This 'Shark Tank' App Could Keep Your Pup Safe

Going to the vet is never fun for any of the parties involved, human or animal — which is part of the reason why Stephen Chen founded Petnostics back in February of 2013. Three years later, Petnostics is headed to Shark Tank, and viewers are going to want to check this pup-saving app out.

If you're unfamilar, Petnostics is a new smartphone app to help streamline your trips to the vet — it comes as a component of a kit to test your pet's urine, which can help to diagnose a number of different conditions, including common afflictions like urinary tract infections, bladder stones, and even diabetes. If your pet is sick, you'll still need to go to the vet for further treatment, but it's a great way to rule things out and figure out what you're dealing with ahead of time. And that's where Petnostics has you covered — after collecting the urine, the urinalysis kit will turn different colors, depending on the chemical makeup, and then, you can launch the app on your phone to analyze your pet's results.

Part of Petnostic's appeal is the fact that it can cut out a step of the usual hustle and bustle of getting your pet to the vet, saving you time and money. After all, collecting your pet's urine is no walk in the park (unless it happens to happen during a literal walk in the park, of course), but think how much easier it is for Fido to have you collect his urine, rather than a vet technician who would likely have to use a syringe or catheter to do what usually happens naturally.

It also allows for more frequent check-ups: the team behind Petnostics suggests testing once a month, which is a good way to stay on top of your pet's health. As Chen told Business Wire, "This new and convenient technology from Petnostics allows pet owners to monitor their dog’s and cat’s health ... If the app indicates there is something wrong, owners will be able to move quickly and remedy the problem with their local veterinarian. It is always better to prevent an issue or disease by catching it early on, rather than treating it at a later stage."

Sold? Well, if you're interested in doing some urinalysis on your cat or dog, you can always head over to Petnostics' website, where the company sells testing kits for $9.99 (the app itself, which is available for iPhones, is free), along with a funnel-like urine collector ($14.99), and hydrophobic cat litter (also $14.99).

It's always a tough call, but do you think the Sharks will invest? It could be difficult to market and grow a company centered on pet urine test, so Petnostics might not be some of Shark Tank's luckiest entrepreneurs, but that said, you never know how things will shake out — the Sharks may end up surprising us all.

Image: Giphy; ABC