Petnostics is a lifesaving patented technology for testing pet urine through an iPhone. The startup, started in 2013 by Stephen Chen, provides patented systems that enable pet owners to test their pet’s urine at home and get quick results on an app on their phone.
This product is a game-changer for pet owners as it can be used in the comfort of their homes to check their pet’s health and possibly catch life-threatening health issues early on.
What makes this product stand out is how conveniently it can be used. All one has to do is collect and seal a small amount of urine in a patented cup and let the chemical test urinalysis strip do its job. The result then appears on an app on your phone.
The company was still operating in 2022, and its yearly revenue was around two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. However, as of July 2022, the website does not show products, and the social media platforms have not been updated. Hence, it seems like Petnostics has gone out of business.
The petnostics episode aired on 15th April. Stephens Petnostic’s pitch on shark tank was targeted towards getting monetary investment to fuel mass distribution of his product. He pitched three hundred thousand dollars for a 10% company stake.
He tried to convince the sharks by showing a visual presentation of how conveniently one can use the app to test their pet’s urine. He also shows how the sample collector featuring long handles can be used to easily collect urine without going through the distasteful process of collecting pet urine in a cup.
Stephen mentioned how the test pad would change color based on the pet’s health.
Some of the sharks were not pleased with the idea of collecting pet pee, but they proceeded to ask the standard questions. Here is how all the sharks reacted:
Ashton Kutcher: He inquires about the price, to which Stephen replies that currently, the cups cost two dollars, but he can make them for as low as 90 cents. Kutcher is also reserved about collecting pet urine and thinks blood testing is better. However, Stephen argues that most pet owners are against blood testing.
Robert Herjavec: He asks about the patents, which claims to have four patents on color-change-evaluation technology employed by the app and the cup’s design.
Kevin O’Leary: He offers three hundred thousand dollars in return for a 15% stake.
Lori Greiner: She offers three hundred thousand dollars for a 20 percent share.
Mark Cuban: He believes the strip technology restricts the patents and exits.
Both Robert and Kutcher discuss how veterans would not be in favor of this product. Later on, Stephens’ presentation came to an end with a pee joke and a question to the sharks about who was in.
He said that he had samples on hand and encouraged the Sharks to ask any questions that came to mind. Stephen’s dog Austin accompanied him as he made his way to the sharks with a tray of samples.
Robert quickly grabbed his sample and then went around to welcome the dog. Lori fell in love with the puppy, and the dog managed to find a comfortable spot on Robert’s lap until Stephen finished distributing the samples. At the end of the episode, Stephen enters the deal put forward by Lori and Kevin.
Our Review of ‘Petnostics’
Petnostics is an innovative product that can save pet owners the time and money to go into a clinic and get their pet’s routine tests done. The product has proved helpful in detecting diseases in pets early on.
The product is ideal for dog owners who have old-age dogs that might require frequent urine testing. We believe Petnostics is worth trying as it is easy to use, pocket-friendly, and offers disease-specific tests.
Pros of ‘Petnostics’
- Ability to easily forward results to anyone, including vets
- Handy urine collector
- Inexpensive compared to pet urine tests at vet clinics
- Availability of disease-specific tests
Cons of ‘Petnostics’
- It can be used only once
- Customers have reported false results
- The urine collector needs to be bought separately
Who Is ‘Petnostics’ For?
Petnostics is ideal for busy pet owners who don’t have time to get routine tests done by the vet. It is also a handy product for pet owners with old cats or dogs that might need frequent urine tests.
With this convenient product, pet owners can run disease-specific tests on their pets from the comfort of their homes to ensure their pets stay healthy.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Since petnostics seems to have gone out of business, here are a few alternatives to Petnostics:
- Portable
- io
- ViaGen pets
- Bark
- Whistle Go
- One Health
- Pop
Portable is top on our list as it is a must-have app that helps pet parents manage and document anything and everything related to their pet’s health.
Our Final Thoughts
This Petnostics review proves how the company’s products were innovative as they used technology to help owners conveniently keep tabs on their pet’s health. One had to collect a urine sample in the cup provided by petnostics. The product helped detect many diseases in pets.
Even though the deal with Lori and Kevin didn’t fall through. The founder of Petnostics managed to make a name for his business in the market by collaborating with a renowned pet product distributor and manufacturer called Fetch for Pets.
Stephen also managed to launch other pet-related products, such as hydrophobic litter. To secure a sample, the litter aimed to help cat owners conveniently acquire urine samples without running around after their cats.
Petnostics helped identify issues ranging from urinary tract infections to dehydration and diabetes in pets. The results were available on the app and could be shared among family members and the veterinarian.
However, issues like the lighting and the angle of the phone producing different results each time may be what made petnostics lose customers and eventually go out of business.
