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The world of pet supplements is bewildering. Glucosamine, green-lipped mussel, omega-3s, turmeric, collagen, hyaluronic acid, MSM, the list goes on, not to mention powders, chews, liquids. Every advert promises mobility, comfort and a spring in the step, and every owner of an ageing dog or cat has stood in front of that shelf wondering which of them, if any, is doing anything at all.
And how can you be sure that anything has helped: you can't tell by watching. Some days are better than others, a good walk on Tuesday proves nothing about the product you started on Monday. The gradual changes often slip past you.
The only way to know what's working is to be consistent and methodical and what you’re giving and have a reliable way of measuring your pet's response. The first two are your responsibility. The third is what the Zooomy App is for.
Before we go any further, one thing worth saying clearly: this app is not a diagnostic tool, and it isn't designed to be. If your pet is showing signs of pain or has suffered an injury, the first and only call is your vet. The Zooomy App is for owners managing age-related stiffness and mobility decline, the gradual kind that creeps in over months and is easy to underestimate precisely because it moves so slowly. I will not help you diagnose your pet’s lameness or replace a visit to the vet.
Your job: consistency
Measurement only means something if the conditions stay the same. Pick one supplement at a time and give it a fair run which means using it for at least six to eight weeks before you judge it. Try not to change your pet’s food or exercise regimen in the same window, or if you do, write it down in your diary or the app. Check in on the same schedule every time, ideally at the same time of day. None of this is complicated. It's just routine.
The app's half: measurement
The Zooomy App, free at app.zooomy.com, gives you a structured, repeatable way to measure your pet's mobility over time. Instead of a feeling, you get a score measured the same way every time, and you’re building a line on a graph that shows whether things are improving, holding steady, or heading the wrong way.
At the heart of it is the Mobility Check.
For dogs, it's 13 multiple-choice questions based on a validated clinical assessment tool used by veterinary professionals to evaluate changes in canine mobility. You answer the questions and the app gives you a score out of 52 which bcomes your baseline. When you run the check again every two weeks you’re building a trend and a comparison.
Cats hide discomfort well, which makes gradual change even harder to spot. The new version of the app adds another system for cats, with their own questionnaire: the Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index (FMPI), developed at North Carolina State University. It consists of 9 questions about the everyday things a cat normally does, jumping up, jumping down, playing, grooming, getting up from rest, each rated on a simple 5 point scale. The app turns your answers into a score out of 100, where higher means more difficulty, and tracks it over time exactly as it does for dogs. Tap any score and the app explains what it means and, just as importantly, what it doesn't.
Log the day you started a supplement as an event and it appears on the graph. From then on you're not asking whether it feels like it's working. You're looking at what happened to the line after that date.
Sharing progress with your vet
One of the most practical uses of the app is as a communication tool with your veterinary practice. Vets can only observe your pet during a consultation. What you've seen at home, over weeks and months, is information they don't otherwise have in a way they can trust.
The app lets you bring that information to the consult in a form that they’ll find useful. Your pet's scores over time on a single graph, with your supplement changes marked on it. Videos of how they move, how they rise from rest, how they handle stairs or a windowsill, captured at home where they're relaxed rather than in a clinical setting where many animals perform better than usual. You can attach a video to any check, or add videos to your pet's profile whenever you like, and play any two side by side, making changes immediately visible in a way that's hard to argue with.
None of this replaces your vet's assessment. But it gives them, and you, a much clearer picture.
Everything else the app includes
● Feeding guide. If you're using Zooomy's liquid hyaluronic acid supplement, the app works out the right amount per serving from your pet's weight, for dogs and for cats, so the amount stays consistent too.
● Reminders. Set a check frequency and the app prompts you when the next one is due, so the schedule doesn't depend on you remembering.
● Videos that upload in the background. Phone videos are big. Add one and carry on using the app; it uploads quietly and picks up where it left off if your connection drops.
● Works offline. Checks and notes are saved on your phone and synced when you're back online.
● Simple sign-in. Create an account with your email, or if you already shop with Zooomy, sign in with your store login.
Is this app right for me and my pet?
The Zooomy App is designed for dogs and cats experiencing age-related stiffness and gradual mobility decline. It is not appropriate for, and should not be used in place of veterinary assessment for, animals with suspected neurological conditions or any sudden or acute change in mobility. If you're unsure what's causing your pet's symptoms, speak to your vet first.
If you're looking after an older dog or cat whose joints are simply feeling the years, and you want to stop guessing about what helps, this is exactly what the app is for.
Try it before you sign up
Not sure yet? Go to app.zooomy.com and tap “Try the demo”. You can explore the whole app with two example pets without creating an account.
When you're ready, it's free, works on any device, and takes a few minutes to set up. Create an account, add your pet, and take a baseline Mobility Check before you change anything. That first score is the starting point for everything, and whatever it tells you, knowing is always better than wondering.