Smart Collar For Dogs?

Hello, Summarians!

Do all devices that we deal with regularly need to be “smart”? Hmmm… I hope not. However, we do run into new connected things that have the potential to improve the quality of our lives.

This collar has that potential in specific circumstances. At home cardiac monitoring has not changed much in the past 50 years. Technical abilities, time constraints, or fear can limit the actual data that is needed to help gauge the status of heart function or the effectiveness of the current treatment plan.

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SARDS Update in Dogs

Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) is a major cause of acute blindness in dogs, characterized by normal-appearing retinas but absent electroretinographic function. Imaging and histopathology show photoreceptor degeneration, thinning of outer retinal layers, and microretinal detachments in a substantial proportion of affected dogs, suggesting retinal or choroidal vascular disruption. Many dogs also exhibit systemic signs such as polyuria, polydipsia, and elevated liver enzymes before vision loss, implying that SARDS involves systemic, not purely ocular, pathology. 

Building on earlier work showing hypercoagulability in affected dogs, this study examined clot dynamics and fibrinolysis using a plasma-based fibrinolysis assay and thromboelastography (TEG)–derived measures of clot lysis, along with quantification of total and active plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 (PAI-1). Dogs with SARDS were more hypercoagulable than matched controls, with increased clot formation metrics (peak optical density, clot formation velocity, and area under the curve) and higher plasma fibrinogen concentrations. These findings confirm a systemic prothrombotic state. Contrary to what is typically seen in hypercoagulable diseases, SARDS dogs did not show compensatory hyperfibrinolysis; rather, the study found reduced clot lysis, especially in dogs with recent-onset blindness, indicating hypofibrinolysis and reduced clot turnover. 

The combination of hypercoagulability and hypofibrinolysis could predispose to intravascular thrombi, potentially explaining microvascular ischemia of the choriocapillaris and photoreceptor degeneration. While such thrombi in the retina may manifest clinically as vision loss, other organs could experience subclinical ischemic injury, which might account for owners’ reports of concurrent or later-onset renal, pancreatic, or pulmonary disease. The greater degree of hypercoagulability and reduced fibrinolysis in acute SARDS suggest that these processes may be transient and more pronounced near disease onset. This temporal pattern could explain reports of asymmetric or gradual vision loss and rare cases of partial visual recovery if transient thrombi resolve before irreversible photoreceptor damage occurs. 

SARDS shares features with human central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), including acute vision loss, hyperfibrinogenemia, vascular leakage, and systemic signs of stress or endocrine imbalance. Both diseases may result from thrombotic occlusion of the choroidal microvasculature, leading to ischemic injury of the outer retina. The study found no significant elevation in circulating total or active PAI-1 concentrations in SARDS dogs, suggesting that PAI-1–mediated inhibition of fibrinolysis is unlikely to drive the coagulopathy. 

Study limitations include the cross-sectional design, absence of comprehensive endocrine testing, and sampling after disease onset, leaving uncertainty about whether hypercoagulability precedes or follows retinal injury. Although the findings support a transient systemic prothrombotic state in SARDS, anticoagulant therapy carries risks and is unlikely to restore lost vision. Future longitudinal and imaging studies are needed to determine whether coagulopathy arises before vision loss and whether it plays a causal role through choriocapillaris ischemia. 

Heyward, J. L., Lynch, A. M., Elbe, A., Jeffery, U., & Mowat, F. M. (2025). Dogs with sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome have evidence of a hypercoagulable state and decreased clot turnover. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.08.0540 

Bottom line — Hopefully, this will translate into a treatment option at some point.

Owner Compliance Following Fracture Repair

Long bone fractures are common emergencies in veterinary referral hospitals and often require surgical stabilization with orthopedic implants. After surgery, owners receive detailed instructions about postoperative care and the need for radiographic confirmation of fracture healing before resuming normal activity. However, owner compliance with postoperative care and follow-up imaging has been poorly studied in veterinary medicine. In human orthopedics, noncompliance with follow-up is common and linked to poorer outcomes, but similar data are limited in animals. 

