Is AI reliable when it comes to your pet’s health? According to a new survey, conducted online between April 22 - April 28, 2026, more than two in five (43%) use tools like ChatGPT for recommendations on their pet’s health and nutrition.
Nearly half (47%) mainly use AI for more unusual questions such as “Can pets see ghosts?” But the study of 2,000 pet owners, commissioned by Darwin’s pet food and conducted by Talker Research, found more health-based questions averaged seven times a week.
Pet parents will ask AI about nutrition (55%), symptoms or illness (54%), pet care products (52%) and general curiosity about behavior (50%).
Almost three in five (59%) have made changes to their pet’s care as a result of AI recommendations. And 90% of pet owners say AI and online resources have made them feel more informed. But 50% admit researching pet care decisions online sometimes makes them feel unsure.
Veterinarians still come in first for pet owners’ most trusted source for health and nutrition advice (71%), and just 14% trust AI tools the most. If the two contradict each other, 64% will listen to their vet over 12% that choose AI.
Overall, 30% of pet owners agree using AI increases worry for pet health, mainly when it comes to health (47%) and nutrition (33%) .
The study also asked pet owners how they try to verify info they find online, and as most trust vets the most, the majority of pet parents (57%) rank professional credentials as the best signal for trusted info. After that is personal experience (34%), scientific studies (31%) and AI-generated responses (11%).
“AI is changing how people gather information, but it doesn’t change the responsibility that comes with caring for an animal,” added Hagenson. “The most confident decisions tend to come from balancing expert advice with firsthand understanding of your pet, rather than relying on any single source.”
This firsthand understanding is shared by many as 89% said AI can’t replace a pet owner’s intuition. But trust will only become more challenging as 52% believe AI will be a normal part of pet care within the next five years.
Fact-Checked by Irfan Ahmad.
Read next:
• How AI could make us work even harder
• As Bots Gain Authority Over Workers, Does Human Oversight Still Matter?
Nearly half (47%) mainly use AI for more unusual questions such as “Can pets see ghosts?” But the study of 2,000 pet owners, commissioned by Darwin’s pet food and conducted by Talker Research, found more health-based questions averaged seven times a week.
Pet parents will ask AI about nutrition (55%), symptoms or illness (54%), pet care products (52%) and general curiosity about behavior (50%).
Almost three in five (59%) have made changes to their pet’s care as a result of AI recommendations. And 90% of pet owners say AI and online resources have made them feel more informed. But 50% admit researching pet care decisions online sometimes makes them feel unsure.
Veterinarians still come in first for pet owners’ most trusted source for health and nutrition advice (71%), and just 14% trust AI tools the most. If the two contradict each other, 64% will listen to their vet over 12% that choose AI.
Overall, 30% of pet owners agree using AI increases worry for pet health, mainly when it comes to health (47%) and nutrition (33%) .
The study also asked pet owners how they try to verify info they find online, and as most trust vets the most, the majority of pet parents (57%) rank professional credentials as the best signal for trusted info. After that is personal experience (34%), scientific studies (31%) and AI-generated responses (11%).
“AI is changing how people gather information, but it doesn’t change the responsibility that comes with caring for an animal,” added Hagenson. “The most confident decisions tend to come from balancing expert advice with firsthand understanding of your pet, rather than relying on any single source.”
This firsthand understanding is shared by many as 89% said AI can’t replace a pet owner’s intuition. But trust will only become more challenging as 52% believe AI will be a normal part of pet care within the next five years.
Fact-Checked by Irfan Ahmad.
Read next:
• How AI could make us work even harder
• As Bots Gain Authority Over Workers, Does Human Oversight Still Matter?
