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4T Pet 1.230-Day Trial Download
Compatibility: Palm OS 3.5 or higher
Size: 45.06 KB
Price: $12.95
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Well, I had had high hopes for this program from the description on TuCows, but the program just kept crashing on my Palm T|X. I've included it here in case anyone else wants to try to get the 30-day trial to work on their Palm device and post their thoughts on the program (if it works).
ADA v2.315-Day Trial Download
Compatibility: Palm OS
Size: 183 KB
Price: $16.95
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First Impressions: The program icon is the simple bone with a transparent background and is one of the best program icons I've seen so far. Being a shareware, the demo reminds you of how many days are left in the trial and the startup screen has UNREGISTERED in big letters. The Main Menu screen is mostly taken up by an overly large company logo. Six button are crunched on the left with most of the labels abbreviated: Animal, Treatment, Vaccination, Medical History, Reproduction (?), and Clients. Clicking any of these (with the exception of the Reproduction button, which doesn't work, will take you to a summary screen for that category of entries. Strangely, you want to fill out the Client information first (so that your name will appear in the drop down menu of owners. On the Client entry screen, you can enter: name, address, two telephone #s, city, and email. Back at the Client summary screen, you'll see a name and phone number (only 7 digits show up) for each person. You can then go to the Animal section to create entries for each pet that include: full name, call name, birthdate, date of death, pedigree (?), sex, color, registration #, marks, breeder, and a drop down for owner. At the bottom of this screen is a button labelled "Pedi." that takes you to a screen to enter the names of a 2-generation pedigree for the pet. (I have no idea what the Pedigree field is for then.) The summary screen then shows the full name and sex of each pet. On the Treatment entry screen, you can pick a pet from a drop down, set a date and time for a reminder (which doesn't work), and enter a description of the treatment needed. The Vaccination entry screen is very similar, which fields for: picking the pet, entering a date, and description of the vaccine given. The Medical History entry screen has frields for: picking the pet, date, weight (no unit), and a description of medications given.
Pros: I really liked having the summary screens for each section. These made navigation very easy. The Vaccination, Treatment, and Medical History summary screens are sortable by animal, so you can quickly find a specific entry. The Treatment entry screens have a place to set a reminder alarm for that treatment (could be used for upcoming vaccinations), but the alarm didn't go off. Having a two-generation pedigree was also a nice touch that hadn't been seen in other programs.
Cons: The Vaccination, Treatment, and Medical History entries are a bit redundant and could be converged into one category with entry forms that take the full space or buttons to add additional information. The Reproduction section never worked, so I have no idea what was supposed to be in this area. the reminders for treatment also didn't work. Maybe these would work in the full version, but I have to assume that the program is faulty since nothing is mentioned about it being a limited version. The overly large company logo takes away from the main menu and is an eye sore.
Verdict:
(3.0/5.0)This program seems more suited for a veterinarian than a pet owner (ability to enter multiple clients, but no vets), so it doesn't really seem to belong in this grouping. That said, it does a pretty good job--save for some bugs--at imitating a pet records program. There are a number of improvements to be made, however, to earn those other two stars: fix the reminder alarm & Reproduction section, add a time to the vaccination entry, change "Pedigree" to "Breed" on the Animal entry screen, make the company logo smaller to allow for adequate room for the menu, change the Clients area to Vets and integrate it to the other sections, and combine the Treatments and Vaccinations sections into the Medical History section. This program may be a four or five star program (again, save for the bugs) for a vet or vet tech.
