Smart collar subscription costs can add up. This is what you should know before paying for one.

Just like their human companions, pets can have wearables of their own. Though they’re usually advertised as GPS pet trackers, these smart collars often monitor your cat’s and dog’s health metrics, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, eating and drinking, activity, sleep and even barking, licking and scratching.

But does your furry friend actually need a smart collar, particularly when it matters most — such as during vet appointments? After all, these devices can come with costly subscriptions that add up over time. To find out, I reached out to two veterinarians for their expert opinions on pet smart collars.

While Dr. Odeliah Bouganim, the founder of SwiftVet Concierge Veterinarian in Los Angeles, doesn’t think every pet needs a wearable, she does believe they can be helpful tools.

“As a veterinarian, I always emphasize that understanding your pet’s normal behavior is one of the most important ways to recognize early signs of illness,” Bouganim told CNET. Wearables can help people identify subtle changes in their pet’s sleep, activity or daily routines that may go unnoticed without a collar that tracks these metrics over the long run. 

“I think of pet wearables as an additional source of information, not a replacement for veterinary care,” Dr. Sarah Wooten, veterinarian and certified veterinary journalist, told CNET. 

While neither Bouganim nor Wooten rely on wearable data for diagnosis, both acknowledged that it can provide helpful context.

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