Through technology we can stay in touch with everyone on our contact list, read a book, make appointments, browse the local grocery ads, and even keep track of weight loss all at the touch of a button or two. If we use our phones to help us with something as mundane as a sale on tomato sauce, why not let technology help us with our pets?

There are a ton of pet-related apps for every platform, and we thought it would be nice to save you some time by picking out what we think are the most useful pet apps on the market today.

Pet Master Pro (Android - $4.99, Apple - $2.99): This app lets you keep track of a wide variety of pet-related info including vet appointments, medical records, and microchip information. Android users, “try before you buy” by downloading the free (ad-supported) version. Apple users, download the Pro version and try it for free before coughing up $2.99.

Pets Pro HD (BlackBerry - $2.99): If you’re a BlackBerry user, you can keep track of your vital pet info too. My Pets Pro isn’t quite as exhaustive as Pet Master Pro, but it’ll get the job done. As of this writing, there are no free versions or trial periods available.

Pet First Aid: for Your Dog, Cat, Puppy, or Kitten (Android - $2.99, Apple - $3.99): This app is crammed with videos and articles to guide the frantic pet owner in giving first aid care to their pets (though you have to browse the information to find what you need as it doesn’t have a search function yet).  Take time to educate yourself with Pet First Aid now, and you’ll be well-equipped to give your pet potentially life-saving care if the need arises. One reviewer rushed their dog to the ER after using the app to find that if they hadn’t acted when they did, their dog wouldn’t have made it to the next day. Three bucks seems like a pretty good deal to me.

Dog Emergency (BlackBerry - $2.99): Dog Emergency is very similar to Pet First Aid, but isn’t as exhaustive since it only covers dogs. We like that they let you try it for free, and hope they add cat first aid information soon.

Petometer (Android - Free, Apple - Free): From Purina, this handy little app helps you keep track of all of those walks you and your pooch take every evening. Wouldn’t it be fun to know just how many miles you end up traveling with your dog by the end of the year?

While it isn’t exactly a “useful” app, we thought we’d send you off with a smile: Download the free Rate My Puppy app from the Apple store and upload photos of your own puppy to be rated by other users, vote on other user’s photos, comment on photos, and even add photos to your “favorites” so you can quickly find that one fluffy face that melts your heart every time – even after a bad day at work.

Let us know what you think of our list, and be sure to let us know about any cool pet apps you’ve used in the past – or any bad ones so we can all steer clear.