Right now and in the coming months, a series of wearable devices for dogs will hit the market. This first generation of tech collars can measure and report a dog’s heart rate, respiratory rate, rest patterns, calorie burning and more. You’ll be able to see this info from your mobile phone or tablet, and even email it to your veterinarian. There are all kinds of ways this can come in handy. For example, let’s say you need to travel and leave your dog in the care of a friend or relative. You can check your mobile device at any time and see precisely how your dog is doing and know whether your best friend is being properly cared for.

These pioneering devices (and others that will undoubtedly follow) promise to help us better understand the health and well-being of our dogs, and could potentially reduce, maybe outright avoid, some serious health issues before they surface. Over time, you can create a history of your dog’s health that can pick-up subtle signals that something is wrong before you, and possibly even your dog, know something’s up. That huge vet bill that frets so many of us could be headed off at that pass the same way early detection of human maladies can often save money, even lives.

Naturally, one of the biggest concerns when adopting a dog is cost, specifically those related to medical care. These devices however could alert owners to possible health concerns much earlier in the illness’s development and not only save lives, but reduce the cost of remedy. If owners could learn to track their pet’s personal health via wearable technology, unexpected medical bills could be, if not avoided, largely reduced. With the burden of medical costs mitigated, we’ll surely see interest from the pet-loving community surge and that’ll only mean more adoptions… and new best friends.

Whistle is on the market now, and Voyce and FitBark are close behind.