Dog obesity is becoming as large of an epidemic as human obesity, and sadly it can cause many of the same negative health effects in dogs that it does in people. Obesity in canines is linked to diabetes, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, cardiopulmonary disease, hypertension, and various other health problems. Being obese can take years off of your dog’s life.
For this reason, SlimDoggy CEO Steve Pelletier decided to create a website and smartphone app that would help dog owners track and monitor their pet’s health. Pelletier and his wife adopted a yellow lab, Jack, in 2012 who weighed over 100 pounds and was on Prozac. It took them a while, but they were able to get Jack’s weight under control and transform him into a healthy and happy pet without the use of prescription medications.
RELATED: Top 10 Best Pet Apps for Dog Owners
The SlimDoggy App was created with Jack as the initial case study, and obviously it was a great success. Steve relied on industry leading research about pet health and wellness to create the app. His team performed extensive research and consulted with numerous veterinarians to refine the methodologies and make sure that their approaches were sound.
The team also researched and collected food calorie counts and ingredient lists for nearly 2,000 different dog foods and treats by hand. They used the information to create the most extensive dog food database available to consumers with ingredients and comparison data so that pet owners can truly examine what they are feeding their dogs.
They worked with the team of veterinarians and veterinarian paraprofessionals to be sure that the information they were sharing with pet owners was accurate. The company’s website is full of helpful information for dog owners on what they are currently feeding their dogs, what may be better to feed their dog, how to get their dog to be more active, and many more tips and tricks to keep their pooches happy and healthy.
The SlimDoggy app not only lets users search the database of foods and treats, but also add custom foods or input foods that are not included in the database; that includes people food too. There is also an ‘auto feed’ function that allows you to set up normal feeding times to keep your dog on a proper schedule.
RELATED: Ten Best Anime with Dogs
The app will also track your dog’s activity in three ways. The first is a general estimate based on the intensity level and average amount of activity time daily. The second estimates his activity level through manual entry of your dog’s daily exercise. You can choose the activity type, duration, and distance. The third uses your phones GPS to track your activity time and the distance covered.
The app then uses the information to give you an estimated, activity specific calorie burn count. Once you input the food you fed your dog and the exercise he got throughout the day, the app will be able to tell you if your dog is ingesting too much, not enough, or just the right amount of calories. Many pet owners have already used the app successfully to help their pets shed weight and become healthier.
