6 Must-Have Pet-Health Accessories for Cats and Dogs
Photo by Outward Hound
As pet parents, we do everything in our power to keep our fur children healthy, happy and comfortable. And with the advances in product development and technology, a wide range of pet health accessories is now available to help us do just that.
From smart dog collars that track various metrics to kitty litter that changes color if it detects something wrong with your cat’s urine (yes, really!), these products can make a real difference in monitoring, maintaining and elevating your pet’s health.
What Are Pet Health Accessories?
Simply put, they’re products designed to support the health and well-being of cats, dogs and other pets.
And seeing that, as a recent Chewy survey found, 71 percent of pet parents said they regularly put their pet’s needs before their own, demand for such products continues to grow.
The trend of pet health accessories is not only good news for you and your pets, but it’s also a positive development for the pet industry as a whole. As more pet parents invest in these products, it drives innovation and encourages companies to continue developing new and improved accessories to meet the market’s demands.
6 Pet Health Accessories To Know About
1. Pet Anxiety Beds
Chewy Studios
Just like humans, dogs and cats can experience anxiety.
- In dogs, anxiety can manifest as drooling, panting, urinating or defecating in the house, destructive behavior, excessive barking, depression, pacing or compulsive behaviors.
- In cats, anxiety might look like hiding, pacing, mood changes, aggressive behavior, appetite changes or excessive meowing. Pet anxiety beds, or calming beds, can help.
The benefits of pet anxiety beds include:
- Providing a sense of security for pets with anxiety: “Pet anxiety beds are designed to provide a sense of security and comfort to pets that experience anxiety or stress,” says Dr. Patrik Holmboe, DVM, and head veterinarian for Cooper Pet Care in Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands.
- Providing a retreat, a safe space for pets with phobias and fears: “These beds can be especially helpful for pets with separation anxiety or noise phobias, and can provide a safe and comfortable space for them to retreat to during times of stress,” says Dr. Holmboe.
How pet anxiety beds work: Most pet anxiety beds share a similar design, including a soft faux-fur exterior, plush filling and a donut shape with bolstered sides. These features are meant to appeal to an animal’s senses, providing them with comfort and security:
- The soft faux-fur texture is reminiscent of their mother and littermates.
- The plush filling offers the perfect place to burrow and snuggle.
- The round donut shape hugs your dog or cat as they curl up for a nap.
- The bolstered sides offer a sense of protection from the outside world.
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2. Slow Feeder Bowls
Chewy Studios
Many cats and dogs have a tendency to gobble down their food as if it’s their last meal. This can lead to various health problems such as choking, vomiting, bloating and digestive issues.
Slow feeder bowls are an easy solution to this problem, as they help slow down your pet’s eating. How?
“Slow feeder bowls usually have small pegs or spokes at the bottom of the bowl to prevent pets from taking large mouthfuls of food at a time,” explains Dr. Kim DiMaio, VMD, owner and founder of MainStreetVet.net in southeastern Pennsylvania.
The other benefits of slow feeder bowls include:
- Providing enrichment: For high-energy pets, eating quickly at mealtime can also be a missed opportunity for enrichment. The challenge of getting the food out of the nooks and crannies adds an element of interest to the feeding process. “Pets who get enough environmental enrichment often exhibit less destructive or anxious behaviors, which is great not only for their physical but also their mental health,” says Dr. DiMaio.
- Helping reduce the risk of obesity: Pets who eat too fast will often look for more food immediately, leading many pet parents to overfeed their pets, adds Dr. DiMaio.
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3. Elevated Bowls
IRIS
Elevated pet bowls are feeding bowls that are raised off the ground, typically on a stand or platform.
Elevated bowls can help improve the comfort and posture of pets while they’re eating or drinking. This can…
- Reduce strain on the neck and back
- Relieve joint pain
- Promote better digestion
By providing a more accessible feeding solution, elevated pet bowls can also…
- Help improve your pet’s quality of life
- Make mealtime a more enjoyable experience
Who benefits: Elevated pet bowls are particularly useful for pets who struggle with bending down to reach their bowls, including senior pets and those with mobility issues.
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4. Smart Collars
Whistle
Smart collars are wearable devices that use technology to track various metrics and provide pet parents with valuable information about their dog or cat’s health and behavior.
These collars, like the Whistle Switch Smart Collar, use sensors to monitor things such as health, activity levels and location and then transmit the data to a companion app that pet parents can access from anywhere. Think FitBit or Oura Ring, but for pets!
The other benefits of smart collars include:
- They monitor track behavioral changes: Some models even track behavioral changes, such as excessive licking and scratching.
- They can detect potential health issues: “[Pet parents] can use the data provided by smart collars to monitor their dog’s health, set goals for exercise and activity, and even detect potential health issues before they become serious,” says Dr. Holmboe.
5. Smart Cat Litter
PrettyLitter
One of the biggest challenges of pet parenthood is the inability of animals to tell us when they’re feeling unwell. Cats, in particular, tend to hide their pain and discomfort, a behavior that stems from their evolutionary past as wild animals, where signs of illness or injury would make them vulnerable to attack from predators.
This is where smart cat litter such as PrettyLitter comes in: It’s a cat litter that offers a unique solution to help monitor your feline’s health.
Dubbed “the world’s smartest cat litter,” PrettyLitter’s silica gel crystals change color based on the pH level of your cat’s urine, providing cat parents with an early warning sign of potential health problems.
- Normal pH urine will turn the crystals yellow or olive green.
- A high pH will turn the crystals blue and may indicate a urinary tract infection (UTI).
- A low pH will turn the crystals dark orange and may indicate metabolic acidosis or kidney tubular acidosis, which can lead to kidney stones.
- If there is blood in the urine, the crystals will turn red, which could indicate bladder inflammation, bladder stones or a UTI.
6. Electronic Toys
iFetch
Electronic toys for cats and dogs are interactive toys that use technology to provide stimulation and entertainment for pets. These toys come in a variety of forms, including automatic ball launchers, interactive treat dispensers and motorized wand toys.
The other benefits of electronic toys for pets include:
- Providing mental stimulation and reduce boredom, especially for pets who don’t typically get enough playtime during the day.
- Reducing anxiety and preventing destructive behaviors, like chewing and scratching, by providing a positive outlet for energy and play.
- Improving physical activity levels, as many electronic toys encourage pets to chase, pounce or jump. This can help promote healthy weight, increase muscle tone and improve overall health.
To ensure your pet’s safety, they should be supervised while playing with electronic toys, says Dr. Holmboe, but this doesn’t mean you have to hover over them. You can switch on an electronic toy while you’re working from home, doing chores or watching TV—as long as your fur child is in sight.
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These pet health accessories are just a sampling of the innovative products on the market. To discover other wellness-supporting accessories, check out our favorite pet tech products and these boredom-busting puzzle toys for pets.
Whether you opt for a smart collar, an anxiety bed, a slow feeder bowl or all of them, you’re sure to see a tail-wagging, purr-inducing difference in no time!
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