McPets v1.0Freeware Download
Compatibility: Any Palm device, Palm OS v3.5 or higher
Size: 108 KB
Price: FREE
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First Impressions: The program icon is a "child's drawing" of a person's head. from the start, you can see that there are a lot of features and is more sophisticated than the program icon may indicate. (Note: The interface has been improved since the version in the screen shots pictured above, so it will look slightly different.) The Table screen gives you an overview of three tables (appointments, veterinarians, and shows). At the bottom, you can choose to show all pets or one particular pet. While at the Vet Appointment screen, you can click on "Pet" button to add files for each of your pet (no re-entering information each time) and do the same with the "Vet. Name" button. On the Vet Appointment screen, you can also enter appointment date (and time, integrated with the Calendar), reason, price, click on a visit type (grooming, shots, medical, and dental), and add a note. At the Pet screen, you can enter: call name, registered name, registered/not, dame's name, sire's name, birth location, birthdate, price, breed, registration #, microchip #, and add a note. At the Vet screen, you can enter: vet name, address, phone #, website, email, and add a note. The newest tab entered is for recording shows
Pros: Each tab is searchable in some way (drop down menu for appointments and vets, search feature for shows tab). Separate files for pet information and vets (with lots of fields for entering info) saves time when adding multiple vet visit records. The reason for visit field is text, so you can list several reasons (or use note area). All the date fields are integrated with the Calendar to make inputting the date easy. You can also add a time for the vet visit, but the date/time doesn't appear to save on the Calendar. The Shows tab could come in handy for those who show their pets or compete in performance trials.
Cons: Program icon is very silly looking and has nothing to do with pets. The is no way to set reminders for vaccinations nor is there a separate field for vaccinations. Breed is misspelled as "Bread" in the Pet screen, and this got annoying quickly, but it was the only spelling error found.
Verdict:
(4.5/5.0)This program has the potential to be a perfect five star program with only a few improvements: integrate appointment time into the Calendar (automatically adds the appointment to datebook), add a due date for vaccines and reminder alarm from the Appointment screen, add a few more details (such as weight and sex) to the Pet Info screen, remove the Registered/Unregistered buttons, and correct the spelling of Breed on the Pet Info screen. Unfortunately, the vaccine due date reminder is one of the most important features I was looking for, so this program ends up being so close to the mark that it misses it by a mile. As someone who is active in shows and competitions, I'm tempted to use it anyway and just enter the vaccine reminders in manually.
My Dog v1.530-Day Trial Download
Compatibility: any Palm device with Palm OS 3.0 or higher
Size: 29.0 KB
Price: $7.50
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First Impressions: The program icon for My Dog is a fairly nice bulldog head with a white background. Being a share, th first thing that comes up on the demo is a reminder of how many days are left in your trial. Next screen ("My Dog") you see in a summary of any pets you've entered (name, breed, age, coat color, and weight). You have to click the Edit button to make a new pet file. On the My Dog Info screen, you can enter: name, breed, birthday (it calculates age for you), coat color, eye color, weight (lbs.), height (ins.), AKC/UKC number, markings, and check several boxes (stud/birth, neutered, bobbed tail, ears cropped, computer chip, champion, grand champion, good with kids, and male/female). To go back to the main screen, you click a small house pic at the top of the screen (there is also an eraser and trashcan at the top of the screen). There is only one place, the main screen, to enter information about a vet and set reminders (whic work and bring up the main screen of the program). Strangely, when you set a reminder, the top of the screen goes white. You can still click on where the pet listings are to go to an entry and the screen returns to normal when you go back to it.
Pros: I really liked the automatic calculating of age by just entering the pet's birthday. However, this seems to be the only feature of note in this program.
Cons: There is only one place to enter a vet's name and phone number (assumes you one have one vet), and there is no support for actual vet records. The reminder feature works, but you can only set two for the entire program and there's no room to put a description (beyond "heartworm" and "shots") to explain what the reminder is for. This would just be confusing for an owner of multiple pets needig multiple vaccinations each.
Verdict:
(1.0/5.0)This is another shareware program that might as well be scrapped because it doesn't come close to the freeware programs out there. In fact, this program is the one that least fits into this round-up because it doesn't actually keep health/vet records on your pet. But, if all you want is a note area for some basic pet info and two possibly confusing reminders, this is a pretty small program.
