How the Internet and AI Help can with the Care of your Pets

We all have smart phones now and use them to monitor a huge range of things in our lives.

From counting steps taken, to setting up a budget, to turning on the lights and turning on the oven before you get home. The internet and Artificial intelligence are transforming pet care in Australia. There is more information online than ever before.

Health Monitoring and Wearables

• Wearable trackersto monitor your pets’ wear abouts and activities at home. Is separation anxiety a problem? How calm is my pet when I go out for the day?
• Glucose monitors– these devices have a very fine needle that accesses your pet’s blood circulation. It is attached to a wireless monitoring device. It is about the size of a fifty- cent piece and will continuously monitor your pet’s blood glucose. A fantastic adjunct to the management of sugar diabetes because it can store information for hours and enables up to two weeks of continuous monitoring – reducing the need for multiple needle pricks and long stays in hospital. All the information is transferred from the patient with a quick swipe of a mobile phone across the device.
• Smart phone appsare available to assist in keeping track of multiple components associated with chronic health conditions. When using these, please make sure they are from reputable sources.Examples of useful apps include:
  • mypetsheart2heart app – used to measure and track changes in the resting respiratory rate that is used to assess chronic heart disease.
  • from the Royal Veterinary College in the UK, the RVC Pet Diabetes App and RVC Epilepsy Tracker.Note: While AI internet tools offer significant benefits for monitoring and advice, they are designated to compliment, not replace, professional Veterinary expertise
• AI Diagnosticsutilise AI algorithms to increase the efficiency and speed of cell identification and counts. At Vet HQ we use this for blood counts and urine analysis. However, the human Veterinary skill is still used to confirm any equivocal cases to ensure both accuracy and efficiency is present in all testing for your pets.

Intelligent Pet Care and Safety Devices

• AI powered Pet Doors– some use facial recognition, others use your pet’s unique 16-digit microchip to ensure only your pet can enter or exit, keeping unwanted animals out.
• Smart feedersuse similar technology to ensure precise portions are served to individual pets. It also allows for monitoring of food consumption.
• GPS trackers offering real time location
• Home Pet cams with interactive microphones and ball thrower or treat dispensers
  

AI Powered Advice and Virtual Care

After hours at Vet HQ –Sometimes emergencies and concerns are not confined to business hours. When the clinic is closed and all the vets have gone home, you may still call Vet HQ and have a conversation with a very well-trained AI bot called Jess (not to be confused with VetHQ Darlinghurst’s vet Dr Jess). Jess can not only answer some of your queries but if needed, she can patch your call  directly through to SASH emergency department at Alexandria. Vet HQ will receive a copy of the notes and be able to call you on the next business day.

Websites. When seeking veterinary information please check our website at www.vethq.com.au where information and previous news letters can be found, as well as online booking and contact services.

Veterinary and Administrative Techniques

Vet HQ is trialing AI scribes to assist in note taking and consultation records. It will help the vets maintain their clinical records and allow more time for direct pet care.

Even for a child of the 1960’s like me, technology can be useful and not overwhelming.

Humans will always be available at Vet HQ along with the cold noses and warm paws of our pets.