Original Article: https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/petpace-health-2-0-smart-collar-review

Early intervention for certain diseases and illnesses can be lifesaving for dogs. However, because warning signs are often subtle, it’s often difficult to detect them in the early stages. Monitoring your dog’s health also usually involves a lot of observation and guesswork because dogs can’t verbally tell us how they’re feeling.

In many ways, the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar acts like a voice for your dog’s physical well-being. It’s wearable technology that’s designed to monitor your dog’s health and alert you of any subtle changes in your dog that you might’ve missed. The collar pairs with a phone app so that you can check on your dog’s health whenever you want.

As the owner of an older dog, I was very interested in learning more about the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar. My Cavapoo Nora is currently 9.5 years old, and although she’s relatively healthy, I have noticed her slow down in recent years. So, I was particularly keen on the collar’s ability to track and measure pain scores.

After testing out the collar, I’d say we had an overall positive experience. I faced some minor inconveniences. However, I’d still recommend the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar for many dog owners because of the invaluable health information it provides.

Using this collar is an investment, as you must subscribe to a subscription plan that renews annually. This review is here to help you make an informed purchase. Keep reading to determine if the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar is the right collar for your dog.

About PetPace

PetPace is a pet health and wellness company based in Burlington, Massachusetts. It was founded in 2012 and uses research and technology to develop wearable technology for pets. The company’s team consists of veterinarians, IoT professionals, engineers, data specialists, and algorithm experts.

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar is the latest wearable technology developed by PetPace. It uses multiple sensors and AI technology to provide some of the most advanced pet health reports in the industry. This collar is robust and goes beyond the services that many health-tracking pet collars provide. It specializes in helping dog owners manage their dog’s chronic health issues, including arthritis, epilepsy, respiratory disease, diabetes, and cancer.

While any dog would benefit from using a health tracker and wearing a GPS collar, we’d recommend the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar for older dogs, especially those diagnosed with chronic illnesses. These dogs would benefit from and make the most of the advanced features that PetPace provides.

Smart Collar Overview

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar has many features that provide useful information about your dog’s health. Here’s an overview of what you can expect from this collar.

Pricing

When purchasing a PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar, you’ll have to consider the price of the collar as well as paying for a subscription for the accompanying phone app. The collar is $119, but you can get a free collar if you sign up for a 2-year or 3-year subscription.

The 2-year subscription is $15 a month, while the 3-year subscription is $12 a month. You can also sign up for a 1-year subscription, which is $15 a month, but you’ll also have to pay separately for the collar.  PetPace bills annually for their subscriptions.

What to Expect

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. You can determine the correct size for your dog by measuring their neck circumference. Once you purchase a smart collar and a subscription plan, PetPace will ship the collar to you.

You must download the PetPace phone app and create an account profile to use the collar. Once you pair the collar with your profile, you can fit the collar around your dog’s neck. The collar will start gathering health data automatically.

Some basic information, like your dog’s heart rate and body temperature, will appear in several minutes. You can also view weekly reports that track various activities, including sleep quality, physical exercise, and calories burned.

The collar has a 12-week learning period and will gather more detailed health information during this time. In 50 days, you can view your dog’s basic health profile. The collar can also provide information on pain levels in 70 days. By the end of the 12 weeks, the collar will have accumulated enough data to provide a comprehensive report on your dog’s overall wellness.

Contents

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar has a simple design and is easy to use. Each collar comes with a charging cable and Quick Start Guide. Boxes shipped within the US also contain a power adapter.

To use the collar, all you need do is adjust the collar length to fit around your dog’s neck comfortably. There’s no need to trim or shave down your dog’s hair for the collar to work. It will start tracking data on its own.

When fully charged, the collar’s battery can last up to 3 weeks. A WiFi connection is the most energy-efficient option for the battery, as it drains a little more quickly when the collar resorts to using cellular data. PetPace will send notifications to alert you when the collar battery is running low or has shut off. It takes about 2 hours for a drained battery to charge completely.

Specs

In Summary

Key Features

Health Tracking and Disease Management

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar is an excellent tool for tracking your dog’s health. Its main health targets are disease management, arthritis, seizures, epilepsy, and respiratory disease.

The collar uses AI technology to improve disease detection and aid in disease management for various chronic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It also detects pain levels, behavioral changes, posture, heart rate variability (HRV), and other physiological metrics that help you track your dog’s recovery progress and if they’re on an effective treatment plan.

Multiple Wireless Connection Options

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar is able to track your dog’s health data consistently and without interruption due to its multiple wireless connection options. The collar can connect to WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular data.

