Upcoming Pet Trends to Watch in 2019
We all love to spoil our furry family members! Whether it’s a day at the doggie spa or delectable gourmet treats, the pet care industry has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. In fact, the American Pet Products Association estimates that consumers in the US spent over $72 million dollars on their pets in 2018. And, there’s no sign of that trend slowing down any time soon. The upcoming year promises to bring innovative products, new technologies, and advances in veterinary medicine. Here are the top pet trends to watch out for in 2019!
Smart Home Pet Devices
Convenience and technology are the name of the game these days, and 2019 is expected to bring the release of smart home devices just for our pets. Expect to see more things like GPS devices, automatic feeders, and smart home cameras. Items that provide peace of mind that our fur babies are safe, even when we’re not at home, will be a big trend this year.
Genetic Testing for Pets
We’ve already mentioned upcoming advances in veterinary medicine, and genetic testing for pets will be at the forefront of these game-changing technologies. Basically, your vet will be able to draw your pet’s blood and send it into a genetic testing lab for analysis. Of course, this will reveal the pet’s breed mix, but it will also reveal if the pet is predisposed to genetic conditions. Knowing if your pet might be likely to have certain diseases or conditions will help you, and your vet be proactive and create a customized health care plan that will improve your pet’s chances of a long, healthy, disease-free life.
3D Printing in Veterinary Care
3D technology for both people and pets is expected to advance by leaps and bounds in 2019. 3D printing will provide enormous advantages for things like surgery and prosthetics. These advances will dramatically improve the pet’s quality of life.
Fear-Free Veterinary Clinics
More and more veterinary hospitals are developing fear-free practices to make visits more stress-free. Look for more clinics with things like cats-only exam rooms, separate waiting rooms for dogs and cats, calming pheromones meant to relieve anxiety, and of course, more tasty treats used as positive reinforcement.
Pet Health and Fitness Trackers
Health and fitness are hot topics these days, and the trend is expected to expand into the pet care industry in 2019. Pet health and fitness trackers, as well as pet fitness apps, are an interesting way to monitor older pets. The info they provide could be useful to the vet because it will show when and how much older pets are slowing down so that they can intervene to provide assistance with any issues.
Telemedicine and Mobile Veterinary Clinics
Once again, it comes down to convenience and saving time. Expect to see more and more vets offering mobile clinics, house calls, veterinary telemedicine in 2019. These services will help with issues like pet anxiety as well as scheduling and transportation issues.
This is just a few of the trends to be on the lookout for in 2019. There will be lots of exciting new products and ideas to look forward to in the upcoming year!
