How Smart Collars Are Changing Pet Health Monitoring
Smart technology can now give us deeper insights into our health, our sleep patterns, and even our emotions. Similar technology, in the form of smart pet collars and other wearable devices for cats and dogs, is also emerging and available in the mainstream.
Despite its potential, wearable pet technology is not without its limitations. It doesn’t, for example, always analyze data accurately. It’s also important to understand that pet wearables are a complementary tool, not a replacement for professional diagnostics and proper veterinary care. What these devices can do is provide tools that enhance and simplify pet health and wellness.
Our guide covers what you need to know about this rapidly growing technology so that you can make the best decision for your family.
What Are Smart Collars for Dogs and Cats?
Most commercial pet wearables come in the form of smart collars and clip-on trackers. With smart pet collars, the technology is built into a single collar. Clip-on trackers are lighter weight -and typically more affordable- devices that attach to the pet’s regular collar or harness.
Sophisticated wearable pet technology like vests and harnesses manage serious conditions while under veterinary guidance. A wearable Holter monitor that records heart activity falls into this category.
Common Features of Smart Pet Collars and Dog Activity Trackers
Some devices are single featured (GPS tracking or health monitoring, for example), while sophisticated models combine a range of technologies that can monitor location, health, behavior, and activity. Here’s a closer look at the features available in mainstream pet wearables.
GPS Tracking and Geofencing
GPS trackers provide real-time updates on a pet’s location. This is invaluable when your cat or dog has gone missing. Geofencing technology notifies you when your pet has left a predetermined area, which is helpful in preventing escapes.
Activity Tracking
This feature is beneficial for determining how much exercise a pet is getting, monitoring sleep patterns, and detecting health and behavioral changes.
Health Tracking
Advanced models track vital signs (resting heart rate, respiration rate, and temperature) to provide insights into sleep patterns, anxiety levels, and potential illnesses.
How Pet Wearables Monitor Health
Pet wearables often incorporate a range of technologies, including accelerometers, GPS satellites, artificial intelligence (AI), and thermometers. Advanced models have heart rate monitors and respiration sensors. Here’s a look at what they do.
Track Activity and Movement
Accelerometers detect a pet’s movement patterns. This can aid in maintaining an exercise program, indicating a potential health problem, and ensuring a pet is receiving adequate sleep.
Monitor Vital Statistics
Premium smart dog collars and cat collars contain sensors to measure important vitals like heart rate and respiration. Built-in thermometers continuously measure internal temperature.
Provide Location Tracking and Escape Alerts
A GPS chip contained within the device communicates with satellites to determine a pet’s precise location. The geofencing feature -which also relies on GPS- alerts you when your pet has left a predetermined area. Having this information in real time can prevent escapes and relieve the stress of having to search for a lost pet.
How Data Trends Can Signal Potential Health Issues
Wearable pet technology devices analyze data and patterns over time, then establish a baseline. A change in normal activity might signal early onset of an illness, thus prompting early intervention.
Health Benefits for Dogs and Cats
These devices record important pet health data that can flag potential problems before they can escalate (a peace of mind for pet parents) and contribute to overall health.
Supporting Weight Management and Exercise Goals
Pet wearables monitor how much exercise your pet is getting. Some smart pet collars can even track calories burned and offer personalized health suggestions. This data can be helpful when used in conjunction with an established nutritional or weight loss plan.
Identifying Early Changes in Mobility or Energy
Changes in a pet’s activity levels, sleep patterns, or vital signs may indicate the beginning of a potential health problem. Lethargy, for example, is a symptom of a range of diseases.
Monitoring Senior Pets and Those with Chronic Conditions
Smart pet collars monitor changes that may indicate the onset, or worsening of, conditions more common in older pets. Decreased movement, for example might indicate arthritis, while irregular heartbeats may signal heart disease.
Role in Preventive and Veterinary Care
Pet wearables are a relatively new technology that doesn’t replace professional diagnostics. These devices can, however, complement the care provided by your veterinarian and allow you to be more proactive in your pet’s health.
Sharing Data with Your Veterinarian
The more information your veterinarian has about your pet, the better. Many smart dog collars and smart cat collars can be integrated with your veterinary clinic, allowing you to securely transmit health data.
Aids in Post-Surgery Recovery
Getting sufficient rest is key to recovery after surgery. Pet health monitoring devices track movement, helping you to determine if your pet is getting an adequate level of veterinary-recommended rest.
