If there’s one thing us humans love just about as much as our pets, it’s our smartphones. When we’re not hanging out with one of these two things, we’re usually hanging out with the other.
And I mean, why not?
Both pets and smartphones are interactive and entertaining, especially when their entertainment values can be combined. What are we talking about? Smartphone apps designed especially for pet owners! There are hundreds of these types of apps available for all types of devices.
So, how do you decide what’s worth using and what’s not? Experimenting! Start with Puppy Love Pet Care Centre’s list of the best mobile apps for pet owners. Whether you’re looking for the best walking trails, the ultimate dietary plan, or easier ways to diagnose your animal’s conditions, your smartphone has likely got all the answers, or at least can help steer you towards the right professionals.
Just think about all the useful apps out there that make humans happy, and likely there is an animal version out there. From recipe apps, to ways to meet new dogs, to fitness trackers, today’s dogs have got it made. With this in mind we’ve come up with a list of our favourite apps for dog owners.
Top Apps for Improving Fido’s Fitness & Diet
MapMyDogWalk, available for Android and iOS , is a fitness tracker spinoff of MapMyFitness. Use it to map and log your dog walks as it tracks things like distance, duration, and speed. If you’re used to taking your dog on the same route all the time, this app will help you want to change things up a bit!
SlimDoggy for the iPhone is being hailed as the RunKeeper for dogs. This app is ideal for anyone who’s been told their dog could stand to lose a couple pounds. Simply create a profile for your pet and start logging their food intake and activities, including walks or play time. Especially helpful is SlimDoggy’s database of more than 3,000 brand-name foods. Built-in activity tracker included.
Walk for a Dog, available for Android and iOS, made many headlines when it was released. Not just another dog walk tracker, this one makes a donation to an animal shelter of your choice every time you’ve completed a dog walk.
Top Apps for Seeking Medical Attention for Fido
Pet Coach, available for Android and iOS, connects dog owners with other dog owners, creating a huge community of pet health advice and tips in special forums. Input comes from qualified veterinarians and experts. Post your questions for free, or arrange for a paid consultation. Pet Coach isn’t just reserved for dog owners—exotic pets are extensively covered as well. This is not an app to pass over.
Pup Tox, available for Android and iOS, is a simple, categorized listing of about 250 things the Internet says may be toxic to dogs and cats. Use it to confirm urban myths! Its interface isn’t highly decorated, but the information is all there. The creators say you’ll never have to worry if those flowers you are buying for your garden can hurt Fluffy or if the leftovers from dinner are safe for Rover. PupTox has the answer.
PetMD Symptom Checker, available for Android and iOS, is the popular medical reference website in app form. Use it to easily search from more than 2,000 dog and cat health-related articles, which you find by entering in the symptoms your pet is experiencing. The handy checklist encourages you to think beyond the visual symptoms.
Dog Health for Android is a highly rated app that allows you to easily track all things related to the health of your pet. Think of it like a virtual medical file, inviting you to track veterinarian appointments, immunization schedules, prescription information, and dietary needs. More than one pet at home? No problem, Dog Health can track multiple pets. iPetCare and Pet Phone are similar apps that have been quite popular among iPhone users.
PetTech PetSaver for Android and iOS is a premiere reference and educational tool for all pet lovers. Easily follow step-by-step instructions for carrying out first aid on your dogs and cats. While we hope you’re never in these situations, the CPR & First Aid Section of PetSaver provides information on 12 medical emergencies, including CPR, heat and cold injuries, choking, snake bite, shock, bleeding protocols, and more.
Top Apps for Meeting New Animals
BarkHappy, available for Android and iOS, is a sleek, new social media app for dog owners, which we hope makes its way to Victoria soon! It provides a way for you to meet up with other nearby dog lovers and discover dog-friendly establishments where you live.
Petsie Dog Breeds for Android or Perfect Dog Free: Ultimate Breed Guide to Dogs for iPhone are two cool apps that help you identify what breed of dog you’ve come across. The content for Petsie is based on the Petsie website, a social network site where enthusiastic pet owners post pet profiles and share their pictures. We could spend all day on these apps!
BarkBuddy, available for Android and iOS, allows you to find suitable dogs to adopt using the swipe-right, swipe-left formula that has been made popular by the online dating app, Tinder. The app automatically detects your location to show you dogs you could realistically adopt. Profiles offer complete write-ups as well, helping you get to know who you’re viewing. Whether you’re open to more pets or not, this one is a tad addictive!
Top App for Travelling with Animals
BringFido is the app to get on iOS if boarding your animal at a kennel is not an option and you need to bring your pet with you on your next vacation. This app helps you look for pet-friendly hotels, attractions, restaurants, parks, trails, and beaches. The info is based on BringFido.com, one of the world’s leading pet travel websites.
DogFriendly.com for Android is an alternative to BringFido, and is essentially an app version of the popular website that has been established since 1998.
Dog Vacay, available for Android and iOS is a great app to use when your local boarding kennel is unexpectedly full. It will hook you up with potential dog sitters in your area. Don’t forget to do your due diligence and research each sitter before making a selection.
Kuddly Pet Care 24/7 for Android and iOS is your on-the-go veterinarian service. Use it to connect with licensed veterinarians around the world. You can search for vets by price and language, and your identity remains anonymous. No pet insurance required.
Top Apps for Tracking Your Pets
Whistle for Android and iOS allows you to use a GPS-tracking device on your pet. It works in conjunction with the small tracker that can be picked up at the pet store. Once you’re home, the Whistle app tracks your pet’s movements. It will alert you if your dog ever strays outside of your designated set-points. Similar apps that do this include Tractive GPS Pet Finder, Dog Tracker Plus, and iPet Tracker.
Honourable Mentions
As you can see, there are many smartphone apps out there that are perfect for pet owners. Here are just a few more honourable mentions:
iCam – See what your pet is up to when you’re not around.
Dog Training – Discover tips and tricks for training your new dog successfully.
Dog Whistle – Generate audio frequencies only your dog can hear. Too many useful applications to list.
My Talking Pet – Take pictures of your pets, then make those pics talk. Their lips will move, mimicking whatever you say or sing into the microphone. Perfect for sending electronic greeting cards.
Instagram – If all you want to do is look at pictures of dogs and cats, head to Instagram and search #dogsofinstagram and #catsofinstagram. At the time of this post, more than 42 million pictures of dogs were tagged, and 33 million pictures of cats were tagged. That’s a whole lot of pet love right there!
These apps, as chosen by the staff at the Puppy Love Pet Care Centre, are all pretty handy, but don’t forget to spend as much time with your pets as with your phones!
Have your own favourite pet-friendly mobile apps? Add them in the comments below, or let our team at the Puppy Love Pet Care Centre know the next time we see you.
We are located at 2918 Lamont Road in Victoria, British Columbia. Stop by any time to view our facilities and our lovely animals!