The global pet care market was worth over a quarter of a trillion dollars in 2023, largely driven by an increased number of people opting to welcome furry friends into their homes.
However, as any pet owner knows all too well, caring for an animal is not always smooth sailing. One of the most frustrating aspects is not knowing what to do when things go pear-shaped. This problem is compounded by the crippling shortage of available veterinary care and mounting pressure for vet clinics to increase their productivity.
That’s why most people turn to the internet before booking a vet’s appointment, only to be led down rabbit holes of websites and social media accounts explaining that their cat’s sudden bald patch is due to fleas, or maybe stress?
A new solution to this dilemma is Dosty, the pet care platform helping pet owners bridge knowledge gaps so they can show up as better carers for their furry friends. Let’s dive into the challenges of pet care and how technology is a driving force in resolving them.
The Challenge: Ignorance is Not Bliss
A surprising 30% of pet owners aren’t regularly bringing their pets to the vet due to misconceptions about their well-being. Vital information slipping through the cracks is one of the quickest ways to inadvertently harm your pet, so it’s crucial to keep a finger on the pulse—figuratively and literally.
A common example is diet. Obesity among pets is on the rise, but there’s an ongoing disparity between the prevalence of overweight animals and owners’ acknowledgment of the problem. Obesity among dogs has reached epidemic levels and this is largely because owners often fail to realize the extent of their pets’ weight issues.
Pet owners also need to have a stronger grasp on preventative healthcare, which means keeping a close eye on factors like diet quality, vaccine history, skin reactions and behavioral changes. It’s easy to understand why this quickly becomes overwhelming for so many owners and how they can overlook warning signs that snowball into dangerous outcomes later on.
One risk relating to the insufficient tracking of pet health is animal abandonment. Sadly, pets are abandoned due to disruptive behaviors their owners feel they can’t resolve. For instance, cats are popular pets because they’re perceived as low maintenance, but plenty are surrendered every year for behavioral reasons that are actually often prompted by stress from environmental or dietary factors. What if a lot of these could be resolved with the right awareness, attention and care?
The bottom line is that without awareness and sufficient guidance, owners aren’t able to show up for their animals, which can cause traumatic outcomes for people and pets alike.
Tap, Track, Treat
That’s why Dosty is propelling a proactive approach to pet care. Through a tailored user experience, users can access curated information about their pets based on the input details around their specific breed, diet, routine, and medical history. Additionally, users can interface with an AI-powered chatbot that can answer questions on-the-fly.
Specifically, Dosty offers targeted information in the form of expert-verified articles about healthcare and managing pets’ physical and psychological needs. The platform’s library allows owners to filter their reading around their pets’ individual characteristics, drawing upon proprietary AI to connect over 40 data points to provide tailored insights for every animal. This both bypasses getting into frantic internet searches when strange symptoms pop up, and better prepares people for routine vet checkups.
So when users log a symptom via the symptom checker, Dosty connects the user with the relevant information and best next steps. The symptom tracker is also a great recordkeeper to share with vets at checkups, keeping key data within easy reach. It also has a comprehensive vaccine tracker, easing a major pain point of pet care, especially when switching vet providers or juggling multiple pets.
Empowering Potential Owners
Dosty’s mission to drive awareness around pet care extends beyond existing pet owners. The platform’s team is also looking to educate potential owners on what to look out for before welcoming an animal into their family.
Let’s take a common problem a lot of prospective owners face: figuring out how to accommodate a new pet into their current living situation. Dosty’s app can notify individuals when a certain dog breed isn’t suited for indoor living, for example, offering advice on better alternatives to ensure their pet is safe and happy.
Dosty is also tackling wider problems around pet care by advocating ethical breeding practices. A devastating problem in breeding is poor ethics around transparency, where new owners aren’t fully informed of their pet’s medical history. Dosty is committed to educating potential pet owners about selecting reputable breeders to prevent unethical practices and ensure the well-being of animals.
Another way they’re confronting the challenges of unethical breeding is by promoting adoption. Beyond creating education campaigns around this topic, Dosty is looking to collaborate with shelters in a joint effort to facilitate more animal fostering, including by exploring opportunities allowing people to adopt from reputable shelters via their app. This would include pre-made Dosty accounts for the pets, complete with their medical history, behavioral insights, and care recommendations. Having that ready-made guidance from the get-go is key to facilitating a smooth transition for the pet and the new owner.
An informed pet owner is an empowered one. Knowing where to look for information is half the battle when implementing the best pet care, whether you’re a seasoned animal caregiver or looking to become one. Technology has a powerful role to play in bridging knowledge gaps so that pets can live their best lives, and this starts with accessible and personalized insights.
Disclosure: This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company.
