A large UK study has explored a question most of us recognise: is this something I should ring the vet about, or can I monitor it at home? Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) used realistic “mini case stories” (vignettes) based on real VetCompass clinical records to see how well UK dog owners could (1) identify common conditions and (2) judge how urgently veterinary care was needed.
What the researchers did
The team ran an online survey (February to April 2022) where each participant read three short clinical scenarios, randomly chosen from a bank of 30 common conditions seen in UK first opinion practice. Owners were asked what they thought was wrong, how urgently they would seek veterinary care, and what information sources they used to help them decide. Vet surgeons also reviewed the vignettes to agree what the condition was and how quickly the dog should be seen, providing a benchmark for comparison.
In total, the final analysis included 1,772 UK dog owners and 5,316 vignette responses.
Key findings, in plain English
- Owners recognised some “classic” problems very well, but struggled with others.
Epilepsy, kennel cough, flea infestation and osteoarthritis were among the most accurately identified. In contrast, mast cell tumour, glaucoma and gastrointestinal foreign body were among the least accurately identified. - The bigger welfare concern was urgency, not “getting the diagnosis right”.
Owners rated the situation as less urgent than vets did in 28.4% of vignette responses. - Some painful or dangerous conditions were commonly under-urgented.
One standout was otitis externa (ear inflammation/infection), which had the highest level of “under-urgency” compared with vet recommendations in this study. The paper also highlights concern about underestimating urgency for emergencies like heatstroke. - Searching the internet helped owners name conditions, but didn’t reliably fix urgency.
Owners who used internet searching performed slightly better on condition identification, but internet searching was not linked to more appropriate urgency decisions overall. - Where owners looked for advice mattered.
The study found mixed effects for online groups: using online dog health groups in the moment was linked with a lower risk of under-urgency, but habitual use of more general dog groups was linked with poorer accuracy and a higher risk of under-urgency in the models. Regular contact with a veterinary practice, including for advice, was linked with more appropriate urgency decisions.
What this means for you as a dog owner
This study reinforces something important: you don’t need to know exactly what the condition is to make a good decision. What matters most is recognising when veterinary input is needed, and how quickly.
A few practical takeaways:
- Treat pain as urgent. Ear problems, sudden lameness, squinting or eye pain, repeated vomiting, collapse, or a dramatic change in behaviour deserve a call for advice, even if you’re unsure what it is.
- Use your vet team as a triage resource, not just a booking service. Many practices can advise on timing (today, within 24 to 48 hours, routine appointment), and that timing decision is often the critical bit.
- If you search online, use it to support questions, not replace triage. Searching may help you describe symptoms clearly, but this study suggests it does not automatically improve urgency decisions.
- Ask for trusted resources. The authors discuss “information prescriptions”, meaning vets signposting owners to reliable pages tailored to the problem, so you can read more without falling into misinformation.
- Know what support you already have. Some pet insurers include vet helplines, and some practices offer telemedicine or app-based messaging, which can help owners make safer decisions while managing practice workload.
A note on limitations
As with many online surveys, respondents may not perfectly represent all UK dog owners (the sample skewed heavily female and older), and people may behave differently in real life compared to a hypothetical scenario. The authors are clear that more real-world research is needed, especially now that AI tools are increasingly part of how owners seek information.
Read the study
Farrow M, O’Neill DG, Packer RMA (2026) To see or not to see the vet: A vignette-based study of decision-making by UK dog owners regarding seeking veterinary care for commonly presenting conditions. PLOS ONE. CLICK HERE TO READ.
