figure out what might be wrong with their pet and when to go to the vet. Tools like these can help manage Googling pet parents. Here’s how it’s making a difference:
- Continuous Remote Monitoring:pet’s system uses AI to analyse data from various sources, including pet behaviour, appetite, and other indicators, without requiring the pet to wear a device. This allows for unobtrusive, round-the-clock monitoring.
- Predictive Health Alerts: The AI analyses patterns and trends in the collected data to predict potential health issues before they become serious. This early warning system enables proactive intervention by veterinarians.
- Integration with Veterinary Practices: All of the data your clients put into Maven.pet can get shared with your veterinary practice providing your team with detailed health data and alerts.
Mella Pet Care: Smart Wearables for Precise Health Measurements
Mella Pet Care offers physical wearable devices that provide accurate, real-time health data. Here’s what their current devices offer:
- Non-Invasive Temperature Measurement: Mella’s flagship product is a non-invasive thermometer that can quickly and accurately measure a pet’s temperature without causing discomfort. This is particularly useful for regular health check-ups and monitoring pets with chronic conditions.
- Multipurpose Health Tracking: In addition to temperature, Mella’s devices can measure other vital signs such as weight and activity levels, providing a more comprehensive view of the pet’s health status.
- Data Logging and Sharing: The collected data can be logged and easily shared with veterinarians, facilitating better communication and more informed healthcare decisions.
Sylverster.ai: Feline Pain Assessment
Innovations in AI for assessing pet health go beyond enhancing our ability to detect and manage pet health conditions. They’re also tackling some of the most challenging aspects of pet healthcare such as Sylvester.ai’s feline pain assessment tool.
Sylvester.ai developed a tool that uses artificial intelligence to automatically assess a cat’s pain level. This innovation addresses one of the most difficult challenges in feline healthcare: the subtle and often hard-to-detect signs of pain in cats. Here’s how it works:
- Image Analysis: The tool uses computer vision and machine learning algorithms to analyse images or video footage of cats.
- Facial Recognition: It focuses on subtle changes in facial expressions, ear position, and eye characteristics.
- Body Language Interpretation: The AI also considers overall body posture and behaviour.
- Pain Scale Assessment: Based on these observations, the AI provides a pain score, helping to quantify the level of discomfort.
Smart Litter Boxes for Feline Health Monitoring
AI-powered smart litter boxes like Purobot Ultra and Petivity have become game-changers in feline health. They enable:
- Early Detection: By continuously monitoring various health indicators, these devices can catch potential issues before they become serious problems.
- Objective Data Collection: Unlike subjective observations, these boxes provide concrete, quantifiable data about a cat’s health and habits.
- Stress-Free Monitoring: Cats can be notoriously difficult to examine, especially when they’re not feeling well. Smart litter boxes provide valuable health insights without causing stress to the animal.
- Improved Veterinary Care: The detailed data collected by these devices can be shared with veterinarians, enabling more informed diagnoses and treatment plans.
- Empowered Pet Owners: With access to real-time health data, cat owners can take a more proactive role in managing their pet’s health.
- Tailored Health Management: The individualised tracking allows for more personalised health care strategies for each cat.
AI-Powered Pet Monitoring Cameras
Pet owners can use AI-powered cameras like the Furbo 360° and IMOU Rex 3D to enhance their pet care routines, ensuring their furry companions receive attentive care even when their owners can’t be physically present.
Behaviour Analysis and Training
These cameras can be valuable tools for understanding and modifying pet behaviour. Owners can review footage to identify patterns in their pet’s behaviour, such as excessive barking, destructive chewing, or signs of anxiety. This information can be used to adjust the home environment or to inform training strategies.
For example, if an owner notices their dog becomes anxious at a particular time of day, they might schedule a dog walker to visit during that time or use the camera’s interactive features to distract the pet.
Security and Safety
Beyond pet monitoring, these cameras serve as an additional layer of home security. They can alert owners to unexpected movements in the house, whether it’s a pet getting into a restricted area or, more seriously, an intruder. The customisable alert zones of the IMOU Rex 3D allow owners to receive notifications if their pet enters potentially dangerous areas, like near a hot stove or a cabinet with cleaning supplies.
Veterinary Consultation Support
In cases where a pet shows concerning symptoms, owners can use these cameras to record and share footage with their veterinarians. Monitoring can help veterinarians make more informed diagnoses and treatment plans, particularly for behavioural issues or conditions that manifest in specific movement patterns.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the rise of AI in pet care reflects our deep commitment to the health and happiness of our animal companions. Embracing these innovations responsibly and thoughtfully can help your client’s pets lead healthier, happier lives.
Want to learn more about AI at your veterinary practice? Keep an eye out for next week’s article about how your veterinary practice’s management team can use AI . Also, join us during the Modern Veterinary Practice Theatre at the London Vet Show where we’ll be giving live presentations about AI in your veterinary practice journey.
