Imagine a world where we can predict a health issue in cats two years before it strikes. With nearly 150,000 medical records from over 750,000 Banfield Pet Hospital® visits spanning two decades, PIPA and partners designed a predictive, diagnostic tool that revolutionizes personalized, preventative healthcare for our furry companions.
Using machine learning for better pet care
In collaboration with our partners, we built and deployed an enterprise-level machine learning solution to enable early disease prediction and intervention – RenalTech® by Antech Diagnostics. This technology leveraged our recently published research in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine: “Predicting Early Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats Using Routine Clinical Laboratory Tests and Machine Learning.“
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stands as a significant threat in the feline world, claiming the lives of 30-40 percent of cats aged 10 and above. Conventional diagnostic methods often identify CKD only after significant kidney damage, presenting challenges for effective intervention and treatment. By harnessing AI on proprietary data from electronic health records (EHRs) collected during routine veterinary practices at Banfield Pet Hospitals, our objective was clear: enable early disease prediction and intervention.
Developed with anonymized medical data from a vast pool of feline patients, the tool boasts an accuracy rate exceeding 95 percent in predicting CKD. This innovation ushers in a new era of proactive healthcare tailored to pets unique needs.
RenalTech™, now available to veterinarians using Antech’s reference laboratories, signifies the inaugural step towards a future where predictive diagnostics become the standard in pet healthcare. Poul Weihrauch, President of Mars Petcare, articulates the commitment to “A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™,” envisioning a future where predictive diagnostics become the norm, managing diseases like CKD proactively. This vision is the result of a collaborative effort involving esteemed companies such as Antech Diagnostics, Banfield Pet Hospitals, WALTHAM, PIPA, and DEUS EX MACHINA—proof of our collective dedication to delivering groundbreaking solutions to the pet world.
In our pursuit of a better world for our feline companions, we are committed to transforming pet healthcare through the fusion of data and state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence.
