Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Pet Healthcare?

How can AI help pets? This question is an open one since the answers are still being discovered. That said, it’s already being used in several helpful ways. For example, AI can automate animal health data processing and be used in veterinary science for predictive healthcare. AI has great potential in sustainable pet ownership too.

To find out more about how AI is being used (and how it may be used in the future), PD Insurance spoke to Sarah Brittain, Vice Chair of Companion Animals NZ. She also shares blockchain and sustainability insights around pet ownership.

Meet Sarah and her Spoodle, Orla

Sarah, who’s previously been a proud pet parent to a multi-pet family comprising lots of pets, is currently only mum to one pup – a Spoodle named Orla. (Who tries joining our call). Despite being a grand old dame of 12 years old, Orla reliably still behaves like a young pup, full of beans.

“She’s more senior in years but still looks and acts like quite a young dog. She still keeps me on my toes.”

Sarah is an early adopter of pet technology and AI. She’s used wearable dog devices to track her own pets’ behaviour/vitals and integrated this approach in her work as well.

AI helps pets through predictive care insights

Even in the early stages of AI technology, pet trackers and other wearable devices could measure pet data and feed into healthcare decisions.

“Many wearable devices now do more than just gathering data and spitting out results”, says Sarah. Wearable devices often now come with expert inbuilt AI. This AI can help pets not just by gathering and reading data but also by providing predictive health outcomes.

“By tracking specific patterns, AI is able to predict health and behavioural outcomes for pets. For example, by showing how a certain pattern is likelier to be symptomatic of a certain condition.”

As Sarah says, “A wearable device can track the movement and behaviour of an animal. This provides feedback on whether a pet is scratching more than normal, has been sleeping more than normal or has temperatures rise. I found this helpful in tracking my dog patients’ physical therapy rehabilitation following surgery for degenerative injuries.”

AI can help pets by aiding early intervention

Predictive health insights can help owners and vets take an early intervention approach to pet care. For instance, if you are aware of the likelihood of a certain health condition affecting your dog or cat, you can make lifestyle changes that mitigate risk and/or create well thought out management plans.

Predictive health data and early intervention has several benefits to pets, vets and owners.

Here are some, to name a few:

AI can spot health indicators that humans may miss

Using AI to monitor pets helps us be much more aware of certain risk factors. This is because AI is sensitive to things we can’t pick up with the naked eye. It’s often also able to identify aspects of pet health and behaviour we’re just too busy to recognise. This is just one of the many ways AI can help pets with better health outcomes.

AI can automate data processing and predict results in animal health care

Using AI to read massive amounts of animal health data, such as blood samples, leads to predictions that allow for faster response times than traditional medical science. For example, a large range of blood samples from dogs or cats can be cross-examined and measured alongside any existing health conditions in those animals.

Predictive AI health data can protect, mitigate and avert health issues

AI can read this data from pets and provide predictive outcomes that help animals get treated sooner. Often, health conditions don’t develop further if they’re nipped in the bud. They can sometimes be averted altogether if signs are available in advance. This means AI can help pets lead longer, healthier lives.

AI health insights and early intervention can reduce health costs

Not only can early intervention improve and protect pet health but it can also sometimes reduce the treatment bills. Preventative treatment and early intervention management tends to be more affordable than trying to fix a problem once it progresses.

Blockchain can provide more transparency

While Sarah admits she’s no blockchain expert, she advocates for the way this type of network of transactions brings greater transparency than other networks.

Like AI, blockchain has great potential to help pets and their people in several ways:

Owners and pet professionals can be better informed

“The lack of transparency in many practices is, I think, a worldwide problem,” says Sarah. She adds, “Many practices are done under the hood and aren’t necessarily ethical, or transparent. I think blockchain offers opportunities to bring around verification of ethical practices in pet care.”

Pet supply chains can become more transparent

Blockchain allows access to more information to the user. This can in turn inform better choices on where pets are sourced, where pet food is sourced, who is actioning ethical breeding practices and records of pet ownership history.

Blockchain is a network that gives you full transparency over data that directly affects you. For example, you’ll know everything about the supply chain involved in your pet’s food and be able to choose the right one more confidently.

Empowering decision making in pet care

This offers up a world of possibility in terms of sustainability because pet owners will know where pet food products are from. They’ll know where ingredients in those products are from. This allows for good decision making. Whereas at the moment, pet food regulations and ingredients are often shrouded in mystery.

From an ethical perspective, this could be a really helpful technology. It was originally used for crypto currency because people really need to protect their money. This means it's very secure and it is very traceable. As a result, there are a lot of adjacent applications for blockchain to be explored in.

