How much data do we need about our pets?

A lot, apparently especially when you ask manufactures for pet tech gear. That’s right. ‘Pet tech’ is its own category and one that merited a feature section at SuperZoo this year, a Las Vegas pet industry trade show that, according to organizers, attracted nearly 10,000 retail buyers to Mandalay Bay.

We love our apps. How did we ever feed our pets without them?

Here’s the latest pet tech recently released or soon to be. (Note: this post contains affiliate links in blue. Check ‘em out).

1.       iFetch Too

An extension of the company’s original fetch, this one throws farther.

Unlike app driven tech, this interactive toy is activated by the dog. That’s right. Sit on the deck and have a beer after you’ve trained Fido to drop his own ball into the iFetch Too launcher so it can throw distances of 10 to 40 feet away randomly. Plus, there’s a built-in recharger – you won’t have to leave your Muskoka chair to find more batteries.

Find iFetch Too on Amazon.com here or Amazon.ca here.

2.       Petnet Smart Feeder

The Smart Feeder from Petnet does exactly what it says: thanks to a programmed app on your phone, it automatically dispenses food for cats and dogs in healthy portions based on the animal’s pet, age, breed, weight and activity level.

That’s right, first you program all that information, including the type of food (a database knows the ingredient list of thousands of pet food brands). You even get a phone notification when the kibble’s been dispensed, and a food level sensor lets you know when it’s time to buy more. Good-bye scoops.

Find Petnet Smart Feeder on Amazon.com here or Amazon.ca here.

3.       LumaSmoothe

Holistic low light therapy technology – apparently it can be good for your pet. I hope so. It’s what my dog’s physio-therapist used on him at the end of his sessions. Now, thanks to LumaSmoothe, you can use it at home.

According to the company, light emitting diode therapy (LED) is a non-evasive treatment that provides natural pain relief. Apparently, exposure to specific wavelengths of light – photons – using LEDs are absorbed by damaged tissue cells and reduces pain responses and jump starts healing, all in a hand-held device.

Find LumaSmoothe on Amazon.com here.

4.      Petzi Pet Treat Cam

Forget Facebook, here’s the new at work distraction. Using the Wagz Pet21 Treat Cam, you can remotely speak, see and treat your pet while you’re away. You can even snap a pic so you can still post mid-day and not leave your FB friends hanging.

App-controlled and WiFi connected, the product includes a wide-angled camera with night vision (that’s right) and quality audio (so Fido’s really confused while you’re away).

Find Petzi Pet Treat Cam on Amazon.com here.

5.       Petrics Smart Health Tracker Bed

Petrics claims to be have invented the world’s first dog ‘smart bed.’ A scale in the base of the bed (making it a little firm) weights your pooch regularly and is temperature controlled – heating on cool days and cooling on others.

Of course, it also collects data on a phone app. By measuring weight, activity level and calorie intake, the app monitors the dog’s health. With about 1500 pet foods in the database, it helps select the ideal one and fed amount. Also, the app keeps track of vet appointments, medication doses and alerts concerning pet food recalls.

6.       iPet Robot Moveable Treat Dispenser

The most futuristic looking of the bunch, iPet Robot Movable also lets you talk, hear, see, and play with your pet remotely – like several others – but this one moves around the room and the ‘head’ tilts to raise and lower the camera. There’s even an interactive laser pointer (great for cats).

The device uses wireless communication via your Bluetooth and WiFi home network to monitor and interact with your pet, even dispensing treats (3 cm or smaller) via the phone app. Long work meetings just got fun.

7.       Wagz Serve Smart Feeder

Again, feeding is an issue or specifically over weight pets is the health concern of the day. Wagz Serve Smart is another automatic feeder (apparently, we are really screwing it up) that ‘delivers the right amount of food for the right dog at the right time.’

This product is all about portion control. Instead of feeding the dog from a programmed app, it’s activated by an ID tag on Spot’s collar. That way, it can be programmed to feed the right portions to a specific dog. But not to worry, you can still use your phone. A built-in video and audio allows you inter-act with your pets from afar.

Find Wagz Serve Smart Feeder on Amazon.com here or Amazon.ca here. 

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