Stronger pet bonds are shaping veterinary technology adoption

CURRENT FULL VERSION: The latest signal from the companion animal market is that technology adoption may be less about novelty and more about relationship strength. A January 6, 2026, dvm360 report, drawing from a Vet Blast Podcast conversation with HABRI and veterinarian Tiffany Tupler, DVM, says a recent HABRI survey found the average human-animal bond score reached 60 out of 70, the highest average HABRI has seen. According to the discussion, pet parents with the strongest bond scores were more likely to visit veterinarians more often, spend more on care, and show greater interest in technology tools that help manage pet health challenges. (dvm360.com)

That finding fits with a broader pattern HABRI has been documenting for years: stronger bonds tend to correlate with more veterinary engagement. Earlier HABRI-Zoetis research also linked stronger human-animal bonds with higher visit frequency and better adherence to care. What’s different in the newer Chewy Health collaboration is the emphasis on how that bond shapes receptivity to digital support, from symptom checkers and health apps to telehealth and monitoring tools. (dvm360.com)

Additional reporting and HABRI materials add scale to the picture. A Today’s Veterinary Business commentary based on the same research said the nationally representative survey included more than 2,000 U.S. pet parents. It reported that 97% consider their pet a family member, 77% call their pet their best friend, and 90% say the relationship brings mental or physical health benefits. The article also said the emotional stress of being apart from a pet ranked as the top challenge across demographics, helping explain why connected tools that offer reassurance between visits are gaining traction. The dvm360 discussion added another practical data point: 82% of pet parents said they struggle to understand their pet’s health needs. (todaysveterinarybusiness.com)

The survey also points to a practical communications lesson for clinics. Personal interaction still matters most: in-person visits and phone calls were the channels most associated with higher satisfaction. But the highest satisfaction scores were reported when those traditional touchpoints were paired with technology-forward communication, including telehealth, apps, email, and text messaging. In other words, the digital layer appears to work best when it extends the relationship rather than substitutes for it. (todaysveterinarybusiness.com)

That framing lines up with several adjacent developments in veterinary innovation. On a recent Vet Blast episode, Safe Pet Anesthesia founder Gianluca Bini, DVM, described an anesthesia teleconsulting model in which boarded specialists remotely follow cases by video from induction through recovery using a custom platform, giving hospitals access to real-time expertise with only a camera-enabled device and Wi-Fi. Another Vet Blast discussion with Vet Triage chief medical officer Shadi Arefi, DVM, highlighted teletriage and telementorship as ways to extend guidance, build GP confidence, and help practices manage cases that might otherwise be deferred because specialty access is limited. Together, those examples reinforce the idea that veterinary technology is gaining traction when it closes capability and communication gaps rather than simply digitizing existing workflows.

The same is true on the operational side. In another Vet Blast episode, Kelly Cronin, LVT, MBA, discussed veterinary virtual assistants as a growing category for handling tasks that can be done remotely, helping practices offload administrative and communication work. And on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Digitail co-founder Sebastian Gabor described how rapidly advancing AI is changing software expectations, arguing that clinics should actively test emerging tools as models become cheaper, faster, and more capable. Those conversations help explain why client communication tools, AI-enabled workflows, and remote support services are increasingly being bundled into the broader “connected care” story.

Industry context supports that interpretation. AVMA’s 2025 economic report found that 40.8% of practice owners described themselves as enthusiastic about new technology, while 60.3% said they experiment with new tools at least somewhat. The most commonly used technologies were practice management software, electronic medical records, online pharmacy, and client communication tools integrated with PIMS, while telehealth use remained lower at 29.2%. That suggests client demand for connected care may be rising faster than some clinics’ operational adoption, particularly in more relationship-centered applications. (ebusiness.avma.org)

There’s also a generational angle. Today’s Veterinary Business reported that Gen Z pet parents use an average of 3.6 digital pet-care tools, more than any other age group, and show particular interest in smart feeders, wearables, and telehealth. Chewy’s current health ecosystem helps explain why the company is leaning into this narrative: it now spans telehealth through Connect with a Vet, pharmacy, insurance and wellness offerings, and in-person Chewy Vet Care clinics. That makes the HABRI findings strategically useful not just as market research, but as a roadmap for how retail, digital health, and clinical services may converge around the pet parent experience. (todaysveterinarybusiness.com)

There is also interest in technologies that reduce treatment burden, not just communication friction. On the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Akston CEO Todd Zion described the company’s push into companion animal health around long-acting therapeutics, including the idea of once-weekly insulin for dogs and cats as an alternative to twice-daily dosing. That kind of innovation speaks to the same underlying market logic as the HABRI findings: when owners are highly bonded to pets but challenged by complexity, convenience and adherence-supporting tools can become part of the care value proposition.

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the bigger message is that technology adoption may be most durable when it solves emotional and informational gaps that already exist in practice. The dvm360 discussion highlighted that 82% of pet parents struggle to understand their pet’s health needs, and the same body of research suggests trust and understanding, not price alone, are key drivers of satisfaction. That creates an opening for practices to use digital tools for triage, follow-up, education, preventive monitoring, communication, and even remote specialist support in ways that reinforce clinical guidance and reduce friction for pet parents. It also suggests that innovations making treatment easier to follow, whether through AI-assisted workflows or longer-acting therapeutics, may resonate most when they clearly improve the day-to-day care experience for both clients and teams. (dvm360.com)

What to watch: The next phase will likely center on which technologies can prove they improve compliance, continuity, and client satisfaction without overloading teams. Watch for more vendor partnerships, more emphasis on integrated communication platforms, and more efforts to position digital tools as extensions of the veterinary-client relationship rather than stand-alone products. Given the gap between broad interest in technology and still-modest telehealth penetration in practice, implementation, workflow fit, and reimbursement models will matter as much as consumer demand. Also watch for continued growth in adjacent models such as teleconsulting, virtual assistant support, AI-native practice software, and longer-acting therapies that reduce the burden of ongoing care. (ebusiness.avma.org)