My Pets v2.030-Day Trial Download
Compatibility: Palm OS 3.0 or higher
Size: 39K
Price: $6.00
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First Impressions: This program's icon is a strange envelope-like object on a white backgroun. Surprisingly, there isn't a reminder pop-up with a countdown of days remaining on the free trial. The first screen you see is "General Info" screen that summarizes the pets you've entered (pet type, name, age, and weight). This program's navigation is mostly based on small icons. To make a pet entry, you click a sheet of paper icon near the bottom of the screen. On the Details screen, you can pick the type of animal (clicking the red "lollypop" icon allows you to add types of animals to the drop down menu) and enter: name, age, color, weight (no units), height (no units, and sex. There are five icons along the right side of this screen (besides the red lollypop). The top on (a calculator) takes you to a Purchase Info where you can enter: date of purchase, store, age, price, and some notes. The next three icons are a flame, cross, and bullseye--none of these work or seem to have anything to do with pets (especially the cross) and don't actually work. The last icon is a sheet of paper and takes you to a note area.
Pros: None really.
Cons: It has no space for health/vet records. These may have been under one of the icons that didn't work, but there's no way of knowing. Since this wasn't labeled as a limited demo, I have to assume that the program is too buggy for actual sale.
Verdict:
(0.5/5.0)This is another scrap it program that shouldn't be called a pet records program. There's very little room for information on your pet and no space for vet records.
Pet Care 2.130-day Trial Download
Compatibility: Palm OS
Size: 106 KB
Price: $9.99
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First Impressions: The program icon is a small puppy face. Being a trial version, the first thing that comes up (each time you enter the program) is a reminder on how many days are left and how to purchase the program. After that, you can make a file for each of your pets. The Pet screen is the real main screen of this program. From here, you can enter basic information (name, type, birthdate, owner, and contact) and navigate to a number of areas (description, pedigree, insurance, emergency, care instructions, health record, training, activity, and note). Unfortunately, most of these buttons take you to a simple note screen. Entries can only be made under Health record, Training, and Activity. At the Health Record screen, you can enter: a description, visit date, due date, vet, cost, and a note about the appointment. The Training screen has fields for a description, date, time, detail, and result. The Activity screen has fields for a description, date, time, and detail. Notes can be added at both of these screens, as well.
Pros: All of the date fields are integrated with the Calendar to make inputting the date easy. You can add a due/end date for treatment, but that doesn't seem to actually create a reminder. Everything is branched from a pet's entry, so navigation is very easy and very little information needs to be re-entered. I like the idea of the Training & Activities records, but more integration is needed (goals/progress, etc.) to really put it to use.
Cons: The due date feature doesn't appear to make a reminder and vet appointments don't appear on the Calendar. You also can't record the time of the appointment. There aren't that many fields to enter pet information, so everything would end up in the Description note area. That seems like a bit of a waste of resources, given the size of the program. I also don't see a real reason to enter in my own name and contact info on the Pets screen. That area could have been put to better use.
Verdict:
(2.5/5.0)This program makes a good attempt to be a vet records program, but feels unfinished. The navigation and organization is excellent, but the core of the program is missing and only barely gets three stars (2.5 stars would be more accurate actually). To complete this program, it would need: a full pet info screen (dropping the owner & contact fields for more important information such as weight and sex), files for each vet with a drop down menu on the Health Records screen, vaccine due date reminder, time of appointment, and some fleshing out of the areas that were only given note areas (fields for relative's names under Pedigree, food under Care Instructions, contact info under Emergency, policy information under Insurance, etc.). If all of these items were added, this program could be a perfect five star program.
