Tractive, the Austria-based leader in GPS and health tracking for pets, has announced a major upgrade to its dog trackers, introducing two new tools aimed at catching potential health issues early: Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate Monitoring. The new features are designed to give dog owners more insight into their pup’s well-being, without adding to their subscription bill.
Early Warnings for Costly Problems
With vet expenses continuing to climb (up 11% in the past year) Tractive is giving pet parents a way to stay ahead of health concerns that could otherwise lead to emergency visits. The company’s smart trackers now monitor heart and respiratory rates in real time, sending Health Alerts if something seems off.
Tractive CEO Michael Hurnaus calls it “a huge leap forward in pet care,” and it’s not just marketing fluff. When subtle changes are detected in a dog’s sleep or activity levels, owners are notified, potentially prompting earlier vet visits before symptoms get worse. One North Carolina dog owner, Kathy N., credits the alert system for helping her catch her Golden Retriever’s infection early, avoiding what could have become a more serious (and more expensive) ordeal.
What the New Health Monitoring Tracks
The update builds on Tractive’s existing health features by adding:
- Heart Rate Monitoring: Elevated resting heart rates can be signs of stress, fever, dehydration, or even heart conditions.
- Respiratory Rate Monitoring: Changes in breathing may indicate respiratory illness, pain, or cardiac problems.
After just a week of wear, the tracker establishes a personal baseline for each dog and flags data that falls outside the expected range.
One Dashboard, Five Key Metrics
Alongside these new vitals, Tractive is debuting a revamped Health Dashboard, offering an at-a-glance view of:
- Daily activity
- Sleep quality
- Heart rate
- Respiratory rate
- Barking behavior
The system draws on billions of data points across different breeds and life stages to provide personalized, AI-powered insights. Instead of comparing your chihuahua to your neighbor’s husky, you’ll see what’s typical for your dog, and what might warrant a second look.
Available Now, Free for Subscribers
Starting this May, Tractive is rolling out these new features to all dog tracker users at no extra cost. No hardware upgrade, no app add-on; just better health tools in the same device.
More details can be found at Tractive.com.
