The Pet Health Challenges Study, conducted by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Chewy Health, surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. dog and cat owners in February 2025. The results show that 97% consider their pet a family member, and 90% say their pets have improved their mental or physical health.

However, caring for pets isn’t always easy—74% of owners reported at least one major challenge. The biggest struggles included leaving pets alone, affording veterinary care, and managing behavior or health issues.

Pet owners with stronger human-animal bonds were also more likely to embrace technology. Those in the “strongest bond” group were twice as likely to use digital tools such as telehealth, mobile apps, or smart devices to manage care. Gen Z owners led the way, using an average of 3.6 pet health tools and showing strong interest in wearables, smart feeders, and virtual vet services.

The findings highlight a growing trend: as pets become more deeply integrated into families, technology is becoming an essential bridge for connection, convenience, and better care.

For more veterinary updates, tune into Vet Candy’s All Creatures podcast—available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Meet Jeremiah Pouncy, the Cornell vet student who makes the rest of us look like underachievers. He checks lion blood pressures, delivers clean water to communities, and somehow still has time to survive exams without spontaneously combusting. 🦁

Brain Smart's Caitlin & Clay Palmer keep up the chaos with ridiculous trivia, snarky commentary, and general chaos you didn’t know you needed in your life. Expect laughs, jaw drops, and maybe a tiny existential crisis about your own productivity.

Brought to you by PRN Pharmacal, makers of Felicyn-CA1 for cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—because even super-vets need some heart support.

🎧 Tune in now and see how one vet student is doing the impossible… while you’re still trying to remember the difference between your BCS scales.

#veterinarymedicine #vetmed #animalhealth

She’s opened a brewery. She’s worked in HR. She co-founded CodaPet, helping families with compassionate in-home euthanasia. But can Dr. Bethany Hsia survive the ultimate challenge—trivia questions about turkey sneezes, cancer-fighting cats, and flu-proof seals?

In this month’s episode of Brain Smarts with Vet Candy, hosts Caitlin and Clay Palmer put Dr. Hsia to the test in the only veterinary podcast where the science is real, the answers are ridiculous, and the scorekeeping is questionable at best.

From dramatic boy cats with weak hearts to a lightning round written entirely in limericks, Dr. Hsia proves she can handle just about anything. (Though let’s be honest—running a nationwide company might actually be easier.)

Presented by PRN Pharmacal, makers of Felycin (sirolimus delayed-release tablets).

🎧 Listen now and find out if Bethany makes it out officially “Brain Smart”… or just slightly traumatized.

PS. Learn more about CodaPet here: https://www.codapet.com/