The collar can connect to up to five different WiFi networks and will connect automatically when it detects a known network. It also has a global eSim embedded inside, and it’ll revert to using cellular data automatically when your dog steps into an area without a recognized WiFi network. No additional subscriptions, fees, or activation are required for the collar’s cellular data.

Along with tracking physical exercise and movement data, the PetPace 2.0 smart collar’s GPS tracker can help you locate lost dogs. It has a map feature that periodically documents your dog’s location. It also has a “Find My Pet” mode that will provide your dog’s most recent location to help you find your dog as quickly as possible.

Durability

The collar is made with durable materials and is designed to keep up with active dogs. It’s waterproof and can stay submerged under 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. It’s also dirt and dust-proof, and all you have to do is rinse it with fresh water to remove any dirt stains.

Is PetPace 2.0 Smart Collar a Good Value?

You can find a decent variety of smart collars for dogs, but most of them only have GPS trackers or can only track very basic health information. The PetPace 2.0 smart collar is a unique collar with some of the most advanced health-tracking capabilities that you’ll find in today’s market.

Considering the fact that the price of the collar and subscription plans tend to be marginally higher than its competitors, the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar is a good value. It has the potential to be an invaluable health tool for dogs with chronic health issues, as its advanced technology can help track treatment progress and changes in your dog’s health and behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is there a warranty that comes with the PetPace 2.0 smart collar?

All PetPace collars come with a 1-year warranty. You can contact PetPace’s customer support to report any product defects or issues you’re experiencing with your collar.

Can I hook a leash to the collar?

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar has to be worn separately from your dog’s regular collar, and it doesn’t have a hook for a leash or ID tag. A leash cannot be hooked onto the collar because pulling and tugging can disrupt or skew the accuracy of the collar’s data collection. This arrangement can feel a little bulky, your dog may need a little extra time to adjust to wearing the collar.

What types of sensors does the collar have?

The thermometers are used for measuring body temperature and fever detection. The acoustic sensors track pulse, HRV, and respiration acquisition, while the 6-D accelerometers gather data on activity, calories burned, and posture calculation. Lastly, the GPS is used for location tracking. 

Can multiple owners view their dogs’ profiles on their own phones?

Yes, multiple owners can access the same account and view their dog’s health data on their own phones. You can also add multiple dogs to the same account as long as each dog has their own collar.

Our Experience With PetPace Health 2.0 Smart Collar

With Nora transitioning into older adulthood, I’ve been having to make some changes to her lifestyle. Due to noticing some shifts in her behavior, eating habits, and energy, I’ve had to adjust her diet and include more low-impact activities for her daily exercise. With these significant changes, trying out the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar couldn’t have happened at a more appropriate time.

Registering for an account and pairing the collar was fast and easy. The Quick Start Guide that was included with the collar was helpful and easy to follow, and it got us set up in no time. The collar started working right away, and Nora’s temperature and heart rate were recorded and displayed on the app within several minutes.

The app interface is user-friendly and well-organized, so it was easy to find the information I was looking for relatively quickly. Along with tracking Nora’s vitals, the collar recorded her behavioral information, including activity levels, posture, and sleep quality.

This collar is a little bulkier and heavier than regular collars, so it did take Nora a little extra time to get used to wearing it. She didn’t seem to mind it when she was active and going on walks. However, I noticed that she initially had a little trouble getting comfortable with nap and sleep times. Luckily, she was fine after a couple of days of wearing the collar.

It was fun and interesting to find out new information about Nora’s health that I wouldn’t have noticed without the collar. For example, I’m relieved to know that she’s getting good-quality sleep and that her pain score is at normal levels. I also liked how I could set up alerts and notifications for fevers and irregular heart rates.

After using this collar, I appreciate the peace of mind it gives me, knowing that it can help me detect abnormal or significant health issues quickly. I can continue to monitor Nora’s health and refer to a collection of data to find patterns or changes that may indicate a health issue.

Conclusion

The PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar is a high-tech dog collar with many invaluable features and capabilities. It may take your dog a little time to get used to wearing it, but it provides a convenient way to track your dog’s health. Due to how much it can do, I’d recommend this collar for older dogs or dogs diagnosed with a chronic health issue. Young and healthy dogs can still certainly benefit, but they’re not likely to utilize all or most of the collar’s features.

Overall, the PetPace Health 2.0 smart collar does a great job of helping dog owners understand their dog’s health better, and it’s an excellent tool to refer to in between routine vet check-ups. It’s a worthwhile investment that will keep track of your dog’s health so that you can focus more on being present and cherishing all the moments you share with your dog.

Source: Dogster