April 15, 2024 | Artificial Intelligence, Veterinary
AI in Veterinary Medicine — The Complete Guide
Discover how AI is transforming veterinary medicine with our comprehensive guide to innovative tools. From imaging and radiology to client communication and clinical decision support applications, explore the key features, benefits, and pricing options of AI-driven solutions tailored for veterinary professionals.
Table of Contents
In recent years, the intersection of technology and healthcare has sparked a wave of innovation, transforming how medical diagnosis, treatment, and patient care are approached. Amid this transformative landscape, the spotlight on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown increasingly brighter.
While AI has garnered significant attention in recent years, this technology has been in existence for quite some time. It dates back to the mid-20th century when computer scientist John McCarthy first coined the term in 1956. Initially conceived as an academic discipline, AI aimed to replicate human intelligence in machines. Over the decades, as data and computing power have exponentially grown, AI has evolved to become more accessible, affordable, and user-friendly, laying the foundation for its widespread adoption. This has led to AI’s penetration into every industry, including pet care.
The increasing adoption of AI among veterinary professionals is evident in a recent survey conducted in 2024 by Digitail in collaboration with the American Animal Hospital Association. According to the findings, 83.8% of respondents are familiar with AI tools, with 39.2% having already tried such tools in their practice. Moreover, 38.7% of veterinary professionals intend to implement AI in their workflows in the near future.
Today, AI is discussed as a paradigm shift in how pet care is understood and delivered. It has already found practical applications in fields such as imaging and radiology, voice-to-text transcription, client communication, and health monitoring devices. As a productivity tool, AI holds promising potential to address issues such as access to care, client education, professional shortages, and even veterinary burnout.
The veterinary scene is buzzing with announcements of new AI-driven products and initiatives flooding the market, not only from startups but also from established corporations and academic institutions. For instance, Cornell University’s recent unveiling of Cascade, an open-source platform for running AI algorithms, which is already in use by College of Veterinary Medicine researchers monitoring cows for risk of mastitis. The university’s experimentation with AI continues as Cornell Feline Health Center launched CatGPT, an AI chatbot that answers questions about feline health, connecting cat owners with credible, science-based information. The chatbot draws information from articles from CFHC’s website as well as a database of abstracts from peer-reviewed scientific publications.
We’ve curated this guide to AI tools in veterinary medicine to help veterinary professionals navigate the world of AI, showcase existing solutions, and how they can benefit their practice. The companies on the list are categorically divided into groups, including diagnostics, telehealth, AI assistants, voice-to-text, and PIMS. This overview is based on publicly available data and information provided by the companies.
Catalog of AI Tools
| Name | Core Function | Year Founded | Founder/Parent Company | Funding Rounds | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DigLabs | Veterinary advice Client communication Diagnostics | 2019 | Tara Zedayko, Co-founder and CEO | $1.5M over 3 rounds | Free for pet owners. Enterprise API and development/ product management services available. |
| Digitail | AI Assistant Voice-to-text Client communication | 2018 | Sebastian Gabor, Co-founder and CEO Ruxandra Pui, Co-founder and CPO | Seed round: $2.5M (2021) Series A: $11M (2023) | AI add-on starts at $100 per month |
| FidoCure | Veterinary advice Client communication Diagnostics | 2016 | Christina Kelly Lopes, Founder and CEO Benjamin Lewis, Co-founder | $15M over 7 rounds | Free initial consultation; costs incurred for dog tumor genotyping after that vary based on the veterinarian fee. |
| Goldie Vet | Voice-to-text | 2023 | Katherine van Ekert, DVM, Founder | N/A | $150/user/month $1500/user/year |
| Happydoc | Voice-to-text | 2023 | Emerson Smith, Co-founder | N/A | N/A |
