Why the human-animal bond is shaping veterinary tech adoption

CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: A new HABRI-Chewy Health survey suggests the human-animal bond is doing more than shaping sentiment, it’s influencing how pet parents engage with veterinary technology. In a nationally representative survey of 2,005 U.S. dog and cat pet parents, HABRI found its highest recorded average bond score yet, with stronger-bond respondents more likely to visit the veterinarian more often, spend more on care, and adopt tools such as telehealth, apps, wearables, and other digital supports. The findings were highlighted in a recent dvm360 Vet Blast episode featuring HABRI’s Lindsey Braun and veterinarian Tiffany Tupler, DVM, and were later expanded in Chewy Health and HABRI’s guide, The Bond Factor. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the takeaway isn’t simply that clients like convenience. It’s that technology adoption appears to track with relationship strength, emotional investment, and perceived care challenges. That has practical implications for communication strategy: practices using multiple channels, including texting, apps, and telehealth, were associated with higher client satisfaction in the study, while newer veterinary use cases such as teletriage, teleconsulting during anesthesia, AI-enabled practice software, and virtual assistants are also gaining visibility as ways to extend access and responsiveness. AVMA’s 2025 economic report shows many clinics are still uneven in adoption, with telehealth used by 29.2% of practices and online scheduling by 33.4%. In other words, client demand may be moving faster than some practice workflows. (veterinarypracticenews.com)

What to watch: Expect more vendors and practice groups to position client communication tools, teletriage, digital staffing support, AI-enabled workflows, and care navigation as bond-strengthening services, not just efficiency upgrades. (chewy.bynder.com)