As dog walking apps like Rover and Wag become more ubiquitous by the Bowser-loving day, it was only a matter of time until pet health services made it into the digital space.
Now, with $6m in new funding, Sweden’s FirstVet will offer remote video consultations and advice for neurotic pet owners who constantly worry that their pet is on the verge of taking the long nap.
The startup launched in 2016 and now claims around 60k registered users in its home market.
And they already have some competition
Within days of FirstVet’s Series A, Fuzzy Pet Health, a subscription vet care service that provides in-home vet visits to subscribers in the SF area, has come to play as well.
Their new product, Fuzzy Pet Health Connect, will allow customers to send text, pictures, and videos to a vet at any time to receive real-time medical advice — at just $10 a month.
Which is great… because pets are friggin’ expensive
According to the ASPCA, the first-year cost of any pet ownership generally exceeds $1k — not including emergency vet trips after your dog mauls a king-sized bag of Butterfingers on Halloween.
According to FirstVet’s founder, the price point for their service is about 30-40% of the starting fee for a physical vet visit in their market, which, along with Fuzzy Pet, means the market is ripe for disruption… but WebMD is still free.