Sure, you can buy an iPhone because it's cool to whip out your sleek black beauty in public, because it means all your iPod’s songs can live on your phone too, and because the Internet is so accessible and texting comes with pics … or you can buy one for all the cool pet-related apps that come with it.

In my opinion, the main reason to invest in an iPhone is all about the apps. I’m a Mac user, so it’s always held something of a romantic appeal for me. But for the average PC person? It’s all about the killer apps.

Of course, you can download free applications to play neat games (my favorite involves the marble-in-a labyrinth balancing act), and you can keep a database of local and migratory birds for you identification pleasure, among other cool features. But did you know that you can also download apps to keep you healthy?
 
With an iPhone you can keep tabs on your diabetes. You can get help for quitting smoking, or for anger management and stress relief. You can even download a medical alert app to warn EMTs and other emergency personnel that you harbor allergies, carry a rare blood type, or elect organ donation. (Great should you happen to be an obese, diabetic, asthmatic smoker who commutes to a stressful job on a motorcycle, right?).
 
Predictably, perhaps, these pocket-sized programs have now gravitated to pets.
 
iPhone apps are now making a foray into your pet’s health, too. There are simple apps that remind you of your pet’s medications and vet visits. And now another to help you find a veterinarian, emergency hospitals, and pet-related services and facilities in your area, including groomers, walkers, trainers, boarding establishments and dog parks.
 
The PetMD Finder is distributed free-of-charge by the great minds here at PetMD. Here's the pitch:

 The 'PetMD Finder' helps users find Veterinarians, Emergency Clinics, Daycare Centers, Dog Parks, Dog Sitters, Dog Walkers, Groomers, and Pet Friendly Hotels by zip code or in direct vicinity by using the iPhone's GPS locator.

Results can be displayed on a map or in list form, while also giving the user the ability to rate the service with up to five stars and a written review. The application also provides a submit function for the user to upload new locations, such as Dog Parks or new businesses.

 Apart from this one, here are my faves for your consideration (find them all on iTunes):

The Pet Notebook iPhone App: this one helps keep your pets organized with pics and a photo gallery, veterinary medications, microchip numbers, etc. For $2.99 it doesn’t do much beyond help you keep a notebook and track your meds, but as I’ve written before, sometimes that can make all the difference to your pet’s health.
 
The Pet Phone is another fun tool. It’s pretty much the same as the notebook, though not so gorgeous. It tracks your pets’ weight, vet visits, identification info, etc., for your convenience. It also helps you locate a veterinarian in your area.

And the best part? It’ll track your pets’ weight in a neat little chart should you accept the mission to keep their weight under control.
 
All Pets Radio Player: Should Dolittler let you down on your pet information needs, consider this approach. This Internet streaming radio station is all pets all the time — accessible through your iPhone for the animal obsessives among you.
 
Off Leash is a dog park finder. Though it only lists about 600 dog parks in the U.S., it’s working on more.
 
Relax Alarm Clock Lite: And then there are apps made for your basic needs, that can also accommodate your pets. This one allows you to record your pets' bark or meow for a high-quality audio wake-up call when you’re out of town. Sweet, right?
 
Bark Machine and Dog Tricks: I haven’t tested this newest one out yet, but it looks cute. It’s got dog and cat sounds, and a clicker too. It also has 200 tricks, with instructions on how to train your pets to get them done. And it's available for no charge on iTunes for the next couple of weeks, so download it now for some free fun.
 
And for the kids there's also a virtual dog app … so when they ask for their own pets they've got to prove they can master the basic time commitment first (not that you won't end up doing most of it anyway).

And for the dog that has everything, how about his very own iBone plush dog toy?

 
So what do you say? Is it time to buy an iPhone, or what?

Dr. Patty Khuly

PS: Please offer up your favorite animal-themed iPhone apps below. Whether they're about exotics, goats, chickens or pets, we want to know what's out there.