Veterinary teams across the US and Japan are facing a familiar crunch: more pets, fewer vets, and phones that don’t stop ringing. But a new digital assistant called Si (short for Smart Insight) is quietly reshaping how animal clinics handle communication, intake, and aftercare, especially when staff are off the clock.
Launched by pet health tech company PetsCareCom Inc. (www.petscare.com), Si is designed to function as a virtual 24/7 front-desk assistant. It collects symptom details before a pet arrives, processes image uploads (like skin rashes or eye issues), and follows up with pet parents after visits, reminding them about meds, recovery tips, and rechecks. If clients have routine questions—like “When should I give the next dose?” or “Is it okay to go for a walk?”—Si replies instantly with accurate answers, no staff intervention needed.
“We built Si to take care of the 60–70% of routine communication that doesn’t require medical expertise,” said a PetsCareCom Inc. product manager . “That frees up our staff to focus on actual patient care — diagnosing, treating, and connecting with pet owners in person.”
And the demand is very real. Roughly 66% of American households now own a pet, up from 56% in 1988, and that number continues to grow. But with a projected shortage of 15,000 veterinarians by 2030, according to HealthforAnimals, clinics are under mounting pressure. In many practices, front desks field over 600 calls a week—often about simple medication questions or appointment updates.
Veterinary burnout is also proving increasingly costly, with recent estimates suggesting the economic impact may exceed $3–4 billion per year in the U.S. alone, factoring in turnover, absenteeism, staffing shortages, and lost productivity.
Si plugs directly into clinic websites or portals via subscription, letting clients chat, upload images, or receive post-care instructions—all without adding to the team’s workload. Clinics keep full control of care decisions, while Si handles the time-consuming but repetitive tasks like reminders, check-ins, and basic FAQs.
The tool is already live in clinics across the US, Japan, and the UK. More than 28,000 veterinary documents and training sets inform its triage logic, and it’s been trained on millions of pet images and medical lab results to help flag visible and hidden health concerns before the vet even sees the patient. That makes visits faster and more focused.
The global pet tech market is projected to hit $20 billion by 2030, and AI in animal health is growing at over 20% CAGR, according to ResearchAndMarkets. Meanwhile, 68% of pet owners now prefer booking appointments online, and nearly 40% say they’d welcome more digital tools from their clinic.
As the veterinary sector tries to keep pace with client demand, tools like Si may soon be standard practice. For overworked teams and anxious pet parents, it could be a welcome change.
Sources:
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American Pet Products Association (APPA), 2023–24
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Morgan Stanley Research, “The Pet Economy,” 2023
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HealthforAnimals, Global Veterinary Shortage Report
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Cornell University Center for Veterinary Business & Entrepreneurship, 2022
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PawsTime Veterinary Call Volume Study
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ResearchAndMarkets, “Global AI in Animal Health Market,” 2024
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American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) & Digitail AI Adoption Survey, 2024
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PetsCareCom Inc., 166 Geary St, STE 1500 #1981, San Francisco, CA 94108 US, info@petscare_com, www.PetsCare.com
Disclaimer: Si by PetsCareCom Inc. is not a medical device and does not provide diagnoses or treatment. It is a smart communication assistant designed to collect information, support clinic workflows, and offer evidence-based insights. All clinical decisions remain the sole responsibility of licensed veterinary professionals.