| ImpriMed | Oncology Precision medicine services | 2017 | Jamin Koo, CTO, Co-founder Sungwon Lim, CEO, Co-founder | $34.7M over 3 rounds. Seed round: $4M (2018) Pre-Series A: $8M (2020) Series A: $23M (2023) | ImpriMed offers flat rates to all veterinary hospitals, which allows their customers to apply their own margin when offering services to their clients. |
| Maven Pet | Health monitoring Wearable | 2021 | Guilherme Coelho, Co-founder and CEO | $4.5M over 2 rounds | Starting at $99 |
| Mella Pet Care | Health monitoring Medical devices | 2015 | Benjamin Seidman, Co-founder Yale Zhang, Co-founder and CTO | $250,000 from SharkTank’s investor Mark Cuban (2024) | Pro version for veterinarians: $159 |
| PetPace | Health monitoring Wearable | 2012 | Lior Abraham, President and General Manager | Series A: Undisclosed (2012) $24M invested in the development | $299 + subscription |
| Petriage | Teletriage | 2016 | Allon Freiman, CEO | $2.3M over 2 rounds | Starting at $199.99 per month; free for pet owners with paid add-ons |
| PicoxIA | Radiology | 2020 | Emilie Boissady, Co-founder and R&D director | N/A | $144 per month |
| Radimal | Radiology | 2020 | Alan Weissman, Co-founder and CEO Andrew Weissman, VMD, DACVR, Co-founder | Privately funded, including private investment from many veterinary radiologists | Starting at $5/case |
| ScribbleVet | Voice-to-text | 2023 | Rohan Relan, Founder and CEO | N/A | $150/user/month $1620/user/year |
| SediVue | Lab testing | 2016 | IDEXX | N/A | $719.10 |
| SignalPET | Radiology Teleconsulting | 2018 | Lior Kuyer, Co-founder and CEO Ben Klinken, Co-founder and CTO | N/A | $75 or less per study |
| Stethee Vet | Health monitoring Medical device | 2015 | Nayyar Hussain, CEO M3DICINE Inc. | $4.5M from private investors and an additional raise of $2.5M in debt financing | $499 |
| Sylvester.ai | Diagnostics | 2020 | Susan Groeneveld, Founder | Seed round: $30,000 | N/A |
| Talkatoo | Voice-to-text | 2019 | Shawn Wilkie, CEO Aly G. Mawji, Co-founder | N/A | Starting at $139/user on monthly plans or $1399/user on annual plans, with volume discounts |
| Vet Assistant AI | Client communication automation | 2021 | Sean Delaney, Founder | N/A | Starting at $100 per month |
| Veterinarian Electronic Assistant | Diagnostics and treatment planning Voice-to-text transcription Client communication | 2022 | Patricia Porter, Founder | N/A | $299/veterinarian/month |
| VetGenus | Client communication Teletriage Diagnostics and treatment planning | 2019 | Scott Woodrow, Founder and CEO Powered by ABC Intelligence | N/A | N/A |
| Vetology | Radiology | 2017 | Seth Wallack, Founder and CEO Eric Goldman, President | N/A | Starting at $200 per month |
| VetPawer | Online booking Prescription refills | 2019 | Jerry Savage, CEO | N/A | Free for pet owners |
| VetRec | Voice-to-text | 2023 | Pinhas Kevin Cohen, Co-founder David de Matheu, Co-founder | Backed by Y-Combinator | Starts at $299/clinic/month. Unlimited accounts for veterinarians and technicians. Free for nonprofits |
| Vetscan Imagyst | Radiology Lab testing | 2018 | Zoetis | N/A | N/A |
| Vetsie.ai | Diagnostics and treatment planning Client communication | 2020 | Alex Chieng, Co-founder | Pre-seed round: CA$500,000 (2022) | N/A |
| VetSOAP | Voice-to-text | 2023 | Aaron Smiley, DVM, Founder Jason Szumski, DVM, Co-founder | N/A | $50/user/month |
| Virtual Vet Nurse | Client communication Online booking Marketing | 2020 | Steve Merchant, DVM, Co-founder James Merchant, Co-founder and Head of Growth | N/A | $240/month |
Detailed Overview of AI Tools for Veterinary Medicine
PetPace
PetPace is a smart collar for dogs that monitors their health and location.
AI Function
PetPace Health 2.0 collar, equipped with AI algorithms and non-irradiating acoustic sensors continuously monitors and analyzes seven key vital signs in dogs.
Key Features
- Tracks heart rate, respiration, temperature, activity, sleep, and posture
- Analyze the data to identify potential health issues and offer early warnings
- The PetPace App integrates seamlessly with the collar for continuous monitoring.
Benefits
- Enables early detection of potential health concerns through AI-powered analysis
- Facilitates comprehensive health assessment and timely interventions with detailed vital sign monitoring
- Provides pet owners with peace of mind through continuous monitoring and timely alerts
- Learns about the specific pet’s behavior and compares it to a database of other same-breed dogs