A method and apparatus for monitoring a living animal is disclosed. The apparatus includes a flexible carrier strip having an undersurface for adhering to an epidermis of the living animal. The apparatus also includes a muscle function sensor disposed on the flexible carrier strip and operable to generate a muscle signal indicative of functioning of a muscle underlying the flexible carrier strip. The apparatus further includes a transducer disposed on the flexible carrier strip operable to generate a stimulus signal in response to receiving mechanical stimuli, a processor circuit disposed on the flexible carrier strip. The processor circuit includes a sensor interface in communication with the muscle function sensor and the transducer for receiving the muscle and stimulus signals, a microprocessor operably configured to process the signals to produce a physiological indication associated with functioning of the living animal, a memory operable to store data representative of variations in the physiological indications over a period of time, and a communications interface for communicating stored data to an output device.
