Patient Vitals

The Vitals tab on a patient profile is where you record weight, temperature, heart rate, and other measurements. Each reading is saved as a data point, and viggoVet builds trend charts so you can spot changes across visits. This guide goes deeper than the workflow guide (which covers how to record vitals step by step) and focuses on the trend charts, notes, configuration, and how vitals from the Status Board feed into this tab.

For the step-by-step recording workflow, see Recording Vital Signs.

Where the Vitals tab is located

1. Open the main bar, under “accounts”, click on “patients”
2. In the row below the top header click on “vitals” between “reminders” and “internal staff comments”

Page Controls:

At the top of the Vitals page:

Vital Type Groups

Vitals are organized into collapsible groups. Click a group header to expand or collapse it.

1. Essential Vitals: Weight, temperature, and CRT (Capillary Refill Time)

1. Specialty Vitals:Heart rate and respiratory

1. Respiratory:Additional respiratory measurements

You can add numerical values for each vital, and the measurement units are customized according to the vital type. Your clinic can customize these groups, add new vital types, rename them, or move types between groups. This configuration lives in Settings > Configurations > Vital Types.

How Group Membership Works

Each vital type belongs to exactly one group. When your administrator creates a new vital type, they assign it to a group and specify the unit of measurement (kg, Celsius, bpm, seconds, etc.). The unit displays next to the input field so staff know what format to enter.

Recording a Vital Measurement

Each vital type row shows:

• Vital name on the left
• Value input field in the center
• + NOTE button on the right

Enter a number in the Value field. You can fill in multiple vitals across different groups before saving. When ready, click Save All Record to create data points for every vital you entered.

Tip: You don’t need to fill in every vital every time. Only the fields with values get saved. Empty fields are skipped.

Adding Notes to Individual Vital Readings

Click + NOTE beside any vital to attach context to that specific reading. For example: In weight, an essential vital, add a note that says “weighed after a heavy meal”.

Notes are saved alongside the data point and appear when you hover or click on that reading in the trend chart. They provide clinical context that raw numbers alone cannot capture.

The Trend Chart in Detail

When a vital type has two or more historical data points, a mini line chart appears next to the input field. Here’s how to read it:

Horizontal axis (x-axis): Dates of past recordings displayed as abbreviated labels (e.g., “15 May”, “Jun 25”, “15 Jun”, “Jul 25”, “15 Jul”). The chart shows all available data points, not just a fixed time window.

Vertical axis (implied): The measurement values. The chart auto-scales to fit the range of recorded values.

Line: An orange line connects the data points chronologically, showing the progression.

Endpoint: The most recent reading appears as an orange/red dot at the right end of the line. This color contrast draws your eye to the current value.

Data points: Each recorded measurement is a dot on the line. More frequent recordings produce a denser chart.

Trend Chart Information Indicators:

The chart is most useful for Weight (tracking growth, weight loss programs, or chronic conditions) and Temperature (spotting fever patterns). Heart rate and respiratory rate charts help identify cardiovascular or respiratory trends.

Vitals from the Status Board

Access the Status Board and search the pet’s name. The board will provide you with in and out times, provider caring for the pet, reason of care requirement, alerts, room, card info, and actions. When you click on “+ add alert” and write one, it will appear highlighted on the board. You can filter the search by clicking on my board, in patient board, out patient board, surgery board, and room board.

When a patient is checked in and appears on the Status Board, staff can record vitals using the Add Vital action from the action menu. These readings go to exactly the same place as vitals entered on this tab.

Steps for adding vitals from the status board:

1. Patient is checked in and appears on the Status Board.
2. A technician opens the action menu and clicks Add Vital.
3. The vital entry form appears (same fields: vital type, value, note).
4. The technician saves the reading.
5. The data point appears on the patient’s Vitals tab with the corresponding trend chart updated.

There is no difference between a vital recorded from the Status Board and one recorded from this tab. Both create the same data point and both appear in the same trend chart. The Status Board route is simply faster when you’re working through multiple patients during a busy morning.

Configuration Reference

Vital types and their settings are managed by administrators in Settings > Configurations > Vital Types.

What administrators can configure:

If your clinic switches from Celsius to Fahrenheit (or kg to lbs), the administrator changes the unit on the vital type. Historical readings remain in their original unit, so be aware that older data points may reflect the previous unit.

Note: Adding a new vital type in Settings makes it available immediately on the Vitals tab for all patients. No restart or refresh is needed.

What to do if something goes wrong?

Vital type not showing on the tab: It may be inactive. Toggle off Show Only Active to see all types. If it’s still missing, ask your administrator to add it in Settings > Configurations > Vital Types.

Trend chart not appearing: The chart requires at least two historical data points. A single reading won’t generate a chart. Record the value again on the next visit and the chart will appear.

Wrong value recorded: Enter the correct value and click Save All Record again. Each save creates a new data point. The incorrect reading stays in the history. Ask your administrator to remove the erroneous entry if needed.

Units look wrong (kg vs. lbs): Units are set at the vital type level by your administrator. If you see the wrong unit, check with your admin about the configuration.

Notes not visible on the chart: Notes are attached to individual data points. Hover over a data point or click it to see the associated note. If no note was added at the time of recording, none will appear.

Status Board vitals not appearing here: Confirm the vital was saved successfully on the Status Board (the action should show a success message). If it still doesn’t appear, refresh the patient’s Vitals tab. The data point should be there.

Note: Contact the viggoVet help if any of these problems persist after following the instructions.