“In France, more than one million dogs did not have their yearly medical check-up in 2018. And we must not forget that our furry friends cannot tell us if they hurt. Sadly, from our experience, the diagnosis and the treatment are frequently done too late,” explains veterinarian Chloé Lacroix.
Purina ProPlan – pet food for special health diets – together with McCann Paris, wanted to give a helping hand to dog owners by launching STREET VET, an innovative billboard that analyses dog urine and detects immediately their potential health problems.
People simply have to walk their dogs on one of the streets or parks where the special billboards have been placed. The pheromones released by the billboard will do the rest and will attract the dogs towards it - and we all know that dogs cannot resist urinating on a pole.
The urine is then analysed and, in less than 30 seconds, the result is screened on the billboard. If the tests come out with small imbalances, Purina Street-Vet suggests a diet that could prevent the disease progression. When a deeper medical check-up is required, pet owners can download the result and take it to the veterinarian for further investigation.
Created after more than two years of research by the Yncrea engineering school, in partnership with the veterinary clinic VetParis7, STREET VET can detect four different health problems: diabetes, kidney problems, urinary infection or cholesterol.
“Purina’s objective is to provide simple and efficient solutions to improve the wellness of our pets. We wanted to raise awareness on the importance of veterinary check-ups, but also to offer a solution that fits in the daily lives of pet owners - the daily walk on the street or in the park” explains Véronique Herman, marketing manager specialist at Nestlé Purina Pet Care.