Nowadays, smartphones have become a fundamental tool in our lives, and pet apps are no exception.
With the popularity of pets growing more and more, developers are creating apps to help pet owners take better care of their pets.
In this article, we are going to introduce some of the best pet apps available on the market.
PetFirst
PetFirst is an app that helps pet owners manage their pet's health.
It allows you to record information about vaccinations, deworming, vet visits and other important information about your pet's health.
In addition, the application also offers reminder alerts for vaccinations and deworming, as well as advice and tips on animal health.
BarkHappy
BarkHappy is an app for dog owners that helps you find dog parks, pet stores and other dog friendly places in your area.
Furthermore, the app also allows users to march their own locations as “dog friendly”, letting other users know where they can take their dogs.
The app also offers dog events, such as breed meets and walks, and allows users to connect with other dog owners in their area.
Catster
Catster is a cat-specific app that offers tips and advice for taking care of cats.
It also allows users to record information about vaccinations, deworming and other important information about their cat's health.
In addition, the app offers a variety of interesting articles about cats, including training, health and behavior tips.
PetMonitor
PetMonitor is an app for pet owners that allows you to monitor your pet's activity and sleep.
It uses sensors to track your pet's activity and provides graphs and reports on their daily activity, allowing users to see how their pet is moving and exercising.
Furthermore, the app also allows users to set up alerts for when the pet is inactive for extended periods.
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PetSafe
PetSafe is an app for pet owners that helps ensure the safety of their pets.
It allows users to create alerts for when the pet leaves the house or leaves a certain radius, and it also allows users to track the pet in real time.
In addition, the app also offers tips and advice on animal safety, including how to prevent pets from running away and how to deal with stray animals.
Conclusion
Pet apps offer a variety of useful tools to help pet owners take better care of their pets.
Whether you want to manage your pet's health, find pet-friendly locations, or ensure your pet's safety, there's an app out there to help you.
With the help of such apps, pet owners can have peace of mind knowing that they are doing everything they can to take care of their beloved pets.
What to look for before installing
- It works offline. If the task is local, requiring a connection means that your data is being sent to a server.
- Permissions requested. An app should only request what it needs to function. Requests for access to contacts, messages, or accessibility without reason are a red flag.
- Last updated and supported. An application without a recent update tends to break with the next system version.
- What the app actually does. Compare the description on the store page with recent reviews. The difference between the two often reveals what the advertisement omits.
What these apps don't do
Before installing, it's worth managing your expectations: there are things that no app in this category delivers.
- They can't do what the device's hardware doesn't allow. A feature without a corresponding sensor doesn't exist in software.
- The free version often limits exports, applies a watermark, or restricts the number of uses per day.
- A high rating in the store doesn't guarantee quality: it's worth reading recent, negative reviews.
- An app that promises impossible results usually exists only to display advertising.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the app free?
Generally, the download is limited or may include advertising. Check the price range for in-app purchases on the store page.
Does it take up a lot of space?
The size appears in the store, but it increases with use due to caching. Clearing the cache frees up space without losing settings.
Is there a native alternative?
It's worth checking out. Android and iOS come with several ready-made functions that eliminate the need to install another app.
Does it consume a lot of battery?
Check the usage per app in the settings and restrict background activity for any that are high.
Does it work without internet?
It depends: those that process on the device work offline; those that depend on a server require an internet connection.
Step-by-step to get started
- Adjust the notifications on the first day. Leaving everything plugged in is the most common reason for uninstallation in the first week.
- Check if it works offline. If the task is local but still requires a connection, your data is being sent to a server.
- Review your consumption after one week. In the settings, view battery and data usage by app and restrict any that are high.
- Check what the app asks for during installation. Compare the permissions with what it actually does. It's the quickest test of trustworthiness.
Traps that catch almost everyone
- Granting access to contacts, messages, or accessibility without a clear reason.
- Choosing based on average rating without reading recent negative reviews.
- Installing multiple applications that do the same thing, all running in the background.
- Ignore the fact that the free version limits exports or applies a watermark.
Before installing: what's already on the device
It's worth opening the search in your phone's settings before installing: Android and iPhone already have several built-in functions, and the native app usually consumes less battery and doesn't ask for any permissions beyond what's necessary.
The medical history that the veterinarian uses during the consultation.
No app diagnoses animals. The real value of a pet app lies elsewhere, and in a very concrete way: storing data over time.
