36% of US Pet Owners Have Used AI for Pet Care, HABRI Survey Finds
A HABRI and Chewy Health survey found 36% of US dog and cat owners have used AI for pet care. What owners said it changed about their vet visits.
More than a third of dog and cat owners in the United States have turned to artificial intelligence for help with pet care, according to a new study from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Chewy Health. Owners most often used it to make sense of symptoms, diagnoses or lab results.
Most of those owners said the tools made their vet visits better, Today’s Veterinary Business reported, but they still rated their clinic teams well above AI on trust and accuracy.
The survey in numbers
The study is based on a nationally representative survey of U.S. dog and cat owners. Among owners who use AI and have a veterinarian:
- More than 2,000 dog and cat owners took part in the survey.
- 36% of pet owners have used AI for pet care, often to interpret symptoms, diagnoses or test results.
- 69% said AI improved their relationship with their veterinarian.
- 67% said they felt better informed going into a clinic visit.
- 62% said their conversations with their vet had become more productive.
What it means for owners and their vets
The owners who use these tools did not treat them as a replacement for their vet. They gave clinical teams much higher marks than AI for trustworthiness, accuracy and advice tailored to their own animal, the study found.
Mita Malhotra, president of Chewy Health, said the trend gives practices a chance to guide how clients use AI, while providing the expertise and human connection “that technology simply cannot replace.”
HABRI and Chewy Health also published a companion guide for clinic staff, called “The Bond Factor II,” to help them talk with clients about the AI answers they bring in.
For owners, the practical point is the same as with any online search: an AI answer about symptoms or lab results is a starting point for a conversation with your veterinarian. It cannot examine your pet. If your dog or cat seems unwell, call your vet, and in an emergency contact an emergency vet clinic. If you think your pet has swallowed something poisonous, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Where the findings come from
HABRI and Chewy Health released the study together and based it on a survey of owners across the United States, weighted to be nationally representative. The findings cover dog and cat owners only, so they say nothing about people who keep rabbits, birds, fish or other small pets. The results were reported by Today’s Veterinary Business, a publication written for veterinary practice teams.
Source: Today's Veterinary Business
