(PRESS RELEASE) CHICAGO — No more ifs, ands, or butts about your pets’ health. Mella Pet Care, which empowers both veterinarians and pet parents to better track pet health with connected devices, announced the launch of the Mella Thermometer.
“I wish Mella were around when my adopted kitty, Miles, was running a fever,” said Tennille Teague of Brooklyn. After adopting, something didn’t seem right. Teague called the vet, tried using a human thermometer from a bodega but ended up in the ER to save Miles. “If I had a Mella thermometer, I wouldn’t have gone through that back and forth.”
CEO & Co-Founder Anya Babbitt was inspired after realizing there was no easy way to measure her dog Mella’s temperature. Many pet parents find the process uncomfortable, with some pets even showing signs of fear or distress during the process. With Mella, vets and pet parents easily measure a dog or cat’s temperature via the foreleg or hindleg— at the vet or from the comfort of home.
“Before Mella, the vet inserted an anal probe, hand-wrote the temperature, and entered it into a system,” Babbitt said. “We achieved a breakthrough in hardware by creating the world’s first accurate underarm thermometer, and also in software with innovative integrations into patient records.”
Mella is announcing $1.2 million in financing led by Pet Health Innovation Labs (Phil Ventures), a pet health & wellness technology hub backed by PETstock Australian pet retailer, with 160+ stores, 30+ veterinary hospitals across Australia and New Zealand.
“Vets and parents have a real need for non-invasive diagnostic tools. This is the beginning of what we are doing to meet that need,” said Babbitt. “This investment from such a prestigious investor group dedicated to pet tech will allow us to expedite our first product, the Mella Thermometer, the world’s first underarm pet thermometer.”
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“We chose Mella as our first investment and are proud to back this exceptional company,” said Shane Young, PETstock CEO. “Mella’s founders have the vision and ability to execute – essential for a rapidly changing pet care industry. We look forward to working together to build a connected, integrated health environment for vets and pet parents.”
In building the first accurate thermometer to measure under the foreleg, Mella utilizes multiple sensors, millions of patient records and machine learning. Clinical trials are ongoing at multiple universities to publish a peer-reviewed study to demonstrate accuracy data.
Releasing first is the Mella Pro, for veterinary professionals, followed by the Mella Home, for parents, in late summer. In addition, Mella is developing the Biggie Bodyfat Analyzer, scheduled for release by end of 2021, to address pet obesity.
Mella has won 10+ awards including the 2021 Purina Pet Care Innovation Prize.
Mella is accepting orders for the Mella Pro and Home including a 30-day trial.
For more information, visit Mella Pet Care.
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