By Sensors Staff Sep 16, 2016 01:00am
September is recognized as Animal Pain Awareness Month, a campaign aimed at helping pet owners and veterinary professionals better identify and respond to signs of pain in animals. The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management began designating September for this purpose in 2015 to raise awareness about acute and chronic pain, encourage recognition of animal discomfort, and prompt owners to seek timely veterinary care. For pet parents, awareness and early intervention are key to protecting a pet’s quality of life.
Detecting pain in dogs and cats can be challenging because many animals hide their discomfort. Subtle changes in behavior — reduced activity, altered posture, diminished appetite, reluctance to jump, and shifts in grooming habits — may signal injury, aging, or illness. Because these signs can be hard to notice in everyday life, technology is increasingly being used to help owners and veterinarians monitor a pet’s health continuously and objectively. One such tool is the PetPace smart collar, designed to non-invasively track a range of vital signs and activity patterns in dogs and cats.
PetPace was developed by veterinarians and animal lovers who wanted an accessible way to spot emerging health problems and to keep closer tabs on pets with chronic conditions. The smart collar continuously records physiological and behavioral data so owners can see trends and receive alerts if something changes. Key metrics monitored by the device include body temperature, pulse and heart rate, respiration rate, heart rate variability (HRV), general activity, posture and calorie expenditure. When any of these parameters deviate from established norms, the system can send a notification to the owner’s smartphone, enabling quicker responses to potential emergencies or gradual declines.
“More times than not, pet owners are unaware of illness and pain that their pet may be experiencing. If health issues aren’t identified quickly, it can not only affect their pet’s quality of life, but also limit treatment options,” said Dr. Ira Zaslow, a founding member of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care and founder of Lauderdale Veterinary Specialists. Smart collar technology like PetPace gives pet owners and veterinary professionals a better tool to understand pet health and make more informed decisions.
Beyond immediate alerts, the PetPace mobile application provides a detailed, user-friendly view of recorded data. Information is presented in clear graphs and timelines so owners can track patterns over days, weeks and months. This longitudinal perspective is particularly useful for older animals and those managing chronic illnesses, where gradual trends often indicate the need for a veterinary evaluation long before outward symptoms become obvious. According to a recent survey referenced by the company, four out of five veterinarians recommend using a health monitoring collar for older or sick pets.
For pet owners considering a smart collar, the benefits are practical: continuous monitoring reduces the risk of missed warning signs, objective data supports discussions with veterinarians, and trend analysis can help evaluate the effectiveness of treatments. The technology complements — but does not replace — regular veterinary checkups and professional diagnosis. If a collar’s alert indicates a concern, the appropriate next step is consultation with a veterinarian who can perform a clinical exam and recommend tests or interventions as needed.
Animal Pain Awareness Month is an opportune reminder to review how we care for companion animals and to use every available tool to safeguard their wellbeing. Monitoring devices such as smart collars are part of a broader approach that includes attentive daily observation, routine veterinary care, and prompt attention when something seems off. By combining informed owners, veterinary expertise, and supportive technology, it’s possible to detect pain earlier, expand treatment options, and improve outcomes for pets facing injury, illness or age-related decline.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure pets enjoy the best possible quality of life. Awareness, early detection and collaboration between pet owners and veterinarians are essential steps in preventing unnecessary suffering. Tools like the PetPace smart collar make it easier to notice changes that matter and to act on them before conditions worsen.