The Pet Organizer v1.015-Day Trial Download
Compatibility: Palm OS 3.5
Size: 83.90 KB
Price: $15.00
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First Impressions: The program icon is two small cat heads on a white background. The opening screen is largely the logo of a dog and cat with a "register" button. At the lower right is a pawprint icon that takes you into the program, but not before seeing the logo again and having to click on a second pawprint (the icon in the lower left on the second screen takes you back to the first screen...in case you wanted to see the logo one more time). The main menu screen shows a summary of any pets entered (pet name, ID#, and expiration date of ID). At the bottom of this and other screens is a set of colorful, but semi-confusing icons (trash, erase, all back, one back, one forward, all forward, new, info/exit, and home). From the Pets summary screen, clicking the icon of a dog-earred page will take you to the Pet entry screen to enter information about your pet (name, birthdate, ID #, expiration of ID, and other IDs). There are three larger icons at the bottom of this screen that take you to the Medical, Grooming, and Training sections. The Medical screen has four buttons: Vet, Rx, Rabies, and License. At the Vet screen, you can enter contact information for each vet (name, address, phone, and emergency). At the top of this screen is a drop down menu of pet names, and there is an Appointments button at the bottom. (Yes, you have to go through the Vet Info screen to get to a summary of Appointments.) This summary shows the date, time, cost, and name of the pet for that appointment. You can sort entries in the summary by pet (sometimes) and in date order. A running total appears towards the bottom. On the Vet Visit screen you can enter a date, time, cost and notes about the appointment. The drop down menu at the top is used to marked it for a certain pet. At the bottom of this screen are shortcut buttons to the Rx and Rabies screens. For RX, you can enter: medication, start, DC'd (dosed?), Int. Dose, Dose, Int. Freq., Freq., Last Rx'd, Refills, and Rx. Exp. Although, you can enter information for multiple pets in these previous areas, you have to go back to the Pet list to enter Rabies information for particular pet. The License screen has fields for: number, expiration date, and licensed from. The Grooming and Training screens each have fields for: date, time, cost, and notes. The summary screens for Grooming and Training can also be sorted by pet.
Pros: Having space dedicatated for medications (even if it's too much space) and license information is nice. The sorting feature is a useful tool that is often left out of programs. The Grooming and Training sections are nice bonuses, but aren't necessary and seemed wasted when the program lacks core features.
Cons: The navigation in this program is horrible. Having to go through the Vet screen to get the summary of appointments quickly became annoying. There also seemed to be some bugs with the pet sorting feature, and nothing seemed to happen at times. Having to go back to the main menu to enter in a new Rabies entry was also annoying. For how complicated the program is, it lacks core features and valuable information fields.
Verdict:
(2.0/5.0)I was split between a 1.5 and a 2.0 stars on this one. The navigation is enough to give you a headache and there dosn't seem to be much substance behind it's complicated structure. Given that this is one of the more expensive sharewares, I certainly don't see it being worth buying.
Pet Pal v1.0Freeware Download
Compatibility: Palm Vx devices, Palm OS (color)
Size: 290 KB (two 145 KB files)
Price: FREE
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First Impressions: The program icon is a small cartoon chicken on white background. Although, this is a freeware program, you have the option of registering the program for free but it's not clear what the advantage would be. The first screen you see is a summary of pets screen that also displays the PetPal logo (with the cute cartoon chicken) and a pawprint background. There are three buttons at the bottom (Add New, View, and Delete). Clicking "Add new" takes you to a three part area to enter information on your pet. The first screen is Basic Info, where you can enter: name, sex, birthdate, type (limited to dog or cat), weight (lbs.), breed, registered name, registration #, tattoo #, city license #, and chip ID #. The next screen is Medical informaiton, where you can enter: vet's name, address, phone, emergency #, a small note, and list any medical conditions. The third screen is Grooming information, where you can list: groomer's name, address, phone, shampoo brand, last bath, check off if the pet is afraid of the hair dryer or has sensitive skin, and note any special instructions.
Pros: For a freeware program, there's quite a bit of graphics work that has gone into it. As with other program, space for grooming information is a nice bonus, but it can't make up for lacking core features. The navigation is nice, but there also isn't much to navigate through unfortunately.
Cons: There's no space for actual vet records, so this program is really only a basic and grooming information program. Even then, it only handles dogs and cats--unless you do as I did, and list the type as dog and use the breed area to note ferret, etc.
Verdict:
(2.0/5.0)It's a nice free program for storing basic information on your pet, vet, and groomer, but that is it. It doesn't handle storing any information on vet visits or vaccinations.
