Patient Condition and History
Mya is a 14-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat, weighing 13 lb, kept exclusively indoors. She had no previously known medical problems. Her owner, Carol Pipher—a veterinary technician at Southern Tier Veterinary Associates in Vestal, NY—began using a PetPace collar on Mya as part of routine health screening and monitoring.
Monitoring Data and Medical Exam
The PetPace collar recorded physiologic values that alerted Carol to a potential problem. Mya’s heart rate was consistently elevated (average 182 bpm; maximum 231 bpm; minimum 130 bpm) and her heart rate variability was low (VVTI 8.2). Concerned by these abnormal trends, Carol brought Mya to the clinic for a professional evaluation.
On physical examination Mya appeared clinically normal, but bloodwork revealed marked elevation of thyroid hormone (T4 = 12.4 µg/dL; reference range 0.8–4.7 µg/dL) and a slightly high red blood cell count (RBC = 11.6 x10^6/µL; reference range 7.12–11.4 x10^6/µL). These laboratory findings are commonly associated with hyperthyroidism in cats, even when outward signs are subtle or absent.
Mya was started on oral medical therapy to control her thyroid hormone levels. After three months of treatment, a 24-hour follow-up recording from the PetPace collar demonstrated clear improvement across monitored metrics: average heart rate fell by roughly 20% (average 141 bpm; max 208 bpm; min 103 bpm), while heart rate variability increased by about 13% (VVTI 9.3). These changes paralleled the reduction in circulating thyroid hormone, indicating a positive clinical response to therapy.
Discussion
Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrine disorder in older cats caused by excess production of thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland in the neck. Thyroid hormones influence metabolism and many body systems, so the disease can affect multiple organs and present with a wide range of clinical signs. Because the condition often progresses slowly and subtly, many cats are not diagnosed until weight loss, behavioral changes, or organ dysfunction become apparent. Early detection is therefore important to prevent complications and to simplify treatment.
In this case, continuous physiologic monitoring with the PetPace smart collar provided a noninvasive early signal of a problem through abnormal heart rate and reduced heart rate variability. Those alerts prompted a timely veterinary examination and diagnostic testing that confirmed occult hyperthyroidism before advanced complications developed. Because Mya was diagnosed and treated early, she responded well to medical management with measurable improvements in both laboratory values and wearable-monitoring parameters.
Heart rate variability (measured here as VVTI) is a useful trend parameter: lower HRV often accompanies physiologic stress, pain, or systemic disease, while improvements in HRV can reflect recovery or better-controlled disease. In Mya’s situation the increased VVTI after treatment supported the clinical impression that her metabolic state had improved.
Conclusions
The PetPace collar can detect non-specific but meaningful changes in an individual pet’s physiologic trends, providing owners and veterinarians with an early warning when something may be wrong. In pets with slowly progressive chronic conditions—such as hyperthyroidism—these early signals may prompt timely diagnostic evaluation and treatment before more serious complications occur.
Dr. Cari Bowlin, Medical Director at Southern Tier Veterinary Associates, commented: “The data provided by the PetPace collar was what prompted us to thoroughly examine a presumably healthy cat. It enabled a timely diagnosis of a serious disease and turned my staff into believers in this innovative technology.”
Dr. Asaf Dagan, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Canine and Feline Practice), and PetPace’s Chief Veterinarian, added: “The PetPace collar enables clinics to run routine periodic screening of their clients, for example as part of an annual work-up. This can be invaluable in early detection of chronic diseases and—as exemplified in this case—can dramatically improve pet health.”