Examples of Conditions Where Pet Wearables Can Be Useful
Pet wearables can be helpful in monitoring a range of conditions, including mobility issues, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and behavioral disorders. By tracking changes in activity levels, heart rate, sleep patterns, and location, these devices may help owners and veterinarians notice early warning signs and adjust care plans accordingly.
Limitations and Considerations
Accuracy Can Vary Between Brands
Regulation of wearable pet technology is fragmented (rules govern things like data privacy and product safety), so standards can be arbitrary.
Battery Life Varies
Some devices can run for months, while more sophisticated models, especially those that rely on frequent GPS use, need to be recharged more frequently.
Comfort Concerns
Smart pet collars can be bulky and cause discomfort, especially if they’re ill-fitted. A collar is only useful if the pet is comfortable and it’s worn consistently.
Data Interpretation Challenges
Though pet health monitoring devices are designed to detect potential abnormalities, they’re not as exacting as professional veterinary diagnostic tools. An innocuous behavior like walking downstairs for a drink of water, for example, can be registered as an anomaly.
Location Concerns
Most GPS pet collars and clip-ons rely on strong satellite connections, so access to consistent signals is a must. If GPS is an issue, Bluetooth-based devices are available, though they provide shorter range tracking.
Privacy Concerns
As with any other smart technology, wearable pet technology collects detailed and potentially sensitive information about the user, and in this case, also about your pet.
Subscription and Ongoing Costs
In addition to the initial purchase, devices often require a subscription plan. If using GPS pet collars, there are also costs associated with accessing cellular networks.
Choosing the Right Smart Collar or Pet Fitness Tracker
GPS or Health-Focused Devices?
A good place to start is by determining what you’d like to accomplish, whether it’s to initiate a weight loss program, prevent escapes, or get data on sleep patterns and vital statistics. Pinpointing which features you plan to use can help narrow down your options and save you money.
Choose the Correct Size
A smart pet collar must be worn continuously for it to be effective. An ill-fitting product can cause discomfort, in which case your pet will not want to wear it.
Choose a collar that’s appropriate for your dog’s size or breed, or one that’s specifically designed for cats. Check the product’s sizing guide (which can differ by manufacturer) to choose the best fit. Features like adjustable straps and extra padding for comfort are pluses.
Lifestyle Considerations
Dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors or tend to wander from home might benefit from devices that use GPS technology, since they offer long-range tracking capability. Trackers that use Bluetooth may be a good option for pets who tend to stay closer to home.
Also, look for waterproof devices if your dog is a swimmer.
Subscription and Technology Considerations
In addition to the initial cost of the product, you’ll likely have to pay for a monthly or annual subscription to use the features, in addition to cellular services. Before purchasing a product, be certain it’s compatible with your phone.
Check for a Privacy Statement
Given that smart devices record private information, including about the pet’s location, it’s best to confirm how the company will collect, secure, and use your data.
Who Benefits Most from Pet Wearables?
Active Dogs and Working Breeds
Being able to monitor the activity of a canine athlete or working dog is helpful for catching early signs of injury or distress, and modifying routines when necessary.
Senior Pets
Older pets are at higher risk of developing issues like heart disease, arthritis, and cognitive decline. Pet health monitoring devices can detect potential signs of disease, including abnormal heartbeats, decrease in activity, and irregular movement patterns.
Pets with Medical Conditions
Getting alerts about subtle changes in activity and vital statistics data are potentially lifesaving features for cats and dogs with medical conditions. Some devices offer sharing features that can transmit data to your veterinarian.
The Future of Pet Health Technology
Pet health monitoring is a relatively new, but rapidly growing category in the veterinary and pet product spaces. What started with simple location tracking has grown to incorporate advanced health solutions.
Pet insurance companies have also begun to use this technology to do things like develop personalized insurance policies and perform risk assessment.
Study Up Before You Buy
Pet wearables can be a helpful tool that provides valuable insights into an animal’s health, flags early health or behavioral problems, supports a weight management plan, and efficiently locates a lost cat or dog.
They’re not, however, a replacement for a veterinarian’s recommendations or professional diagnostic equipment.
If you’re thinking of purchasing a smart pet collar or clip-on, it’s helpful to gain a realistic understanding of what these devices can and can’t do, and to determine which features you plan to use. When used based on realistic expectations and in conjunction with your veterinarian’s guidance, pet wearables can enhance and simplify pet health and provide you with added peace of mind.