Yesterday, we took our 9.5-year-old lab-duck toller mix, Daisy, for her annual checkup. And as I sat in the vet’s office reviewing her complex care routine—chronic pancreatitis management, three different supplements, special food, carefully selected treats, and her daily 3.5km runs at our local park—I realized something…. Despite being someone who automates business processes for a living, I was managing Daisy’s health information the same way most pet parents do: scattered information, handwritten notes, and that growing pile of vet receipts I promise myself I’ll organize “someday.” I’d already been creating dedicated client Gems to streamline my business management and saving hours weekly – so why wasn’t I applying this same systematic approach to Daisy’s care?
Last night, inspired by our vet visit and armed with my AI expertise, I decided to build Daisy her own personal health assistant using Google Gems. This simple project turned into something powerful: a 24/7 expert who knows everything about Daisy’s unique needs, breed-specific health considerations, and can help me be the best pet Mom possible.
If you’re a pet parent juggling complex care routines, managing multiple pets, or simply want to be more proactive about your furry family member’s wellbeing, stay tuned. This Google Gem’s tutorial will show you how to create your own AI pet expert using Google’s tools.
Why Your Pet Needs an AI Health Assistant
Before we jump into the how-to, let’s talk about why this matters. As pet parents, we’re often managing fragmented information—vaccination records, feeding schedules, vet notes scattered across email, and emergency numbers buried in our contacts. When Daisy had her first bout of pancreatitis, it happened after hours. We were frantically searching through vet records to note weight fluctuation, reading the packages and making lists of her food and treats to identify high-fat items and count calories – and honestly – just spiralling in that scary pet-parent way we all know too well.
Having an AI assistant trained on your pet’s specific information means:
- Instant access to feeding guidelines, medication schedules, and emergency protocols
- Breed-specific insights combined with your pet’s individual health profile
- Organized tracking of weight, symptoms, and vet visits
- Peace of mind during those 2 AM “is this normal?” moments
- Better preparation for vet visits with organized health data
Important Note: This AI assistant is designed to complement, never replace, professional veterinary care. Daisy still gets her annual checkups, vaccinations, and any health concerns always get professional attention. This tool helps us be better advocates for our pets and more informed caregivers between vet visits.
Meet Your Toolkit: Google’s Pet Care Arsenal
For this project, we’ll be using:
- Google Drive: Organized storage for all pet documents
- Google Docs: Consolidated information documents
- Google Sheets: Health tracking and caloric intake monitoring
- Google Gems: Your custom AI assistant (think Custom GPT, but in Google’s ecosystem)
- Deep Research tool: Expert-level research on breed and health conditions
The beauty of staying within Google’s ecosystem? Everything talks to each other seamlessly, and your Gem can reference your Drive files dynamically.
Phase 1: Building Your Pet’s Digital Foundation
Step 1: Create Your Pet’s Command Center
Start by creating a dedicated folder structure in Google Drive. I named mine “PawPal” with subfolders for each pet—”PawPal – Daisy Edition” contains everything related to her care.
Pro Tip: If you have multiple pets, create separate folders for each. This keeps information organized and makes it easier for your AI assistant to provide specific, relevant responses.
Step 2: Gather and Digitize Everything
This is where the magic happens. Collect every piece of information about your pet:
- Food packaging (scan those QR codes!)
- Treat ingredient lists and feeding guidelines
- Supplement bottles and instructions
- Medication information and dosages
- Vet records and vaccination history
- Emergency contact information
- Insurance documents
Pro Tip: Use your phone’s camera to capture ingredient lists, feeding guidelines, your handwritten notes and vet receipts (they’re a wealth of info). Save everything as PDFs when possible—they’re easier for the AI to process and search through later.
Step 3: The File Naming Game
Here’s where my slightly OCD tendencies serve us well. Rename your files using a consistent, descriptive convention. Instead of “IMG_12345.jpg,” use names like:
Why This Matters: Clean, descriptive file names significantly improve your AI assistant’s performance. When you ask about Daisy’s probiotic dosage, the assistant can quickly locate “Dele_Probiotic_Supplement_Daisy.pdf” rather than hunting through generic filenames.
Phase 2: Creating Your Pet’s Data Universe
Step 4: Build Your Nutrition Command Center
Here’s where Google Sheets becomes your best friend. Ask Gemini to help you create a comprehensive caloric intake table by analyzing all the food and treat documents you’ve uploaded by tagging them.
