Recording Vital Signs

Vital signs tell you how a patient is doing right now and how they’ve changed over time. viggoVet lets you record multiple vitals at once, add notes to individual readings, and view trend charts that show patterns across visits.

When to record vitals

Record vitals at the start of most patient visits, during check-in, or any time you need a baseline. Technicians usually take vitals before the vet sees the patient.

Opening the Vitals tab

1. Open the patient’s profile.
2. Click the Vitals tab in the tab row at the top (between Reminders and Internal Staff Comments).

The Vitals page shows all configured vital types organized into collapsible groups. At the top you’ll find a Search field, the Show Only Active toggle, and the Save All Record button (blue, top-right).

ital type groups

Vitals are organized into collapsible sections configured by your clinic. The default Essential groups are:

• Weight
• Temperature
• CRT (Capillary Refill Time)

Your clinic can add, rename, or reorganize these groups in Settings > Configurations > Vital Types.

Recording a measurement

Each vital type shows a row with the vital name on the left, a Value input field in the middle, and a + NOTE button on the right.

1. Find the vital type you want to record (e.g., Weight, Temperature).
2. Enter the measurement in the Value field using the displayed unit (kg, Celsius, bpm, etc.).
3. Click + NOTE if you need to add context (e.g., “Measured after sedation” or “Owner reports weight loss”).

You can fill in values across multiple groups at the same time. When you’re done, click Save All Record to batch-save everything at once.

Tip: During a standard exam, fill in weight, temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate across the groups. Then click Save All Record once to save them all together instead of one at a time.

Viewing vital trends

Each vital type with historical data shows a mini line chart next to the input field. The chart plots all previous recordings as data points connected by a line, with dates along the horizontal axis. The most recent reading appears at the end of the line in orange/red.

The Weight chart is the most common one you’ll see. These trend charts make it easy to spot:

• Weight gain or loss over time
• Temperature spikes that may indicate infection
• Heart rate changes across visits

Filtering vitals

Show Only Active: Toggle this on to hide inactive vital types and focus on the ones your clinic currently uses.

Search: Type in the search field to quickly find a specific vital type by name.

What to do if something goes wrong

Vital type not showing: 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.

Wrong value recorded: Enter the correct value and save again. Each save creates a new data point, so the incorrect one stays in the history. Your administrator can remove old entries if needed.

Units look wrong: Units are set per vital type by your administrator. If you see kg but expected lbs, check with your admin about the vital type configuration.

Trend chart not showing: The chart only appears when there are two or more historical data points. A single reading won’t show a chart yet.

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