It’s always interesting to observe how technologies are transforming different industries by bringing the efficiency of many processes to a new level and also reducing costs. Healthcare is one of the industries that has changed a lot with the introduction of new tech solutions. However, when we are talking about healthcare we should mention not only people but also our fluffy friends. For many of us, pets are real family members and we take care of them, their health, and wellbeing. And thanks to modern solutions, it has become easier to do it. Let’s have a look at this type of app in general and also pay attention to the most highly demanded features of pet health monitoring apps.
What is a pet health tracking system?
Actually, speaking in general, it is quite challenging to provide a very precise definition with a detailed description as all solutions can differ from each other rather significantly. However, the key goal always stays the same. Such systems are aimed at making it easier for pet owners to take care of their pets’ health.
Today among the most popular pet health apps, we should mention medical record-keeping solutions that have a lot in common with applications intended for human medical records. Such apps allow users to add medical data in different formats, among this info, there can be a lot of important facts, including medications that pets are allergic to, a diet that a pet is on, or the date of the previous vaccination or visit to the vet clinic. What is very convenient is that medical staff can easily get access to test results, treatment descriptions, and the entire medical history of a pet just in a few clicks.
Very often such apps are enriched with features that let users make appointments, view doctors’ recommendations, and much more. Videoconferencing and online chats make it absolutely simple to get the necessary recommendations at a distance.
But it is only one type of pet health tracking solution. Or it’s better to say – not the only type of task that such systems can solve.
Some apps that can be included in this group focus on the nutrition of pets. The amount of food consumed per day, the quality of the food, and the products themselves have a huge influence on our health. The same principle is true when we are talking about our pets. That’s why many pet owners do their best to track what and when their pets eat. And it s clear that doing it with a mobile app is significantly easier than in the situation when you need to take all the notes manually in order to calculate the number of consumed (and burned) calories. Such apps allow users not only to plan the menu, track the consumed calories, etc. but also to enjoy access to huge volumes of valuable materials on pet nutrition and wellbeing.
In reality, the range of pet health monitoring solutions is wider. We’ve enumerated only the most popular types of software. However, with modern technologies, our possibilities in creating tech solutions are practically endless which means that in the future we will definitely see even more solutions for ensuring pets’ wellbeing,
And now we offer you to dive deeper into the functionality of such systems and consider those features that are among the most popular ones in pet tracking solutions.
Activity and health monitoring
Thanks to GPS-powered wearables enriched with different kinds of sensors, a pets health monitoring system can provide users with the possibility to get a full review of all the vital parameters of their pets in real-time. Such devices can measure heart rate, temperature, breathing, quality of sleep, etc. If an app indicates serious changes in any parameters that can be taken as signs of illness, it will send an alert to a pet owner.
Physical activity is very important for pets. Modern applications can analyze walking distance, time of activity per day, routes, etc. If a pet is not active enough during the day, an owner will be notified.
Calorie calculator and diet planner
This functionality is of crucial importance for diet monitoring apps. Excess weight for pets, just like for people, is a rather serious problem that can lead to numerous diseases. That’s why it is necessary to track the consumed calories if your pet has an unhealthy weight. Mobile apps can offer a calculator, where a user can add different products, indicate portions, and track calories for each meal. Moreover, with mobile solutions, it is possible to easily plan meals for a day (or a week, or another time period) given the calories that can be consumed by the pet and product groups in order to ensure well-balanced nutrition.
Remote consultations with vets
Just like traditional telemedicine applications, apps for pet owners can be enriched with different features for communication with healthcare experts. Usually, apps offer the possibility to communicate with vets via online chats or video conferences. There are also special features for keeping medical records with all the analyses and previous treatments. A vet can easily access them to make sure that the chosen treatment will help. Thanks to this functionality, pet owners can get recommendations in a remote format without the necessity to go to a vet center.
Why pets health monitoring systems are popular
If you start analyzing the market of tech solutions, you will see that the segment of pet tech apps is currently at the initial stages of its development and there is a lot of space for its further growth.
The pet tech market volume in 2020 was only around $5.7 billion. But it doesn’t mean that it’s already the peak. Actually, this figure is rather far from what it is projected in the next couple of years. For the period between 2021 and 2027, it is expected that the market volume will be growing at a CAGR of 22% and will reach $20 billion by the end of this period.
There are numerous reasons for the market growth in general and for the interest in pet health tracking apps from the side of pet owners in particular. Let’s have a look at them.
- Today we can observe a much more conscious approach to taking care of pets than it was common before.
- Many families say that their pets are their family members (according to some studies, 9 out of 10 dog owners who participated in a survey answered that they consider their dogs to be a part of their families). As a result, people treat their pets as their children and pay a lot of attention to their mood, well-being, and health.
- These days people are ready to spend more money on their pets in general and even buy some items that are not compulsory but can have a huge emotional meaning. For example, according to statistics, around 27% of Americans who have pets have already paid photographers for organizing photo shoots for their fluffy friends. And 36% of dog owners in the US admitted having bought presents for their dogs’ birthdays.
- Tech literacy among all generations as well as smartphone adoption is growing. It means that people are just getting accustomed to fulfilling a lot of everyday tasks with the help of their mobile devices. And when it comes to the questions pf pets’ health, nutrition, or wellbeing, active smartphone users expect that there should be a relevant mobile software solution that will help to quickly and efficiently deal with the set task.
As a result, all these factors, acting together, are greatly pushing the demand for innovative pet apps higher and making more and more startup founders think about pet software development as a very promising industry. The interest in such solutions from the side of potential users and from development companies that are ready to offer these solutions is growing, and so are the investments in this tech and the competition in the market. But given the fact that competition drives innovation, there is nothing to worry about. Vice versa. That’s the reason to hope for further market success.
According to some studies, nearly 56% of pet owners in the US use software apps for dealing with many tasks related to their pets. While such widespread types of pet apps as smart toys, pet servicing apps, and monitoring camera solutions boast nearly the same popularity, healthcare and nutrition apps are at the top of this list. 24% of all the pet tech apps that are used today are pet health and nutrition tracking apps.
Instead of a final word
Custom software development companies can build real products even based on the boldest ideas. That’s why finding the right IT partner is one of the most important keys to success. The pet tech sphere is growing and expanding very fast. At the moment, it is obvious that it is still starting its way. But with the wider adoption of pet tech apps, the demand for them will be only increasing. That’s why today may be a very good moment to enter the market with a breaking-edge solution that will win the hearts of pet owners.