Vet Innovations Inc. has introduced the veterinary-exclusive PortionPro Rx, an automated feeder that dispenses precise amounts of pet food at scheduled times.
The device, launched at VMX 2018 and distributed by Vetsource, is designed to help the owners of overweight dogs and cats comply with a veterinarian’s weight-loss recommendations, the Burlington, Connecticut, company reported.
PortionPro Rx “complements what the veterinarian is already doing to help patients lose weight,” said its inventor, Troy Hexter, DVM, the chief medical officer at Vet Innovations.
“It works beautifully in homes with multiple pets to minimize mealtime chaos and ensure that the right pet eats the right food in the right amount,” he said.
Measured by volume, dry food drops into a door-covered bowl. An RFID collar tag communicates with the feeder as an assigned pet approaches and the door slides open. The door will close if another tag-wearing pet that has been assigned a different feeding time gets too close.
Vet Innovations reported that three-month field trials involving 100 households and conducted with a third-party market research firm found that:
- 87 percent of overweight pets lost weight during the trial.
- 97 percent of pet owners said food stealing between pets was eliminated.
- 83 percent of pet owners said following a prescription diet became easier.
- 86 percent of pet owners saw reduced stress and frustration at mealtime.
The price to the client is $289, plus shipping. The first collar tag is included, and additional tags cost $19.95, according to Vet Innovations.