Pet Shots v1.0Freeware Download
Compatibility: Any Palm device, Palm OS v3.5 or higher
Size: 29 KB
Price: FREE
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First Impressions: The program's icon has a full white background and features a simple needle. The main menu has four options: Pet Information, All Vaccine Records, Vaccine Records, and Veterinarian. The Pet Info screen lets you enter: name, registered name, birth date, breed, height, and weight. When you click done, this takes you straight to the Vaccine Records screen--where you can enter: pet (drop down), vet (drop down), date, vaccine, due date, set a reminder, and add notes. Finishing this screen takes you back to the main menu. The All Vaccines screen gives you a summary table of the vaccine records you've entered. The Vet Info screen has fields for: vet name, address, office phone, emergency phone, and email. Hitting done on this screen takes you to the first vaccine record you made before you can exit to the main menu.
Pros: All date fields are integrated with the Calendar to make inputting easier. This is the first program that I came across that actually integrated with the Calendar's alarm feature to let you set reminders for vaccine due dates.
Cons: Veterinarian is misspelled as veternarian throughout and it can be annoying. The navigation can be a bit annoying, since you continuously go back to the first vaccine record entered. The drop down menu for vets (on the Vaccine Record screen) doesn't seem to work properly, so you can't actually pick a vet. You also can't enter a time on the vet appointment, just the date. On the All Vaccines page, the name of the animal and date are cut off, which limits it's use as a summary of files.
Verdict:
(3.0/5.0)This program is the first program I found with a vaccine reminder alarm integrated into the program. Unfortunately, it doesn't have enough support and is too buggy to be of real use. Several points need to be fixed: fix the bug with the Vet drop down menu, add some more information on the Pet Info screen (sex, registration number, etc.), move the height & weight fields to the Vaccine screen, add a time to the vet appointment field, add more space for name & date on the All Vaccines screen, add a search/sorting feature so that the user can only veiw vaccines/appointments for one pet on the All Vaccines screen, and correct the misspellings. I should point out that if the creaters of McPets and PetShots were to combine the best parts of their programs, they would undoubtedly create the best vet records program possible.
Pet Vet! 1.030-Day Trial Download
Compatibility: Palm OS
Size: 35.18 KB
Price: $7.95
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First Impressions: The program icon is a large white icon with blue circle with small, pixilated dog and cat. As a shareware, the first thing that pops up is a pop up to remind you of how many days are left on your free trial. Next is the logo screen of a rather large Noah's ark (odd, given that vet records havig nothing to do with a religious fable). There are no buttons or icons on this screen, but if you tap anywhere it will take you to the next screen (I guess the program writer thought that the ark logo was more important than basic navigation buttons). The main menu is actually well-organized and the logo (a relevant one of a person walking a dog) only takes up ~40% of the screen. The main column of buttons include: Pets, Pets Vet Care, Pet Foods, Training, and Pet Types). At the bottom of the screen is a larger button titled Local Vets/Stores/Boarding. At the top right corner is an information icon that takes you to a key of the buttons used in the other screens. If you have an exotic pet (such as a ferret), I would suggest going to the Pet Types screen first. Here you can edit the pet type drop down list (which came preloaded with a wide variety of pets...including "Rock"...but not some of the more common exotics such as ferrets). The next two areas that you might want to enter information into before heading to the Pets area is in Local Vets/Stores/Boarding and Pet Foods. The first will take you to a summary screen of pet businesses (name and store type) and sort by store type (seems to be a bug here). At the entry screen, you can list: store name, address, city, state, zip, phone, store type, and a short note. You can also check if it is the primary business you use. The second (Pet Foods) takes you to a summary of foods you feed your pets (name, size, price, and pet type). On the entry screen, you can also pick where you purchase it (from drop down of businesses you entered in the previous section), pick which pet it is for, and add a short note. The Pet screen (going back to the main menu first) displays a summary of your pets (name, type, and breed). On the entry screen, you can enter: name, pet type (from drop down), breed, food (from drop down), frequency of feeding, date of last bedding/litter change, and date of last grooming. At the bottom of this screen are three buttons: Vitals, Notes, and Shots. The Vitals screens lets you enter information of the pet's breeder, purchase date, birthdate, vet (from drop down), and favorite toy. The Note button just takes you to a note area. The Shots screen provides a location for an overview of last vaccination dates (this isn't linked to the vet records area). There are five areas to enter vaccine names and dates, but you can't set reminder alarms. The next area to go to is Pets Vet Care (from the main menu). There is a summary screen that can be sorted entries (pet name & date) by pet. The entry screen has fields for: date (blank at top), pet name (from drop down), symptoms, treatment, medication, and return visit date (no reminder alarm). The last area is Training, which also has a summary screen (date, pet, training type) that can be sorted by pet. At the entry screen, you can enter: date, pet (from drop down), duration, training type, and notes.
