Understanding your pet’s health data

Whistle Health Dashboard

Understanding your pet’s health data

Wellness

After your Whistle has collected a week’s worth of data, you can better understand your dog’s wellness.

Whistle’s Wellness Score gives you a data-based assessment of your dog’s energy level and insight into their overall well-being. A high score means your pup is getting enough exercise, sleeping well, and not showing signs of skin and coat issues. A low score means they’re feeling low energy and may be experiencing a health problem. Watch out for unexpected changes in energy, sleep, or skin health. 

What does it mean?

We’re monitoring your dog’s eating patterns to understand what’s normal for them. 

What to do?

Your smart device monitors their Wellness Score over time to create a baseline average for your dog. When they deviate from their average, we’ll alert you so you can check for potential health issues.

What does it mean?

Your dog is doing well.

What to do?

Continue tracking, everything looks good!

What does it mean?

Your dog is doing okay.

What to do?

Continue tracking and keep a close eye on your pup. Do they seem tired? Are they scratching more than normal? They may be feeling low energy from a poor night of sleep or experiencing discomfort from a skin issue. 

What does it mean?

Your dog has a low score.

What to do?

Continue tracking and keep a close eye on them to see if they seem tired or bothered by a skin issue. Check their other tracked behaviors in the Whistle app and look for any significant changes. If it seems like they don’t feel well, talk with your vet.

Watch closely for signs that they may be tired or not feeling like themselves. Are they dragging their feet during walks or skipping their nightly playtime session? Be sure to also consider other factors that could lower their activity level, like extra crate time or a few missed trips to the dog park. 

You can also take a look at the other behaviors Whistle tracks for a clue about what may be going on with your pup’s health. Is the app showing significant changes in their sleep patterns? Are their licking or scratching levels abnormally high? These insights may be able to point you in the right direction.  

If their Wellness Score stays low without a reasonable explanation, connect with your vet.

Scratching

Scratching is the number one reason pet parents bring their dogs to the vet. While the occasional itch is normal, increased scratching is one of the strongest indicators of allergies or a skin infection. If left untreated, skin conditions can lead to issues like dermatitis, infection, and lower quality of life. 

What does it mean?

Your dog likely isn’t showing any signs of skin health issues.

What to do?

Continue tracking, everything looks good!

What does it mean?

This could point to a skin issue—or it may just mean your dog likes to scratch more than most. 

What to do?

Keep tracking, and watch to see if their scratching gets any worse in the following days. 

What does it mean?

Your dog is showing signs of a potential skin issue. If this much scratching continues, it could lead to a skin infection. 

What to do?

Consider bringing them into the vet for a skin check-up. Pro tip: you can share scratching data with your vet straight from the app. 

What does it mean?

This much scratching is almost always a sign that your dog is having a skin health issue. 

What to do?

Book a skin check-up if you can. Pro tip: you can share scratching data with your vet straight from the app. 

Behavior comparisons are based on 50,000+ weeks of collected behavior insights from 10,000+ dogs. 

What to look for?

Don’t panic, skin issues are one of the most common health issues for dogs. Look for any noticeable signs of irritation (like redness, dryness, discoloration, bumps, rashes, matted hair, etc.). See something? Think about any changes that may have occurred in the past few days that could be causing an issue (like a recent walk through a pollen-filled field or a new shampoo). If nothing comes to mind, keep monitoring their behavior in the Whistle app. If their scratching levels stay at elevated or severe, connect with your vet to take a closer look. 

Heads up: It’s possible for your smart device to misinterpret scratch-like behavior. For instance, if you put your pup in a new sweater and they try to paw it off, that may get logged as scratching. So keep this in mind if we flag a sudden change that doesn’t match your observations. 

When to take action

If the scratching stays at an elevated or severe level, connect with your vet.

Licking

Licking happens for a long list of reasons: grooming, cleaning wounds, coping with stress, pure boredom, and more. Whatever the cause, their licking levels can offer insight into their physical and mental well-being. 


Note: Your smart device only tracks when your dogs licks themselves (not other pups, people, or peanut butter). 

What does it mean?

Your dog likely isn’t showing any signs of skin issues (or another licking-related health problem). 

What to do?

Continue tracking, everything looks good!

What does it mean?

This could point to a health issue—or it may just mean your dog likes to lick more than most. 

What to do?

Keep tracking and watch to see if their licking gets any worse in the following days. 

What does it mean?

Your dog is showing signs of a potential skin issue (or another health issue related to licking). If this much licking continues, it could lead to a skin infection. 