During the consultation, the veterinarian asks how the animal has been eating, if it's drinking more water than before, and when its last vaccination was. Answering "I think so" is actually harming the animal. Showing records is helpful.
It's worth noting, with the date:
- Weight, always measured on the same scale and at the same time of day.
- Water and feed consumption, at least approximately and consistently.
- Frequency of urination and bowel movements, and any change in appearance.
- Vaccination, deworming, and flea and tick treatment dates, along with the name of each treatment administered.
- Record the schedule for each prescribed medication, noting what was given and what was forgotten.
- Photos of skin lesions, wounds, or lumps, always taken with the same lighting, to compare their evolution.
Dated photos are very valuable. The statement "The stain has grown" is debatable; two images taken fifteen days apart show what happened.
When you can't wait for a scheduled appointment.
There are situations where no registration or app is helpful, because the only solution is to leave the house. These are cases where you need to seek emergency veterinary care immediately.
- Difficulty breathing, unusually short breath, or pale or bluish gums.
- Seizure, fainting, or loss of consciousness.
- A distended abdomen in a large breed dog, further complicated by attempts to vomit without any prolapse.
- Bleeding that won't stop, trauma from being hit by a car or falling.
- Ingestion of poison, human medication, or an object such as a toy, cooked bone, or string.
- A male cat that goes to the litter box repeatedly, tries to urinate but is unable to.
- Sudden prostration, an animal that does not get up and does not respond to being called.
In these cases, time matters more than searching on your phone. Having saved the phone number of a clinic that operates overnight beforehand saves minutes.
Veterinary telemedicine has its own rules.
In Brazil, remote veterinary care is regulated by the Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine.
The point that interests the tutor is this: remote consultation does not replace an in-person examination to make a diagnosis. Palpating the abdomen, listening to the heart, looking at the mouth, and measuring temperature cannot be done via video.
The most honest use of the resource is for follow-up: to clarify doubts about an ongoing treatment, to show the evolution of a wound that has already been evaluated, to decide if the case requires a transfer now.
A service that promises diagnosis via photo, without an in-person examination, promises what it cannot deliver.
The three ways to identify the animal
Each one solves a different problem, and it's common for the tutor to think that one covers the role of the others.
Microchip
It's a permanent implant, the size of a grain of rice, applied under the skin. It has no battery and doesn't emit a signal. It can only be read when someone uses a specific reader, which usually happens at veterinary clinics, NGOs, or animal control centers. It solves the problem of proof of ownership and reuniting the animal when it arrives at one of these places, but it doesn't help at all in an immediate search on the street. The registration needs to have an updated phone number; otherwise, the number recorded on the chip won't lead to anyone.
Tag on the collar
It's the cheapest option and the one that best solves the common problem: a neighbor finds their pet on the sidewalk and wants to return it. A tag with the pet's name and phone number, or a QR code that opens a contact page, works without a reader, battery, or app. The limitation is obvious: the collar falls off and the tag wears out over time.
GPS collar tracker
It's the only one that shows real-time location, and the one that requires the most maintenance. It depends on a charged battery, a mobile network signal in the area, and, in several models, a monthly subscription for the service to work. Without a battery, it becomes just for show. It's useful as an extra layer, never as a replacement for the microchip and the circuit board.
Home camera and its behavior when not in use.
A regular camera pointed into the room answers a question that the owner can't answer on their own: what does the animal do when left alone?.
Recordings often reveal patterns that go unnoticed, such as continuous barking or crying soon after leaving, destruction of furniture and doors, attempts to escape, walking in circles along the same path, or remaining still behind the door for hours.
This material alone does not provide a definitive conclusion, but it gives the veterinarian better information than a memory-based account.
Cameras inside homes also film people. Those who share the property or have domestic employees need to inform the homeowner.
Food, weight, and the routine that prevents forgetfulness.
Generic feed quantity tables are frequently wrong because they treat different animals as if they were the same.
The appropriate amount varies depending on weight, age, whether the animal is neutered or not, activity level, and the caloric density of that specific product.
The veterinarian, with the animal present, determines this. The app is used to record what was agreed upon and to track the animal's weight over the months.
For routine tasks, the most reliable tool is usually the simplest: a recurring reminder in your phone's calendar, one for each task, repeating monthly or annually as needed. Vaccinations, deworming, flea and tick treatments, and follow-up appointments therefore don't depend on any app continuing to exist next year.
