Apps for phones and tablets seem like a waste of time and money. Frankly, many of them are. The following smartphone apps for pet owners, however, are not your typical Games for Cats variety that suit only to keep your pets occupied long enough for you to finish balancing your checkbook. (Not that there isn’t a place for those. It’s just not here.) Instead, these apps are utilitarian in nature.
You’ll free up time and money by applying a home remedy with HappyDogs instead of spending half of your paycheck at the vet, and you’ll be inspired to maintain your morning dog walk routine and burn off calories with Petometer. A healthy, tired dog is sure to leave you in peace, improving your productivity. As for the cat, the electronic cat-sitter Games for Cats might not be such a bad idea.
Smartphone Apps for Pet Owners
HappyDogs
The green movement has collided with the pet world. The HappyDogs app for iPhone ($0.99) provides thirty tried-and-true home remedies for pets with everything from sore paws to fleas, bad breath to worms. You’ll save money and have an eco-friendlier pet by limiting use of chemical treatments and gas in driving to the clinic.
The app also lets you share images of your pets, which sounds worthy of an eye roll or two depending on how many of your friends already send you pictures of their dogs wearing sunglasses, but the function is nifty if you want to share before and after shots of dogs you’ve healed with the home remedies. You can even ask veterinarians specific questions when you’re not sure if a condition is worth a visit.
Pet First Aid
When home remedies won’t do, you can get illustrated and video instructions and advice in the event your pet is choking or requires CPR. You can even save medical history on all your pets so that, if you have an emergency vet visit, you can help out the staff with pertinent information. It’s $2 for iPhone and for Android.
Dog Tricks & Bark Machine
Dog training can cost time and money we don’t have, but misbehaving dogs won’t wait. If you’ve got a low-maintenance dog needing a little help or just want to brush up on training basics, you can reference this app for images and instructions gleaned from popular training books. It’s $0.99 on iTunes. (52 Dog Tricks is a nice alternative for Android users.)
Petometer
One of the top reasons people get dogs is to have a companion for exercise, like jogging. With Petometer, you can add up to six pets to your profile and track your favorite routes (as well as time, distance, and pace). You can share your activity with nearby friends looking for scenic routes, as well. Check it out for free on iTunes and Google Play.
iKibble
Most dog owners know that chocolate is toxic to dogs, but what about grapes? Garlic? Cheese? If you’re not sure if the scraps you just saw your dog pick up from beneath the table are safe for him to eat, ask iKibble. The app even gives you advice, like adding pineapple slices to a dog’s diet to teach him to stop eating his own poop. Yum. It’s free on iPhone.
Author Bio: Kim Willington is a freelance writer and researcher for Helpdesksoftware.org, where she has recently been researching knowledge base software. In her spare time, she enjoys antiquing and taking long walks with her retriever, Spencer.
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Hi Kim, Great list of apps. I especially like the pet safety ones such as iKibble. My dog is pretty sensitive to anything other than his dog food so we don’t give him any human food, but every so often he gets into our stuff.
I would also add Pet Rescuers to the list. The app helps others find their lost pets. You could be someone’s hero if you found their lost pet!