A useful pet symptom diary records what happened, when it happened, how long it lasted and what else was occurring. It helps you explain intermittent or changing problems during a veterinary appointment, especially when your dog or cat behaves differently at the clinic. The diary supports the veterinary assessment; it does not diagnose the problem or replace an examination.
You can use a notebook, a phone note or a simple spreadsheet. Start with whatever you have already noticed, and contact your veterinarian about your concern without waiting to build a complete record. Even one clearly described episode can be useful.
Record what you see, then add your concerns
The most helpful entries describe observable behaviour. “Walked away after eating about half of breakfast” gives your veterinarian more information than “felt nauseous.” Similarly, “held the left front paw off the floor while standing” is more precise than “arthritis was worse.”
Your interpretation still belongs in the conversation, but keep it separate: “I wondered whether the walk had made him uncomfortable.” You do not need to identify the condition or know the medical name for what happened. If you cannot tell whether an episode was coughing, gagging or something else, describe the sound and movement rather than choosing a label.
For each entry, try to capture:
- Date and time: Use an unambiguous date, such as 31 October, and mark estimated times as approximate.
- What happened: Describe the action, sound, appearance or change from your pet’s usual behaviour.
- Frequency and duration: Record how many episodes you observed and how long each lasted. Separate the length of an episode from the period over which it has been recurring.
- What happened afterwards: Note whether your pet returned to their usual activity, remained uncomfortable or behaved differently.
Be honest about gaps. “No episodes seen while I was home from 6–10 p.m.” is different from “no episodes today.” If you missed the beginning, write “already happening when first noticed” rather than guessing the duration.
For help putting a behaviour into words, McQueen’s article on signs of pain in dogs and cats describes changes owners may notice. Record the behaviour itself without assuming pain is its cause.
A simple pet symptom diary template
Copy this table into your preferred note-taking tool and add one row for each episode. Put your pet’s name above it, particularly if you keep records for more than one animal.
| Date and time | What I observed | Duration and frequency | Food, activity or other context | Medication or care given | What happened next / photo or video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Date; exact or approximate time] | [What you saw or heard; difference from usual] | [Length; number of episodes observed] | [Relevant meal, activity, surroundings or recent change] | [Name, dose and time, if applicable; otherwise “none”] | [Recovery or continuing change; file name if recorded] |
| Hypothetical example: 31 October, approximately 7:15 p.m. | Licked right front paw repeatedly while lying on the rug; no visible bleeding | About 2 minutes; second episode I observed today | Returned from usual pavement walk about 10 minutes earlier | None | Stopped licking and settled; photo labelled “31Oct-right-front-paw” |
This example is fictional and is not a McQueen Animal Hospital case. It illustrates how to document an observation, not what caused the behaviour or whether it is safe to wait.
Keep entries brief enough that you can maintain them. If several people care for your pet, use one shared record and add the observer’s initials so the same episode is not counted twice.
Add relevant context without trying to prove a cause
Record circumstances that may help explain the timing: a meal, a walk, waking from sleep, a medication dose, visitors or a change in household products. For food-related observations, note the food or treat and the approximate amount when known. If several pets share bowls or litter boxes, say when you cannot confidently attribute an observation to one animal.
Context is useful, but timing alone does not establish a cause. “Scratched after lying on freshly washed bedding” is an observation; “the detergent caused an allergy” is a conclusion that needs assessment. Record changes without deliberately repeating a suspected exposure to test your theory.
Use comparable descriptions when following a problem over time. For appetite, “ate about one-quarter of the usual portion” is clearer than alternating between “poor” and “not great.” For activity, describe an ordinary behaviour your pet normally performs rather than creating an exercise test. Include relevant periods of usual behaviour too, while distinguishing them from times when nobody was watching.
Track treatment response without adjusting treatment yourself
If your veterinarian has started treatment, record the medicine’s name, the dose actually given and the time it was administered. Note missed or uncertain doses honestly, including whether your pet spat out a tablet or vomited afterwards. Ask the treating clinic what to do about an uncertain dose rather than automatically repeating it.
Describe response using the same observations you recorded before treatment. “Three licking episodes observed this evening, compared with six yesterday evening” is more informative than “medicine helped a little.” Include any new changes and the times you noticed them, but avoid assuming that improvement proves a diagnosis or that every new symptom is a medication reaction.
Continue to follow the prescribed plan. Do not increase, reduce or otherwise change treatment based on the diary alone; contact the prescribing clinic about concerns or possible adverse effects and follow any specific instructions already provided. If the veterinarian gives you a questionnaire or monitoring scale, use it as directed alongside your notes.
Use photographs and videos when they add information
A photograph can preserve the appearance of a visible change, while a video may show movement, sounds or an intermittent behaviour that is difficult to describe. Cornell University’s veterinary guidance recommends photos, videos and written notes when documenting possible pain in dogs, noting that fear or anxiety may mask some behaviours during a clinic visit.
Film only when it is safe and the behaviour happens naturally. Keep enough of your pet in view to show their posture and surroundings, preserve sound when relevant, and label the file with the date and matching diary entry. For photographs taken over time, similar lighting and camera distance make comparison easier.
Do not press a painful area, force your pet to walk or jump, or recreate a suspected trigger to obtain footage. The 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats recognise owner-recorded images and videos as useful information when pain-related behaviour is intermittent or absent in the clinic; they remain part of an assessment rather than a diagnosis on their own.
Care comes before documentation. If your pet is struggling to breathe, collapses or cannot pass urine, seek immediate veterinary care rather than continuing to film or write. McQueen is not a 24-hour emergency hospital; outside clinic hours, contact an emergency veterinary facility. For the separate question of how urgently a change needs attention, see McQueen’s guide to monitoring symptoms and seeking veterinary care, or contact your veterinarian for advice specific to your pet.
Turn the diary into a short appointment summary
Before the appointment, read through your entries and pull out the main pattern. Keep the full record available, but prepare a few lines covering:
- When you first noticed the problem and when it most recently occurred.
- How often you have observed it and how long episodes usually last.
- Whether frequency, duration or the effect on normal activities has changed.
- Any recurring circumstances, treatment response or uncertainty.
If you are sharing the record with the vets in Brampton at McQueen Animal Hospital, start with that summary, then use individual entries to discuss your observations. Ask how the clinic would prefer to receive photographs or videos, and have the most relevant files ready to open.
The diary adds detail to the discussion during a pet consultation and examination. It does not need to cover your pet’s entire medical history. Finish by asking what the veterinarian would like you to track next, how often to record it and which changes should prompt further contact. That keeps the record focused on information that will help with your pet’s ongoing care.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Harinder Babbar, DVM
Veterinarian & Medical Director
McQueen Animal Hospital, Brampton, OntarioThis article has been medically reviewed and is based on current evidence-based veterinary literature and clinical guidance.