What to do?

Consider bringing them to the vet for a check-up. Pro tip: you can share licking data with your vet straight from the app. 

What does it mean?

This much licking is almost always a sign that your dog is having a health issue. 

What to do?

Book a vet check-up if you can. Pro tip: you can share scratching data with your vet straight from the app. 

Behavior population comparisons are based on 50,000+ weeks of collected behavior insights from 10,000+ dogs.

What to look for?

Look for any signs of skin irritation or redness—and check their paws for anything that may be causing discomfort. Keep in mind that licking may also be a sign of boredom or stress, so consider any recent lifestyle changes that could be affecting your dog’s mental health. 

If their licking levels stay elevated or severe, connect with your vet to take a closer look. 

When to take action

If the licking stays at an elevated or severe level, connect with your vet.

Sleeping

Your dog’s sleep is one of the first clues into their overall health. Understanding the consistency and continuity of their sleep can help you spot signs of sickness or injuries sooner.

What does it mean?

We’re monitoring your dog’s sleep patterns to understand what’s normal for them. 

What to do?

Make sure their Whistle is securely attached, so we can gather accurate data. 

What does it mean?

They’re experiencing little to no sleep disruptions. They’re getting consistent sleep that aligns with their normal patterns. 

What to do?

Continue tracking, everything looks good!

What does it mean?

Your dog is experiencing one or two more sleep disruptions per night than normal. 

What to do?

Keep tracking their behavior and make note of any recent lifestyle changes. Make sure their sleep space is comfortable for them.  

What does it mean?

Your dog’s sleep patterns are disrupted. This may point to an underlying health issue. 

What to do?

Consider booking a vet check-up so they can take a closer look. 

What to look for?

Think about any lifestyle changes that may have happened recently, like a big move or a change in their daily routine. If nothing comes to mind, taking a closer look at their other tracked behaviors may help you understand what’s going on. If their sleeping patterns continue to register as slightly or severely disrupted, connect with your vet to take a closer look. 

P.S. Keep in mind that your dogs’ sleep patterns will often mirror yours, especially if you co-sleep. So if your sleep has been disrupted, your dog’s will likely be too.

When to take action

If their sleeping levels stay too low or high or have lots of disruptions, connect with your vet.

Eating

Changes in eating habits may be linked to age, feeding times, or a new exercise routine. It can also indicate oral health issues, a metabolic disorder, high stress levels, and more.

What does it mean?

We’re monitoring your dog’s eating patterns to understand what’s normal for them. 

What to do?

Make sure their Whistle is securely attached, so we can gather accurate data. 

What does it mean?

Your dog is spending less time eating than usual. 

What to do?

Watch to see if their eating habits continue to be below average in the following days.

What does it mean?

Their eating habits are aligned with their normal patterns. 

What to do?

Continue tracking, everything looks good!

What does it mean?

Your dog is spending more time eating than usual. 

What to do?

Watch to see if their eating habits continue to be above average in the following days.

What to look for?

Changes in your dog’s eating patterns don’t always translate into a health issue. It could just be related to a new food, putting their food bowl in a new spot, or feeding them too many treats throughout the day. Taking a closer look at their other tracked behaviors may help you understand what’s going on. 

If their eating patterns continue to register as above or below average, connect with your vet to take a closer look. 

When to take action

If their eating levels stay too low or high, connect with your vet.

Drinking

Drinking habits can change for many reasons, like shifts in temperature, activity levels, and dietary choices (like kibble vs. wet food). But health issues like kidney disease and diabetes can also cause your pup to drink more.

What does it mean?

We’re monitoring your dog’s drinking patterns to understand what’s normal for them. 

What to do?

Make sure their Whistle is securely attached, so we can gather accurate data. 

What does it mean?

Your dog is spending less time drinking than usual.

What to do?

Watch to see if their drinking habits continue to be below average in the following days.

What does it mean?

Their drinking habits are aligned with their normal patterns. 

What to do?

Continue tracking, everything looks good!

What does it mean?

Your dog is spending more time drinking than usual. 

What to do?

Keep tracking to see if their drinking habits continue to be above average in the following days.

What to look for?

First, think about any recent changes in temperature, activity, or food. Is there a heat wave happening? Did they come with you on a hike? Did you switch from dry food to wet food? If no connections jump out at you, taking a closer look at their other tracked behaviors may help you understand what’s going on.

If their drinking habits continue to be above or below average, connect with your vet to take a closer look. 

When to take action

If their drinking levels stay too low or high, connect with your vet.