Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine launches pet care app

Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has launched a new app on the Apple App Store for Apple Vision Pro, iPad, and iPhone to help pet owners with step-by-step tutorials to take care of their pets. The app was designed by veterinary professionals within Purdue University and was first thought up by Sandra San Miguel, the associate dean for engagement and a professor in veterinary clinical sciences, when she attended an Apple Vision Pro demonstration.

According to an article on Purdue University’s website, San Miguel is quoted as saying of the app, “While the app is for pet owners, we are also developing apps to advance the way we teach veterinary medicine. We will be using Apple Vision Pro and spatial computing in our clinical skills laboratory so our students can practice hands-on procedures in real life while in a digital learning environment. We have the potential to positively impact future generations of students and animals.”

After seeing an Apple Vision Pro demonstration, San Miguel began brainstorming how the technology could be utilized in a veterinary application. She asked Purdue University’s Spatial Computing Hub to help develop the app. With help from experts in the Spatial Computing Hub, the PVM Pro Tips app was designed to be an immersive learning experience that will help them learn how to care for their animals in the real world while being walked through procedures by veterinary experts in the virtual world. After launching the Vision Pro app, the team decided to release traditional versions for users who only have access to an iPhone or iPad. The information is the same, though it is presented in a more traditional format.

The app will help users with daily tasks like trimming nails, cleaning ears, bandaging wounds, and administering medications for cats, dogs, horses, and birds. The app, and the development of future Vision Pro apps specifically for educating veterinary students, will allow faculty, staff, and students to participate in collaborative research opportunities. 

Carrie Berger, who is the executive director of online academics and strategic initiatives at Purdue University, said, “The success of Sandra San Miguel’s veterinary medicine app — marking the first Apple Vision Pro app released to the App Store from Purdue’s program — is a prime example of the innovation we sought to catalyze. This work not only enhances our veterinary curriculum but also demonstrates how Purdue is leading the way in shaping the future of technology for the benefit of our students and the broader community.”

For more information about Purdue University, visit the school’s website.