On-demand petcare gains traction

Gen Ys demand instant gratification and on-demand services, and their preferences in the realm of healthcare are no exception. However, this need doesn’t stop at their personal health: modern young adults, who are apt to splurge on their fur babies, are giving rise to the proliferation of on-demand pet care services.


For $10 a month, Fuzzy Pet Health provides pet owners with real-time veterinarian services. Fuzzy’s triaged approach to pet health concerns has the potential to save pet parents unnecessary or costly trips to the vet, as members of the subscription-based pet healthcare service can text, call, or send videos of their animals to actual vets via Fuzzy’s mobile app. Recently, Fuzzy raised $8 million in Series A funding (amassing a total of $12.5 million in funding), demonstrating the interest around pet telemedicine.


On top of 24/7 access to pet healthcare via chat, MyStetho outfits pet parents with a smart device that monitors their pet's heart and lung sounds. Pet parents place the smart stethoscope on their pet’s chest and an A.I. guides them to record the noises correctly, all to give veterinarians real-time health data. The MyStetho app then saves and shares the gathered data with vets so they can review and verify the pet’s health. This smart technology increases pet parents’ access to legitimate healthcare for their beloved furry friends.


PetCoach, Petco’s online offering that delivers pet advice and healthcare from vets and pet experts, recently opened its first physical location in San Marcos, CA. For just $9 a month, members have access to full veterinary services alongside standard grooming, training, daycare, and curated pet products found in other Petco stores. Similar to Amazon Go stores, the PetCoach store is cashierless: on-site pet coaches assist customers with purchases and appointment scheduling from the convenience of iPads. The PetCoach store and its mobile telemedicine app capitalize on the growing number of young pet owners who view their pets as family members.