Yes, you read that right!
We have seen technology become integrated with so many different aspects of our lives, utilising the latest smart technologies to make our lives more convenient, secure and optimised than ever.
Many of us own wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers ourselves, allowing us to stay on top of our daily exercise, ensure we are getting enough sleep and have a healthy heart rate – but have you ever considered how a wearable could benefit your pet too?
If you have then you’re in luck as wearable technology for pets is fast becoming the latest trend in the industry and there’s already a range of fitness trackers for pet available on the market, with Fitbark being the biggest one of them.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look into the world of pet wearables, how they work and how they could benefit you and your pet.
Why pet wearables?
Pet owners have long been microchipping their pets, making it easier to find them should they get lost. Pet wearables could be considered as a logical extension of this technology, but utilising the range of wireless technology we have access to today to offer a growing list of benefits to both the owner and the pet.
Today we have an abundance of wireless sensor technology, tiny semiconductor driven microchips, smartphone app technology, pre-built digital maps, the Internet of Things..the list goes on.
More people are using smartphones than ever, which are all capable of being used to help you look after your pet and these trackers come with a wide range of benefits such as:
- Medical diagnosis and treatment
- Tracking
- Identification
- Safety & Security
- Behaviour Monitoring & Control
- Facilitation
Let’s take a closer look at each of the aforementioned aspects and benefits of a pet wearable activity tracker.
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Medical diagnosis and treatment
This is perhaps the biggest selling point of these pet wearable devices - its designed to help owners stay on top of their pet’s health.
It works by capturing a pet’s health-related information, helping you stay on top of their vaccinations and maintaining a record of their past medical treatments and procedures.
Tracking
This type of pet wearable may take the form of a smart collar, and is designed to help you keep an eye on the location of your pet and help track them down if they get lost.
Identification
Pet identity tags are designed to allow you to uniquely identify your pet, in whatever situation that may be necessary.
Safety and Security
GPS collars are the main type of wearable used to keep pets safe and secure. They usually offer GPS tracking of pets as well as tools for regular monitoring.
Behaviour monitoring and control
Certain collars have been designed to monitor how often a dog barks and other common behaviours, analysing these behaviours and feeding the information back to the owner.
Facilitation
Wearables in this category can offer incredibly sophisticated tools that integrate with your pet and your home.
For instance, some technologies sense your pet’s temperature and remotely adjust your home’s thermostat accordingly. You can also receive alerts to your smartphone if your pet wanders beyond a designated area, or if they are running low on food.
The latest trend: Pet activity trackers
A pet activity tracker is one specific type of pet wearable, designed to assist owners in keeping their pets healthy and safe. Most of these technologies are designed with an in-built GPS, allowing you to see exactly where your pet is at all times, which will be especially helpful in the case of your animal going missing or being stolen.
Some devices, such as FitBark also offer the ability to see what kind of activity your pet is engaging in, be it walking, running, swimming etc. Which also allows them to measure how often your pet engages in vigorous exercise, and alert you to periods where they may have been more sluggish than usual.
Sometimes the pet activity tracker will be a whole collar, however usually they can be fitted securely onto your pet’s existing collar for maximum comfort. The majority of trackers on the market have been built specifically to survive adequately on a pet’s collar, they are also usually waterproof in order to survive rain and any swimming your pet may engage in.
How pet activity trackers work
Every model of pet activity tracker is different, however the majority of them work in very similar ways.
These trackers have usually been designed to fit easily and safely onto a pet collar. Although they are battery powered, the battery does not get warm or overheat, so there is no risk of your pet becoming uncomfortable or getting burnt.
Each pet activity tracker will usually come with an accompanying app that will need to be downloaded in order for you to set up and use the tracker. The tracker will then connect to your smartphone and the app using a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection. The data from your pet’s wearable will then be instantly transferred to the app on your phone, allowing you to stay up to date on what your pet gets up to throughout the day.
For those pet owners with more than one pet, you can have more than one activity tracker paired with the app. Therefore, if you buy a smart collar for each one of your pets, you will be able to see them all in one place on the app and keep an eye on them simultaneously.
Pet activity trackers that support GPS technology or cellular data will also be able to offer location services for your pet. So, you will only have to tap onto the app to see where exactly your pet is, and where they have been throughout the day – which can be especially helpful when you go to work! However, if your pet activity tracker only supports Bluetooth connection you will not be able to thoroughly track your animal, as Bluetooth will usually only function within a short distance.
Some pet activity trackers that support GPS technology will allow you to set a geographical limit for your pet, creating a perimeter that they should not be allowed to breach. For instance, you can set up an alert for if they manage to go beyond your house and garden.
How a pet activity tracker can help keep your pet a healthy weight
The weights of our pets are not something that typically concerns us, we usually love to see our furry friends enjoying their food and may believe they already are getting adequate exercise. However, pet obesity is a growing concern particularly in dogs.
Furthermore, it is a concern that we don’t tend to notice ourselves until it is mentioned by a vet.
Pet activity trackers come with a range of features that can help us not only make sure our pets are getting a healthy amount of activity, but also provide more insight into their weight.
Many pet activity trackers function very similarly to how a Fitbit functions for a human.
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They will tell you how much exercise you pet ideally needs each day, allow you to track how long your pet spends walking, running and swimming, and how many calories they will have burned along the way. It can also keep track of how much rest your pet gets, and how much rest they ideally need.
Not only is this useful if you are the one responsible for walking your own pet, but it is also a helpful way to ensure your dog walker is giving your pet all the exercise it needs.
What are the risks of pet wearables?
Although it is normal to have a level of suspicion towards integrating a new and relatively unknown technology into your pet’s life, thorough research has concluded that wearables do not pose any risks to your pet’s health.
The tracker will usually be small and easily attachable to your pet’s collar, designed to cause absolutely no discomfort – they probably won’t even notice anything different!
Trackers are designed with an in-built battery that will not heat, so you do not have to worry about burning your pet. You also don’t have to worry about your pet getting wet with the tracker on, as they are typically waterproof (although you may want to check to what extent before making a purchase). Some trackers will be waterproof for immersion of up to 1 metre, which means your dog can still wear it while going paddling or splashing in shallow water. However, a tracker may not be suitable to be worn while diving below the water.
How pet wearables could affect insurance
Many pet insurers are wising up to the world of pet wearables and beginning to include them in their insurance plans. In fact investing in pet wearables could lead to pet insurance savings
This is due to the fact that a pet wearable could improve the health of your animal and prevent them getting lost, making them a lower risk candidate, which is desirable to insurance providers.
Conclusion
As tech continues to become increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives, it makes sense that we begin using it to provide the optimum level of care to our pets.
From location tracking, to customised daily advice for pet owners, and live notifications about our pets’ activities, there are so many ways for pet wearables to benefit our relationship with our furry friends, and as technology in this area continues to expand we are excited to see where it goes next.
If you’re looking to improve the health of your beloved pet, we have a range of animal care courses to help you improve your skills and make your more qualified as an animal expert. For more information visit the courses section today to see what we offer.
Also, if you adore animals, you can keep track of all upcoming animal awareness days and events with our FREE calendar! Download it here.