Create two sheets:
- Daily Nutrition Tracker: Calories, portions, feeding times
- Health & Vet Visit Log: Weight, symptoms, medications, vet notes
Pro Tip: Include columns for “Notes” and “Behavioral Changes” in your health log. These seemingly small details often provide valuable insights during vet visits.
Step 5: Create Your Pet’s Personal Profile
Use Google Docs to create a comprehensive “About Your Pet” document. Here’s where voice-to-text becomes invaluable—no need to type everything out. You can view mine here. Include:
- Basic info (age, breed, weight, temperament)
- Activity level and exercise routine
- Personality quirks and preferences
- Known allergies or sensitivities
- Behavioral patterns
- Emergency contacts and vet information
For Daisy, I included details about her love of swimming, her tendency to be food-motivated (which helps with training), and her specific pancreatitis triggers.
Phase 3: Google Gems Tutorial Deep Research and Expert Knowledge
Step 6: Become a Breed and Condition Expert
This step sets your assistant apart from generic pet advice. Use Google’s Deep Research tool to gather expert-level information about:
- Your pet’s specific breed characteristics and common health issues
- Any existing health conditions (like Daisy’s pancreatitis)
- Breed-specific nutrition and exercise needs
- Age-related care considerations
Save all research findings to your pet’s Drive folder. This creates a knowledge base that combines expert veterinary research with your pet’s personal information.
Pro Tip: Include research about breed mixes if applicable. Daisy’s lab-duck toller combination means she has unique traits from both breeds that affect her care needs.
Phase 4: Google Gems Tutorial Bringing Your AI Pet Expert to Life
Step 7: Create Your Google Gem
Now for the exciting part—creating your custom AI assistant!
Navigate to Google Gems and create a new Gem. Upload your carefully organized files (remember, you’re limited to 10 files, so consolidation is key).
Important Limitation: Google Gems currently allows only 10 file uploads, so you’ll need to be strategic about combining information into comprehensive documents rather than uploading individual photos or receipts.
Give your Gem a clear personality and role. Mine is trained to be:
- Knowledgeable about Daisy’s specific health needs
- Supportive during stressful moments
- Focused on practical, actionable advice
- Always encouraging professional vet consultation when appropriate
Step 8: Test and Refine
Start with simple questions:
- “What’s Daisy’s current feeding schedule?”
- “Can Daisy have carrots as a treat?”
- “What should I watch for with her pancreatitis?”
Refine your assistant based on the responses, adding more specific information or clarifying instructions as needed.
Real-World Applications: How This Changes Everything
Here’s how I’ll be using it:
- Pre-vet visit preparation: “What questions should I ask about Daisy’s weight management?”
- Emergency guidance: “Daisy seems lethargic today—what symptoms should I monitor?”
- Daily care decisions: “Is it okay to extend Daisy’s run today given the weather?”
- Medication management: “When is Daisy’s next supplement refill due?”
The peace of mind alone has been worth the setup time.
Taking It One Step Further: OpenAI Integration
While Google Gems provides an excellent solution – you could (like me) take it another step further. OpenAI’s Custom GPTs offer additional capabilities through “Actions”—API connections that can automatically update your tracking sheets or send reminders.
For example, you could create a Custom GPT that:
- Automatically logs vet visit data to your Google Sheet via voice input
- Sends feeding reminders to your phone
- Updates weight tracking with voice commands
- Creates calendar reminders for medication refills
Here’s my Custom GPT version that does all of the above with “Actions”: PawPal: Daisy Edition. Unfortunately with my Business Standard subscription with Google Workspace, I’m unable to share my Gem. (boo!)
If you’re comfortable with more advanced integrations, this could be your next evolution. I’ve written about the differences between Custom GPTs and Google Gems, and while I’m team Gems for many use cases, Custom GPTs shine when you need advanced integrations.
The Bottom Line: Love in the Age of AI
Creating an AI assistant (okay – two) for Daisy was about more than just organizing information. It’s about using technology to be a better pet Mom. I know I have 24/7 access to everything I need to keep her healthy, happy, and thriving.
Our pets give us unconditional love; the least we can do is give them the most informed care possible. With a little time investment upfront, you can create a personalized expert who knows your pet as well as you do and helps you navigate the wonderful, sometimes worrying, always rewarding journey of pet parenthood.
Ready to build your pet’s AI assistant? The setup takes about 2-3 hours, but the peace of mind lasts a lifetime. Your furry family members deserve nothing less than expert-level care, and now you can provide it.
Would you be interested in an AI assistant for your pet? If there’s interest, I’m considering hosting a live webinar where we build a custom pet assistant together. Let me know in the comments if that sounds helpful.
