Stronger pet bonds are accelerating tech adoption in vet care

A new survey from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, conducted with Chewy Health, argues that the strongest force behind veterinary technology uptake may be the bond between pets and their people. The Pet Health Challenges Study, covered by dvm360 in early January 2026 and by Veterinary Practice News in October 2025, found that U.S. pet parents with the strongest human-animal bonds are far more likely to adopt digital tools to support care, from telehealth to apps and wearables. HABRI says the average bond score in the survey reached 60 out of 70, the highest average it has recorded across its surveys. (dvm360.com)

That framing matters because it shifts the conversation around veterinary technology away from convenience alone. The study suggests pet parents aren’t adopting tools simply because they’re available. They’re adopting them when those tools reduce the stress of caregiving, improve communication, or help them feel more connected to their pet’s health. According to the survey summary in HABRI’s 2025 impact report, 74% of respondents reported at least one major pet-care challenge, and common pain points included understanding pet health, affording care, and the emotional toll of leaving pets behind. (veterinarypracticenews.com)

The details point to a client communication story as much as a technology story. In the dvm360 podcast transcript, HABRI’s Lindsey Braun said respondents clustered heavily at the high end of bond strength, and that stronger bond groups were more likely to visit veterinarians more often, spend more on their pets, and show greater interest in technology tools. Braun also said understanding a client’s bond with their pet can help veterinary teams tailor both care recommendations and the kinds of tech-enabled services they offer. Tiffany Tupler, DVM, added that the profession still faces a major education gap, with many pet parents unsure how to interpret pet health information or where to find reliable guidance. (dvm360.com)

Veterinary Practice News added more specifics from the survey: 97% of pet parents view pets as family, 77% call their pet their best friend, and 82% say they face challenges understanding their pet’s health. The outlet reported that satisfaction with veterinary care rises when practices use multiple communication channels, including texting, apps, and telehealth, alongside traditional in-person visits and phone calls. It also reported that pet parents with the strongest bonds were twice as likely to adopt technology solutions, and that Gen Z and multi-pet households reported both higher stress and greater willingness to try new tools. HABRI’s impact report similarly said willingness to adopt tech rose from 24% among “strong bond” pet parents to more than 50% among those in the “strongest bond” group. (veterinarypracticenews.com)

Industry reaction has centered on that connection between trust and digital convenience. Veterinary Practice News quoted Chewy Health president Mita Malhotra saying the findings create opportunities for veterinary teams to connect more deeply with pet parents and deliver more personalized, tech-forward care. The same article quoted HABRI president Steven Feldman saying the veterinary-client relationship, when strengthened by technology, becomes the foundation for successful pet care. Outside this study, a 2025 PetDesk report found ongoing demand for online booking, reminders, and texting, warning that clinics that don’t offer those conveniences risk losing clients to more digitally responsive competitors. Meanwhile, AVMA’s 2025 economic report showed practice management systems are common, but client communication software and telehealth remain less widely used, suggesting client expectations may be moving faster than some clinics’ implementation. (veterinarypracticenews.com)

That implementation gap is showing up in several corners of the industry. On dvm360’s Vet Blast podcast, clinicians and operators described a broader virtual-care ecosystem that goes beyond basic video visits. One episode highlighted teletriage and telementorship as ways to help practices guide clients appropriately and give general practitioners more confidence handling cases that might otherwise be deferred. Another featured Safe Pet Anesthesia, a teleconsulting model in which a board-certified anesthesiologist follows cases remotely from induction through recovery using a custom platform, with clinics connecting by camera, tablet, phone, or laptop as long as they have Wi‑Fi. The pitch is straightforward: specialist oversight without requiring the specialist to be physically on site. (dvm360.com)

The same broader trend is visible on the operations side. Another Vet Blast episode focused on veterinary virtual assistants and scribes, framing them as practical support for tasks that can be handled remotely, from client communication and scheduling to documentation support. And on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Digitail cofounder Sebastian Gabor described how rapidly advancing AI is changing expectations for software itself, arguing that AI capabilities are becoming embedded in everyday workflows rather than sitting off to the side as optional add-ons. Taken together, those examples reinforce the HABRI-Chewy finding: adoption is likely to grow when technology feels useful, immediate, and tied to real client or team pain points. (veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com)

The innovation pipeline is also extending beyond software. In a separate Veterinary Innovation Podcast interview, Akston CEO Todd Zion described the company’s move from human biologics into companion animal health, including work on long-acting insulin for dogs and cats inspired by the burden of twice-daily dosing for diabetic pets. That matters here because it points to another dimension of “tech-enabled care”: products and platforms designed to reduce treatment friction for owners, not just digitize communication. As more companies bring human-health style innovation into animal health, the line between medical innovation and practice technology may keep blurring around the same core goal of making care easier to deliver and easier to follow. (veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical message is that technology adoption may be strongest when it solves emotional and informational problems, not just operational ones. Pet parents who are deeply attached to their animals may be especially receptive to tools that clarify next steps, provide updates, reduce friction, and reinforce continuity between visits. That could mean two-way texting, app-based follow-up, asynchronous check-ins, cost transparency tools, or telehealth workflows where regulations allow. It may also mean teletriage, remote specialist backup, anesthesia teleconsulting, AI-supported practice management, or virtual assistant and scribe models that help clinics respond faster and communicate more consistently. The survey’s core finding is almost the opposite of a “tech replaces people” narrative: digital tools seem to work best when they strengthen the veterinary relationship. (dvm360.com)

What to watch: The next phase will likely be less about whether veterinary technology is “worth it” and more about which tools measurably improve communication, compliance, and retention without overloading teams. Practices will also have to navigate uneven telehealth policy and risk-management expectations across states, even as industry groups continue pushing virtual care more firmly into the standard toolbox. In that environment, vendors that can show a clear link between better client connection and better workflow may have the strongest case. Just as important, watch for more convergence: AI inside core software, remote expertise layered onto general practice, and longer-acting therapeutics positioned as another form of convenience and adherence support for highly engaged pet parents. (aspca.org)