YOUR dog can鈥檛 tell you when it鈥檚 sick, but maybe this gadget can. A smart collar studded with wireless sensors can now monitor the vital signs of man鈥檚 best friend and alert the owner as soon as it starts feeling under the weather.
The device, developed by PetPace in Burlington, Massachusetts, keeps track of temperature, pulse and respiration, as well as activity patterns and the number of calories burned. While the dog plays, eats and sleeps, software compares this information with other breed-specific data. If an animal鈥檚 statistics deviate in a way that indicates a possible problem, an alert is sent to the owner鈥檚 smartphone and to the vet.
Many pets instinctively hide their symptoms when they are sick, so the collar could help detect health issues early on, says Asaf Dagan, chief veterinary scientist at PetPace. The smart collar ensures that 鈥測our pet鈥檚 disease, pain or discomfort will not go unnoticed鈥�, he says.
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Because the device works in real time, vets have more information on which to base their diagnoses. They can also keep track of how the animal responds to treatment, Dagan says.
The collar costs $150 plus $15 per month for the monitoring service.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淪mart collar brings poorly pooches to heal鈥�
