The powerful potential of artificial intelligence for pet healthcare
Advanced technology is bringing change to the health sector for pets, as it begins to have an impact on monitoring, diagnosis and treatment.
The current shift toward pet care driven by artificial intelligence (AI) involves early detection as well as better health management. These new applications address some of the current limitations of traditional pet healthcare practices.
One pet, one profile
The most notable advances in AI for pet care are the development of wearables and health monitoring apps.
PetPace in the US is a leading player in this field with its smart collars for dogs. These have been on the market since 2016, and the company says that the idea behind AI-powered collars arose from a common frustration in veterinary medicine: diseases being discovered too late.
Most PetPace users are owners of older dogs – some of whom already have a medical condition.
Each device is equipped with an array of sensors and backed by algorithms that can accurately monitor a range of pet biometrics, including vital signs, behavior and location.
“Each dog’s collar is collecting data continuously. We’re sampling data almost twice per second,” Dr. Asaf Dagan, Chief Veterinary Scientist at PetPace, explains.
The company creates a personalized biometric profile for each pet. This gives a unique and accurate representation of the pet’s current health.
If anything changes, i.e. the dog starts to develop a disease, AI detects and flags deviations from the baseline profile.
The technology is also able to compare a pet’s data to that of other animals with very similar characteristics, such as breed, age and size. This helps to determine whether the dog is as healthy as it should be.
Early diagnosis
South Korea-based AI For Pet uses a different approach for its TTCare app, making use of advanced image recognition algorithms to assess clinical signs.
By analyzing photos of specific body parts such as eyes, teeth or skin, or videos of an animal’s gait, it can detect signs of common conditions such as infections, dental issues and skin disorders.
The app’s technology was trained using over 2.5 million health scans from veterinary hospitals worldwide and validated by experts at Seoul National University and Ohio State University.
The preliminary diagnosis that the app provides can help veterinarians or pet service providers identify potential health concerns at an early stage.
Growth but also concerns
According to business consulting company Grand View Research, the global market of AI technology in pet health was estimated at $997.3 million (€895.7M) in 2022.
This is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 19% until 2030.
The pandemic created an urgent need for remote pet healthcare solutions, as visiting clinics became more difficult.
“We saw a significant increase in the use of our AI technology by both pet service providers and clinics,” says Euna Huh, CEO at AI For Pet.
According to company data, application of its AI tools increased by 45% between 2020 and 2022, with a 60% increase in remote consultations based on AI-powered health checks.
This rising popularity is at the same time a concern for key industry players. Dr. Dagan from PetPace warns that AI is becoming a buzzword that everyone uses to market their products.
“To genuinely qualify as AI, you need vast amounts of data. You can’t make a diagnosis on just a few data points. It also requires advanced analytics, algorithms and models that go beyond basic statistics.”
The latest innovations
PetPace recently launched a pregnancy tracking program designed for dog breeders.
Besides healthcare applications, the company has been working on an earthquake warning system using its smart collar technology. Studies show that animals often behave differently prior to earthquakes, with dogs particularly sensitive due to their acute senses.
The project is currently in its second phase in Peru, a country known for seismic activity.
Similarly, South Korean businesses are innovating in other ways to incorporate AI into pet care. This includes smart leashes that track body temperature and pulse, plus smart toilets for early identification of urinary tract infections.
With government-led programs to spur expansion, South Korea hopes to grow its pet healthcare market into a $15 trillion (€13.5T) sector by 2027.
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