PetKeen Review of PetPace // December 7, 2023
Have you ever wondered what’s happening inside your dog’s body—are they comfortable and healthy, or quietly in pain? The PetPace smart collar is designed to answer those questions and give owners a far clearer picture of their pet’s health.
Think of PetPace as a Fitbit built for dogs and cats. The collar collects thousands of data points daily, tracking seven vital signs while applying AI-driven analysis to produce actionable insights. It also includes GPS and activity tracking so you can monitor movement and locate your pet if they wander.
The real value lies in long-term data: PetPace compares your pet’s readings to a large database of similar animals by age, breed, and sex. Over time this comparison can reveal trends and changes that indicate pain, illness, or declining wellness.
PetPace can provide alerts for sudden shifts in vitals, generate wellness and sleep scores, and estimate pain levels so you know when veterinary attention is needed. I tested the collar on my older dog, Ragz, who has joint stiffness, to see what it could reveal about her internal condition.
Continue reading for a full, hands-on review of PetPace after two weeks of use, and what this technology can offer pet owners seeking better health monitoring.
About PetPace
PetPace was created by a team of veterinarians, IoT specialists, engineers, data scientists, and pet owners. Drawing on advances in human wearable technology and over a decade of veterinary input, the company built a sophisticated pet health tracker. The company is based in Burlington, Massachusetts.
What Does PetPace Measure?
The PetPace collar continuously collects seven vital metrics:
- Heart rate
- Temperature
- Respiration rate
- Heart rate variability (HRV)
- Activity
- Sleep
- Posture
AI processes these measurements to produce summaries about overall health, pain, and wellness. By comparing your pet’s readings with aggregated data from similar animals, PetPace can flag abnormalities that may indicate disease, stress, or injury. The company documents case studies where the collar has detected issues—such as changes during recovery from injury or previously undiagnosed cardiac problems—allowing owners and veterinarians to intervene earlier.
The collar also includes GPS functionality for movement and location tracking. Some safety features, like customizable home boundaries and push notifications for escapes, are still being refined and rolled out across the system.
Which Pets Is PetPace Best Suited For?
PetPace currently fits small, medium, and large dogs; support for extra-small sizes and additional species (including cats) is under development. The collar is especially valuable for:
- Senior dogs that need close monitoring
- Pets recovering from surgery or illness
- High-risk breeds with predispositions to certain conditions
For owners of at-risk or older pets, continuous objective data can reveal issues that might otherwise go unnoticed until they worsen.
Overview
Below is an overview of the collar’s hardware, connectivity, battery behavior, app experience, warranty, and pricing.
Collar
The sensor sits centered on the pet’s neck and the collar should be worn slightly snug—enough to allow two fingers beneath the band for comfort and accurate readings. The band is nylon with a rubber-covered sensor module. The rubber section contains cone-like features that act as acoustic sensors, not stabilizers. The collar assembly is water-resistant and robust, with a clip-style buckle and adjustable tabs for fit.
Connectivity
PetPace uses Wi‑Fi for setup and primary data upload, falling back to cellular when Wi‑Fi isn’t available—such as during walks. During my test period I received a handful of “lost connection” messages, but the device generally reconnected automatically without intervention.
Battery
Battery life varies by mode and activity level. PetPace estimates a range from two days to six weeks depending on settings. In my experience, with the collar set to a standard transfer interval (~15 minutes), battery life fell short of expectations: the longest run was six days and the shortest was about 27 hours. This could reflect a unit-specific issue, and other users may see different longevity. If you rely on continuous monitoring, expect to check charging status regularly.
Phone App
The mobile app organizes a lot of data into accessible dashboards. Setup was straightforward: I created a profile for Ragz, uploaded a photo, and after a brief warm-up period I began receiving readings. The home screen displays current vitals and qualitative scores for each tracked area, while analytics pages show averages and comparisons to similar pets. Alert thresholds for temperature, heart rate, and other metrics are configurable in settings.
Some advanced insights—comprehensive health profiles, wellness scores, and pain assessments—require multiple weeks to months of collected data to become meaningful. The app can take a moment to load pages and graphs due to the depth of analytics it provides.
