The most important obligation that comes with having a pet is the duty to maintain your pet’s health. Today, fulfilling that responsibility is easier than ever with the help of mobile apps that track and improve your best friend’s wellness.
Activity Trackers and Monitors
A big part of keeping your pet happy and healthy is adequate exercise. The combination of smart devices with low code solutions for app development has enabled an explosion of activity tracking apps for us humans; there’s no reason your pet can’t get in on the action, as well!
Wag and Rover are two dog walking apps that are very similar. Both of these apps help match you with a well-qualified dog walker, and both are available for both iPhone and Android. A Rover dog walk provides photos and a map of your dog’s route, plus text updates. Wag lets you track your dog’s walk in real-time using GPS, as well as receiving a report from the walker at the end of your pet’s walk. Both of these apps allow you to ensure your dog gets enough exercise while also providing a record of their activity and behaviors.
Activity tracking apps reach an even more advanced level when paired with smart devices. FitBark is an app that communicates with a special GPS collar, allowing you to check your dog’s exact location and movement on your phone wherever you are. This is not only a great way to keep tabs on how active your pet is but also provides a little reassurance that you’ll be able to find your dog if he goes missing.
Health Logs and Journals
Safeguarding your pet’s health can take more than just an activity tracker or virtual "check-in" while you're away. After all, there’s more to wellness than exercise! One of the most useful features for a pet app is the ability to collect and share important information about your pet easily.
The focus of DogSync is coordination among all your pet’s other daily caregivers, like family members or dog sitters. Each member of your pet’s “pack” logs what they have done for the pet, ensuring all your pet’s needs are met while avoiding duplicated effort—and too many extra treats! The app offers instant alerts to all pack members, making it more efficient and convenient than haphazard texting.
Pet Pal is more of a journal of your pet’s biographical and health information in a format that’s easy to share with a vet or other caregiver, almost like a digital medical record. With the ability to add lots of information about multiple pets, Pet Pal is great if you foster animals or just have a big furry family!
Training and Advice
From stopping behaviors that can cause injury to encouraging compliance with grooming and medication regimens, training plays an essential role in maintaining your pet's health. Since a big part of successful training is consistent practice, apps that help you track your pet’s progress and offer help for next steps are a must!
The Puppr app provides thorough training instructions, including videos and photos, to help you train your dog in a wide variety of commands, from simple obedience to more complex behaviors and “tricks.” The ability to track progress and the addition of master classes makes Puppr feel like more of a dog achievement app than a simple training app.
If your dog has behavior issues you think you can’t handle on your own, you may want to look into GoodPup. The GoodPup app connects you with real live professional trainers for video training sessions. This is obviously a pricier option, but if you need expert training help, it can be worth it!
You want your pets to have the same chance at a healthy life as any other family member. A few downloads onto your mobile phone or tablet can make ensuring their wellbeing easier—and even more fun!