Pros: This is a highly interconnected program with a lot of room to customize. I liked being able to enter information about what each pet eats, where I buy food, training sessions, what is done at each vet visit, a summary of vaccinations, etc.
Cons: The navigation takes some getting used to, but it does a pretty good job considering how much there is to navigate through. The sort feature on Local Vet/Stores/Boarding seems to have a bug. Although it's nice that you can enter the type of each business, it adds all those types (repeating the same type) in the sort drop down menu. This makes sorting this screen a pain if you enter in several "Vets" or "Groomers". Another big flaw is that, although there is an area to make entries for vets, you can't set which vet you went to for a particular visit. This would have been logical, given the integration of pet name, food, and business drop down menus on other screens. Like most programs, it also lacks any integration with the reminder alarm feature of the calendar. The ark logo is also a bit annoying--mostly because the screen was given entirely to that logo and their was no room given to an Enter button.
Verdict:
(3.5/5.0)This is a fairly decent program with some nice extra features and developed areas, but it's missing some of the core features for any vet records program. It's still one of the better (but not best) programs I've seen so far. Some points of improvement are: fix the bug on the Local Vets/Stores/Boarding sorting feature (maybe integrate an editable business type drop down menu in the same manner as the pet types), add a drop down menu of vets to the Vet Visit screen, integrate fully into the calendar so you can set reminder alarms within the program, and add more "vital" information (sex, weight, color/markings, registration #, microchip #, etc.). I'd also suggest changing the opening screen to a smaller (preferrable pet-related, non-religious logo) and an Enter button.
Pet Vet Record for HanDBase 1.0
Freeware Download (Pet Vet) (30-Day Trial Download of HanDBase)
Compatibility: Palm OS and others, requires HanDBase v.2.7x or greater
Size: 3.30 KB (HanDBase ranges from ~500KB to 6MB, depending on version)
Price: FREE (HanDBase ranges from $15 to $80, depending on version)
Additional programs by user: Dog Enthusiast Suite for HanDBase 1.0 and Dog Rescue Log and Vet Record for HanDBase 1.0
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First Impressions: Since you need to also have HanDBase, download and installation take quite a bit longer than with other programs. You also have to access this program through HanDBase, whose program icon is a blue thumbs up on a silver coin. The opening screen for HanDBase is a rather busy description of the program and reminder that it is only a trial version. Then, you're taken to a listing of all of the database programs you have in HanDBase (I tried out a few others while I had the trial installed). You click on Pet Vet Record to get to the program. The main screen on the program is a list of all the pets you've entered (or the pre-entered ones you start out with). The entry screen allows you to enter: pet name, pet type (this drop down is editable), birthdate, intact/altered, notes from the last and for the next vet visit, dates of last vaccines (4 canine-specific, 5 feline-specific, and rabies) and last heartworm treatment, test results for fecal/heartworm/other tests, notes on medical procedures and allergies, current medication, OFA #, vet's contact info, groomer's name, date of next grooming, and kennel contact info. Under the details button, you can set one reminder alarm (which works) for each animal.