Warranty
Each PetPace collar includes a one-year limited warranty covering manufacturing defects.
Pricing
The device itself is approximately $300. Access to the full analytics platform requires a subscription: a one-year plan is around $150, with longer multi-year options offering discounts.
In Summary
Key Features
Smart Data Analysis
PetPace applies AI to multiple streams of sensor data to generate clear, actionable health insights—similar to how human health platforms summarize biometric trends. Owners get real-time metrics plus easy-to-understand summaries that can inform care decisions or prompt veterinary evaluation.
Measures Multiple Vital Stats
Electronic, thermal, acoustic, and motion sensors combine to track cardiac function, activity, mobility, sleep, and posture. By evaluating seven vitals, PetPace can detect behavior and physiologic changes that point to pain, illness, or recovery progress. The app provides current readings, historical averages, and visual graphs for trend analysis.
Globally Connected
PetPace leverages aggregate user data and research archives to compare an individual pet against peers of similar age and breed. With owner permission, veterinarians can access a pet’s PetPace history to support diagnosis and post-treatment monitoring.
Is PetPace a Good Value?
The collar and subscription represent a meaningful investment. For owners who prioritize proactive health monitoring—especially for seniors, post-operative patients, or breeds with known risks—the cost is justifiable. Even for otherwise healthy dogs, the peace of mind from continuous, objective data can be worthwhile.
FAQ
Is PetPace safe?
Yes. PetPace complies with relevant radio frequency and electromagnetic emissions standards. Its emissions are lower than those of a typical smartphone.
When can I expect to see data?
Basic real-time vitals begin appearing shortly after setup. More robust metrics—such as health, wellness, and pain scores—require weeks to months of continuous data collection. Expect the full suite of insights to become available within roughly 12 weeks.
Is PetPace V2.0 different from V1.0?
The current model, V2.0, includes improved sensors, updated AI algorithms, enhanced connectivity, and GPS capabilities compared to the original unit.
Our Experience With PetPace
I tested PetPace with my nearly 13-year-old Dalmatian mix, Ragz. As she has aged, her mobility and energy have declined, so I wanted objective measures of pain, activity, and cardiovascular response.
Setup was easy and within days I was seeing real-time vitals and running averages. After two weeks I had enough data to unlock initial activity and workout metrics; full health and pain scores require more time. Even early results revealed that Ragz shows signs of greater stiffness and discomfort than I expected, and her posture score confirmed increased pain-related behavior. I also noticed that it takes relatively little exertion to raise her heart rate, which fits her breed mix.
One highly valuable feature for me is heart rate alerts. Ragz has a history of anaphylactic reaction, and rapid heart rate changes would trigger immediate notifications to my phone—providing crucial early warning if she were to enter shock away from my sight.
However, there were a few drawbacks. The GPS tracking was inconsistent for my walks and occasionally showed inaccurate indoor locations; the company continues to refine these features. App pages can take a moment to load due to the volume of analytics. Battery life on my unit was shorter than advertised and low-battery alerts arrived only briefly before shutdown. These issues may vary by device and firmware updates.
Overall, despite some quirks, PetPace delivered meaningful insights during the short trial period and seems likely to become even more valuable as more data accumulates.
Conclusion
If you worry about what your pet isn’t telling you, the PetPace collar can bridge that gap. Using multiple sensors, AI analysis, and an expanding research database, it tracks seven vital stats and translates them into clear health indicators. For owners of aging, recovering, or high-risk pets, PetPace is a powerful tool that can prompt earlier intervention and provide reassurance through objective monitoring. After two weeks with Ragz, I’m already seeing benefits and expect that the device will become more informative as it collects more data.
Written By: Sara Seitz, PetKeen
Sara Seitz is a professional freelance writer with extensive experience in the pet industry. She is a certified dog trainer with a Bachelor of Science in Biology focused on animal behavior. Sara managed a successful dog daycare and boarding facility, and she is passionate about pet nutrition and practical products that improve animal care. Her household includes Ragz the Dalmatian mix, Papyrus the Chihuahua, Mickey the red-bellied parrot, and a rotating roster of foster animals.