How WagVitals is Changing the Future of Pet Health

Column by Bhuvaneshwar "Bunny" Reddy Kosna

I grew up around animals on my family's dairy farm in South India, which we've operated since 2000. Being around animals was a big part of my childhood, and that experience stayed with me even as my career took me in a different direction. I moved to the United States in 2023 to pursue my master's degree in business analytics at Kent State University, transitioning from a nontechnical background into technology and business. 

My experience with my own dog eventually brought those two worlds together. I lost my dog after he showed no obvious signs that something was wrong. We lived in a rural area without a veterinary clinic nearby, and I often wondered whether things could have been different if I had known earlier. If I had a way to monitor his health, I may have been able to get him to a veterinarian a day or two sooner. That experience led me to start thinking about how technology could help pet parents better understand their dogs' health. 

When I began researching the pet technology market, I saw that most smart collars were focused on GPS tracking and geofencing. They could tell you where your dog was, but they didn't necessarily tell you how your dog was doing. Through conversations with veterinarians and more than 70 pet parents, I found that obesity and mobility issues were some of the biggest challenges. Which became the focus and beginning of WagVitals. 

We are developing a smart collar that tracks a dog's activity and mobility, helping pet parents better understand how active their dog is and identify potential mobility concerns. We are also developing a smart bed that can automatically track a dog's weight. By combining weight, activity, and mobility data, we can provide personalized diet and training recommendations to help dogs stay healthy and fit. 

Building the company has also shown me the importance of having the right ecosystem around you. When I moved to Wisconsin, I found a community that was willing to help me build the company and understand the things I didn't know. Through organizations such as gener8tor and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, as well as partnerships with Wisconsin universities, I've been able to build relationships, develop the technology, and connect with investors. 

I've met with more than 40 investors, and our waitlist has grown to more than 700 people. For me, one of the biggest advantages of Wisconsin is the people. There is a willingness to connect, make introductions, and help entrepreneurs, regardless of where they come from. 

Looking ahead, I want WagVitals to go beyond a smart collar. Our long-term vision is to create a digital twin of each dog, using health and activity data to better understand how individual dogs respond to diet, training, and medication. We also see an opportunity for this technology to help reduce animal testing by allowing researchers to test certain treatments digitally first. 

We are continuing to grow in Wisconsin while preparing to expand internationally, including a launch in India. Ultimately, I want WagVitals to give pet parents a better understanding of their dogs' health and help more pets live healthier, happier lives.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.