How do I note a symptom or something different about my pet?
Log what you noticed and when, with a photo or a short video if it helps. Observations keep it on record for your vet, and VetVitae never tries to say what it means.
Updated October 20, 2026
- Open your pet and tap Observations.
- Tap Log observation.
- Under What did you see?, pick a suggestion or type it.
- Check the Date and Time.
- Add details under What did you notice?, and a photo or video.
- Tap Save observation.
What can I log as an observation?
Anything you noticed and want on record: vomiting, a cough, not eating, a lump, a limp, a bad night, a new behavior, a note during recovery after surgery. It doesn't have to be a problem. If it doesn't fit vaccines, medicines, visits or any other part of the app, it's an observation.
The suggestions change with the animal. A cat gets things like straining to urinate, a bird change in droppings, a fish white spots or gasping at the surface. They only save typing; you can always type your own. Something you type is offered again next time, for that pet. Other is always last, for when you'd rather write it in the notes.
Why one entry each time?
Each observation is one moment, so vomiting three times today is three observations. That way each time keeps its own time, notes and photos, and your vet can see how often and when it happened. Again on a row logs the same thing again right now, in one tap.
Can I add photos and videos?
Yes. Each observation takes photos and videos: Photo or Video, from the camera or your gallery. A video can be up to 50 MB, so a short clip of a cough, a limp or a seizure is fine. Photos are made smaller on your phone before they upload and stay clear to read. See files.
Can I attach an observation to a visit or a dose?
Yes. An observation can belong to a vet visit, a vaccine, a deworming or a medicine, so it sits with what it's about.
- Before a visit: on the visit, open Observations and tap Add observation. Pick New observation, or one you already logged, with the ones since the last visit first. The vet sees them together on the visit.
- After a dose: on a vaccine, deworming or medicine, Add observation logs a reaction or a side effect attached to that dose, dated the day of the dose.
- Later: open an observation and use Link to attach it to a visit or a dose.
An observation belongs to one place at a time. Attaching it somewhere else moves it, and VetVitae tells you where it was. To take it off, tap its x on the visit or dose; it stays in your pet's observations.
Can I book a visit from an observation?
Yes. Open the observation and tap Book a vet visit. A new appointment opens with what you noticed already in What’s going on, linked to the observation. See vet visits.
Does the vet see my observations?
Yes, on the vet link. The vet page shows what you noted in the last 30 days, newest first, with the whole notes, the time and the files, near the top because it's often the reason for the visit. Older observations are in the page's history. Visits and doses show the observations attached to them.
What to know
- VetVitae never interprets an observation. No warnings, colors or alerts come from what you log or how often. If something worries you, call your vet.
- Observations have no reminders and no due dates. They don't show on Home.
- Each observation is for one pet. There is no "also for" another pet.
- Owners and co-owners log and edit observations.
Questions
Will VetVitae warn me if something looks serious?
No. VetVitae keeps a record and never judges what an observation means, for any animal. It won't flag a symptom or count how often it happens. If you're worried about something you noticed, call your vet. Logging it in VetVitae means the vet has the date, time, notes and photos when you do.
Where do I find every observation?
Open your pet and tap Observations. Every observation is listed by day, newest first. Tap Everything observed to filter by one thing, like "Vomiting", and see each time it was logged. Observations also show in your pet's Timeline with everything else.
Can I log the same thing for two pets?
Not in one go. Observations are logged per pet in VetVitae, because what one pet showed says nothing about another. If two pets have the same symptom, log an observation on each. Each one keeps its own time, notes and photos for that pet's vet.
What does Again do?
Again logs the same observation once more, right now, with the same name. It's for something that keeps happening, like a second bout of vomiting. Tap Again on the row in Observations, or Again, now on the observation itself. Open the new one to add notes or a photo.
Can I log an observation for a time earlier today?
Yes. In the form, change the Date and Time to when you noticed it. They start at now, but any past moment works. Observations are kept in order of when they happened, so the vet reads them in the right order.
What is the difference between an observation and the notes on a visit?
An observation is something you saw at home, with its own date, time and photos. The notes on a visit are what the vet said at the visit: findings and diagnosis. Attach your observations to the visit so both sit together. See vet visits.
Still stuck?
Write to contact@vetvitae.com. A person answers.
VetVitae is a record, not medical advice. Ask your vet about doses and schedules.