Pros: This program puts all of the current information about each pet at your fingertips. By using HanDBase, several fields have editable pop-up lists. Unfortunately, this doesn't extend to changing the name or elliminating some of the many vaccines listed.
Cons: Foremost, if you don't already use HanDBase, this program is going to be expensive and take up a lot of space on your Palm. My survey of other programs didn't provide enough reason for me to buy HanDBase. In focusing on current information, this program sacrifices a full record of vaccines, etc. The program is also geared more towards dog and cat owners than owners of other pets. The long list of vaccines that are only relevant to two types of pets gets annoying.
Verdict:
(2.0/5.0)Given that there are many better stand-alone programs out there, this program really isn't worth messing with unless you already have HanDBase or are willing to pay for it. I liked the idea of having all the current information on one screen, but not at the expense of not actually having those earlier records. For a ferret owner, the long list of vaccinations were also annoying. I would have really like to have been able to edit those vaccines to get rid of some and change a few to things that are relevant to other animals. For those who do like this format, the creator of this program also put out a package of databases for show dog records (including Agility) and a package for those who run dog rescues.
VetDB 1.030-day Trial Download
Compatibility: Palm OS
Size: 91 KB
Price: $12.00
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First impressions: The program icon is a fuzzy puppy graphic on a white background (most icons have transparent backgrounds) and will appear towards the bottom of your applications screen. The main screen simply says "Veterinarian Records" and has several small animal pictures (these are actually the icons to view/add records). The six icons (dog, cat, reptile, fish, bird, and wild/exotic) take you to the six pet categories where you can make a file for a pet. The category screens have a fuzzy graphic of that type of animal (or just a rabbit for wild/exotic) and three headings: Patient, Date, and Q (checkboxes to indicate positive search results). In the left bottom corner is a spyglass that takes you to the search function (can be used to only show records for a single pet). Clicking the "Records" button takes you to the vet record screen where you can enter your pet's: name, sex, date of vet visit, age (years), weight (pounds), total cost, invoice #, vaccinations, tag ID, prescriptions, reason for visit, and symptoms. There is a calculator built in under the "Total" field. Small boxes next to the fields for vaccinations, tag ID, and prescriptions open text areas. The reasons for visit and symptoms fields are drop-down menus that additional options can be added to by clicking the boxes next to those fields. Filling out this screen creates one record (vet visit) for your pet.
Pros: Records are searchable (this is limited to within a category, though) by patient, invoice, reason for visit, and symptom. You can add more reasons for visits and symptoms, but can only choose one of these options for any record. Clicking the "DateBook" icon at the top of the record screen will add vet visit to Palm's Calendar, but it will not appear with a time. There is a quick uninstall program that downloads with the main program.
Cons: Having a category for fish, but lumping all wild/exotics together seemed a bit unnecessary. I would have liked to have seen either more icons for specific animals or the option to add additional pet categories beyond dogs or cats as needed. The graphics also seem very basic for a program for sale. The interface is very unintuitive and relies too much on unlabelled icons and hidden clickables. Only one option can be chosen for "Reasons for visit" and "Symptoms", so the customization of this field is rather limited. You have to re-add all the pet information for each vet visit, so it takes quite a bit of time to do even a few entries. There is no way to put in reminders for vaccinations or re-ordering medication. This program also seems to have a compatibility issue with my medical records program and wanted to overwrite files. Big no no!
Verdict:
(1.5/5.0)For an expensive shareware program, it is a supreme disappointment. It's only saving grace is good navigation and a good search feature. But, without a core to search and navigate, it's just a diversion. It was the only program that added the vet appointment (without a time) to the Datebook...but this also caused my Palm T|X to reboot and the program had issues with other programs. Listing the improvements needed would take to long, so I'm left with simply saying that it should be scrapped in favor of the much better freeware programs out there. Though, I was quite happy that the program is very easy to uninstall.
