Home › Tools › Symptom Checker
Dog Symptom Checker
Select a symptom, rate how severe it is, and tell us how long it's been going on. You'll get likely causes and a clear recommendation: go to the vet now, call today, or monitor at home.
How to Use This Tool
Pick the symptom that best describes what you are seeing. Rate severity honestly -- mild means your dog is uncomfortable but still acting mostly normal; severe means something is clearly wrong and they are not themselves. Duration matters: a symptom that started an hour ago is very different from one that has been going on for three days.
The checker gives you a recommendation in one of four categories: Emergency (go now), Urgent (call your vet today), Watch (monitor closely for 24 hours), or Safe (likely not serious, can wait for a routine appointment). Each result includes the most common causes and a suggested next step.
What This Tool Cannot Do
This is a triage tool, not a diagnosis. It cannot examine your dog, run bloodwork, or account for your dog's individual health history. It works by pattern-matching your inputs to the most common causes of each symptom across the general dog population.
Some conditions are rare, some dogs are stoic about pain, and some symptoms look mild on the surface but signal something serious underneath. When in doubt, call your vet. Most clinics will talk you through a triage decision over the phone at no charge.
Common Symptoms by Category
Not sure which symptom to pick? Here is a quick reference for the most common concerns:
Neurological / Pain
General
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this dog symptom checker?
This tool is designed to help you triage -- not diagnose. It maps combinations of symptom, severity, and duration to the most common causes and gives you a practical go/wait/monitor recommendation. It cannot account for your individual dog's history, age, or pre-existing conditions. Use it as a starting point, not a final answer.
My dog has multiple symptoms. Which one do I check?
Check the most severe or alarming symptom first. If your dog is vomiting AND lethargic, the lethargy often signals something systemic and should take priority. If any single symptom scores as an emergency, treat it as an emergency regardless of what the others say.
When should I skip the checker and go straight to the vet?
Go immediately if your dog is: unable to breathe normally, bleeding heavily and it won't stop, unconscious or unresponsive, showing signs of extreme pain (howling, won't let you touch them), having a seizure, or if you know they swallowed something toxic. These are not "checker" situations.
Is this checker safe to use for puppies?
The same symptoms are generally more serious in puppies under 6 months. Puppies dehydrate faster, their immune systems are less developed, and they have less reserve when something goes wrong. If your puppy is showing any moderate or severe symptoms, err on the side of calling your vet.
What does "monitor at home" actually mean?
Monitor means: watch for changes over the next 12-24 hours, keep your dog calm and hydrated, note whether symptoms are improving or getting worse, and be ready to escalate if anything changes. It does not mean "ignore it." If you are not comfortable trusting your own judgment, call your vet -- most clinics have a nurse line for exactly this reason.