This study aimed to determine the rate of owner compliance for postoperative radiographic follow-up after fracture repair at an academic referral hospital and to identify factors affecting compliance. The investigators hypothesized that 90% of owners would return for follow-up, but the actual rate was 80%, which was higher than previous veterinary studies and comparable to human orthopedic follow-up rates. Older patient age and higher treatment costs were associated with lower odds of returning, while greater driving distance from the hospital surprisingly increased the likelihood of return—possibly reflecting higher motivation or fewer local specialty care options. Breed had little influence on compliance. Financial factors played a significant role, with each $1,000 increase in the total invoice associated with a 21% decrease in odds of follow-up, highlighting the importance of discussing costs with clients. 

Surgical experience also influenced outcomes: third-year residents had more complications requiring implant removal, likely due to longer surgical times and less experience with implant placement, although this did not appear to affect owner compliance directly. The study used the modified Clavien-Dindo system to categorize complications objectively as major or minor. Major complications mostly involved infections or irritation necessitating hardware removal. 

Pankowski, A., Karlin, W. M., Evans, R., Phillips, I., Graham, J., & Rozanski, E. (2025). Owner compliance with radiographic follow-up after fracture stabilization in dogs and cats is influenced by distance, patient age, and invoice. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.07.0487 

Bottom line — Finances played a major role.

Smart Collar For Dogs

Monitoring resting respiratory rate (RRR) in dogs with cardiac disease is important for detecting early decompensation, as an elevated RRR can signal impending left-sided congestive heart failure (LCHF). Normal or subclinical dogs typically have RRRs below 25 breaths per minute, while dogs nearing LCHF often exceed 40 breaths per minute. Caretakers are usually instructed to monitor RRRs manually or through smartphone applications, but these methods depend on consistent owner compliance. The Maven Pet Smart Collar offers an automated alternative by continuously measuring RRR through motion sensors. 

This prospective study evaluated how closely the Maven Pet Smart Collar’s RRR readings agreed with manually counted rates in healthy dogs. Results demonstrated close overall agreement, with relatively narrow limits of difference. For instance, a collar reading of 22 breaths per minute would correspond to a manual count of about 23, within a range of 16 to 28. A few measurements differed by more than 10 breaths per minute, typically due to motion artifacts or undetected respiratory movement. Such discrepancies are considered clinically significant, though clinicians tend to prioritize trends in RRR over single measurements, acknowledging that stress or environmental factors can cause transient variability. 

Agreement between methods was consistent across different body sizes and head conformations. Dogs with short coats showed slightly smaller measurement bias than those with medium or long coats, though the limited number of long-haired dogs prevented firm conclusions. The study faced limitations, including fewer concurrent manual and collar measurements than planned because many owner-submitted videos were not synchronized with collar recordings. Additionally, data came only from healthy dogs with RRRs under 30, so performance in dogs with tachypnea or respiratory distress remains unverified. 

Despite these limitations, findings support the use of the Maven Pet Smart Collar for monitoring RRR in healthy dogs. Automating RRR tracking may improve early detection of LCHF by reducing reliance on owner diligence and enabling prompt veterinary response to abnormal readings. However, owner education remains vital so that caregivers can confirm abnormal readings, recognize increased respiratory effort, and understand normal variation. Future research should assess the collar’s accuracy in dogs with cardiac or respiratory disease and evaluate its performance in detecting rising RRR trends and generating clinical alerts. 

In summary, the Maven Pet Smart Collar provides RRR readings that align closely with manual counts in healthy dogs. While not a substitute for owner awareness or clinical assessment, it offers a useful tool for enhancing at-home monitoring, particularly for owners who may struggle with consistent manual tracking. 

Murphy, K. E., Benjamin, E. J., Leigh, R., & Adin, D. (2025). The Maven Pet Smart Collar system shows a small bias compared to manually counted resting respiratory rates in healthy dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.06.0220 

Bottom line — Potentially useful for at-home monitoring of dogs.

Just putting things in perspective …