Free Trial Download
Compatibility:
Size: 39 KB
Price: $9.99
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First Impressions: It was hard to find at first because I was expecting the program to actually be called Ultimate Pet, but it's called "Pet" instead. the icon is a well-drawn cartoon dog on a white background (one of the best icons I've seen so far). The first screen you are taken to is the pet entry screen, where you can enter: name, registered name, birthday, breed, height, age, weight, and a note. Arrow buttons on the lower right allow you to scroll longer fields. At the bottom of the screen is actually two rows of buttons (that the arrow buttons are at the end of). The first button takes you to a Vet Information screen where you can enter: vet name, phone, fax, emergency, email, and full address. The next button takes you to a Medications screen (medication name, date, dose, and notes). The third button takes you to an Activities screen (date, event, and details). The first button on the second row takes you to a Medical History screen (just a note area, not what is pictured in the screenshots above). The next button takes you to the Diet screen, where you can enter: food, wet/dry, calories, carbohydrates, fat, and notes). the next two buttons are plus and minus signs. The minus sign button is the delete. The plus sign button brings up a screen noting that it is a feature of the full version; I'm assuming that it is for making multiple records.
Pros: Good navigation. It's the first program I've seen have a fax field for vet contact info. The Medications, Activities, and Diet screens are a nice touch. If the screenshots are accurate, then the Medications and Activities areas will also have summary screens to make these more useful.
Cons: The Medical History screen on the trial version was a disappoinment, but the screenshot shows a more developed and promising screen. If the screenshots are accurate, the program still doesn't seem to have a reminder alarm feature or integration of the vets into the Medical History screen.
Verdict:
(2.5/5.0)If the screenshots are accurate, then there are several more features available on the full version. It would have been nice to have had a 30-day full trial than this limited version free trial. As is, I wouldn't bother with this program and gave it 2.5 out of five stars. If the screenshots are accurate, then the program would be 3.5 or 4.0 stars. Potential improvements include: a list view of vets, integrating the vets list into the Medical History screen, add a reminder alarm to the Medications & Medical History screens, add a time to the Medical History screen, and add treats to the Diet screen.
[ZOO] English v1.0Freeware Download
Compatibility: Palm OS v3.0 or higher
Size: 51 KB
Price: FREE
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I can't say anything about this program because it could not be downloaded from any of the sites that had it offered. This program was originally done in Norwegian, so that version might be downloadable.
Final recommendations:
1. McPets 1.0 (4.5/5.0 stars) is a very well-developed freeware program that sets the bar in this round-up. Although missing the key feature of being able to set reminder alarms for vaccines and medications (which most of these programs lacked as well), there are relatively few things a pet owner would be left wanting...well, maybe a nice icon. ^_^ With some minor updating, though, this could be a perfect five star vet records program with the bonus of also recording show/competition information.
2. Ultimate Pet 1.1 (2.5/5.0 stars) is a shareware program that might have the most potential. It's hard to tell since they went with a limited version trial instead of a 30-day full version trial. If the screenshots are accurate, then the program is potentially a 3.5 or 4.0 star program at a mid-range price of $9.99. Without a full version trial it's hard to confident recommend this program, so buyers please be aware that you may be purchasing only a 2.5 star program.
3. Pet Vet! 1.0 (3.5/5.0 stars) is another shareware with some potential, but still missing some key features. Once you get past the complex navigation and obnoxious logo screen, it's actually not that bad. The program's main faults are: lacking a reminder alarm feature, neglecting to integrate a vet drop down menu into the vet visit screen, and limited fields to add extended information about pets (sex, weight, registration numbers, etc.). With those improvements, this could be a very good five star ver records program with some nice bonuses (stores, food, training, etc.).
4. Pet Shots 1.0 (3.0/5.0 stars) was the only program to be full integrated into the calendar's reminder alarm feature--and it's freeware, putting all the shareware programs to shame. The poor navigation and bugs make this program a challenge to use in it's current state. If the bugs are fixed and a few improvements made, this could be at least a four star program with five star potential.
X-posted from my LJ & to
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=92.2){kind=small}
palmos. 
