In 2022 and beyond, pet parents will be able to further harness the powers of science and technology to keep their furry friends healthy and happy. Let’s take a look at a few areas.
CBD
Dr. Liff sees a lot of potential in CBD, legal since 2018 and available in many forms: “The safety profile is pretty strong,” she says, “and the efficacy—especially for mobility [issues] and seizure control—has been very promising.
Wearables
“Wearable devices including Fi, Whistle and Tractive are able to provide pet owners with real-time data about pet patterns and health parameters,” Dr. Liff says. “Over time this data may lead to more proactive protocols for wellness and earlier intervention and better outcomes.
Biomarkes and DNA
“The most innovative and important work is in the lab in the form of biomarkers, which are different lab assays that can be measured to predict certain diseases—hoping to create earlier detection, intervention, and better outcomes,” Dr. Liff explains.
“This innovative medicine has been available to vets for a while, but there is expansion—with companies like AnimalBiome—to providing direct to consumer access to some of these biomarkers to create greater access, and subsequently a larger pool of very useful data to manage disease.”