AI in animal data and veterinary science

AI is already being used to collect and read animal health data and in veterinary science. Not only can it help vets collect, read and asses biological pet health data more effectively but this also means animals can receive better treatment, sooner rather than later.

Vet burnout is a factor affecting much of the veterinary profession. Having tools that can reduce workload while effectively assisting these essential medical professionals in their duties could potentially reduce some of that stress.

PD Insurance spoke to Bronwyn McRae, Chief Health Officer at Royal Canin, about vet burnout. In our interview she shares, “There’s a lot of research into the challenges faced by the veterinary profession at the moment. Pet owner expectations is clearly the major source of stress in a vet clinic. On top of that the profession requires long hours and a high workload.”

Speaking on the topic of AI in animal health data and veterinary science, she says, “The vet industry is starting to incorporate artificial intelligence into our veterinary diagnostic tools. For example, there’s a microscope that can use AI to scan and interpret a sample slide.”

AI and people need to copilot pet care

Sarah emphasises the potential value in using AI to help with predictive pet care and early intervention. She’s concerned that incremental change may not be enough to achieve the tipping point that’s needed right now in sustainable pet ownership.

She’s both a believer and an advocate of the potential for AI to be a gamechanger in this space.

“I think we need disruptive innovation for humans and for our pets. We need to invest in these kind of unicorn innovations that can bring about radical change really quickly. If we solve the sustainability problem for humans, we will solve it for pets too.”

“Right now we don’t have a perfect circular economy or zero waste economy. But I think if we have that intention and we’re always striving towards that, then we will solve the sustainability problems.”

At the same time, we must be careful not to have overreliance on AI. As with any useful technology, it needs good piloting to be most effective. Sarah says, “Technology has a place but our instincts and what we see with the naked eye is a powerful tool too. It’s a case of being open to new technology but remaining balanced.

As pet owners or industry professionals we’ll still need to rely on our knowledge and instincts. They’re equally if not more valid than some AI technologies. It’s there to aid us but it certainly doesn’t replace us.”

Challenges to sustainable pet ownership

One of the biggest issues in sustainable pet ownership is volume, says Sarah. The human population is growing and with it so is our pet population. This means more environmental impact from our and their carbon footprint in terms of food production and waste.

“The impact we’re having on the planet just through food production and use of resources for pets is great. Then there are environmental challenges around waste, not only from packaging but also the waste our pets produce.”

Sarah recently presented on sustainable pet ownership and how AI can help pets at the biennial Companion Animals NZ (CANZ) Conference, which was proudly sponsored by PD Insurance. Read more about sustainable dog food in New Zealand.

Industry and owner collaboration is needed

Importantly, Sarah points out that the use of AI to help pets stay healthy can’t happen in isolation. It takes a village to bring about any meaningful change.

It takes people from all walks of life and across different professions, including scientists, researchers and inventors to be involved. The people who understand the problems in sustainable pet ownership and pet health are well positioned to be early adopters of AI technology. Through early adoption and purpose driven research, the pet industry can use AI to push the boundaries of what is possible.

“AI and new technology in general don’t work in isolation. Only once it’s adopted by owners and by multiple professions across pet care, do the healthcare and diagnostics benefits reach their true potential.”

“We need early adopters to get onboard,” says Sarah. She explains that “whether they’re consumers or professionals and we need people who can fund the use of AI in pet care to help scale it. This has to be a community collaborative approach where we’re all bringing a different perspective and we’re all able to challenge each other.”

Digital first award winning pet insurance

As a digital first pet insurance provider, PD Insurance is committed to supporting responsible and sustainable pet ownership. That’s one reason we’re partnered with Healthy Pets NZ, Dogs New Zealand and the Department of Conservation’s Lead the Way programme.

We understand that cross-industry collaboration is a productive way to spread knowledge on sustainable pet ownership – and that knowledge is power!

We’re also inviting pet professionals to join our pet care programme. It’s a chance to get direct support for your business by referring your customers to our pet insurance products and earning partner rewards. Get in touch with us to find out more about how this partnership programme works.

Pet insurance cover that wins awards

As a digital innovator in pet insurance, we asked Sarah about her view on pet insurance. She explains that “with the cost of living going up and more people owning pets, not to mention all the new treatment options available, pet insurance is a great way to make sure you can always take care of your furry and feathered friends.”

“Just like we get health insurance for our family members, our pets are family too, and they deserve the same care and protection.”

“It gives you peace of mind knowing that you can provide the best care without worrying about unexpected expenses.”

While PD Insurance is a digital first pet insurance provider – providing customers with a personalised profile they can access 24/7 – we’re also a call away.

Pet parents can benefit from one or more months of FREE pet insurance when signing up for our online pet insurance. If you’d like to get your fur baby covered, click below to get a quote.