VetKeeperHow to keep track of your dog's medications
"Did someone already give her the pill this morning?" is one of the most common questions in a multi-person household. A simple written record answers it — and makes your next vet visit easier.
Write down each medication once
Start with a list of everything your pet takes, copied from the pharmacy label or discharge instructions:
- Name and strength exactly as on the label (for example, "carprofen 75 mg").
- The dose your vet prescribed and how it's given (by mouth, with food, on the skin, in the ear).
- How often and for how long — "twice daily for 5 days", "once a month", "as needed".
- What it's for, and the prescribing clinic.
- Include monthly preventives (flea, tick, heartworm) and supplements too — vets want to know about them.
Log every dose when you give it
The single most useful habit is to record the dose right after giving it, not later. Each entry needs only:
- Which medication
- The date and time
- Anything unusual: a half dose, a spit-out pill, vomiting afterward, a missed dose
A paper chart on the fridge works if everyone uses it. A shared note or an app works better if people give doses in different places or at different times.
Share the job without double-dosing
- Agree on one place where every dose gets logged — not texts in a group chat.
- Check the log before giving a dose, every time.
- When a sitter or boarding facility takes over, hand them the medication list, the last dose time and the vet's phone number.
Keep monthly and long-term meds on track
Monthly preventives are easy to forget because they're so infrequent. Logging the date you gave each one lets you see at a glance whether it's been about a month. For long-term medications, a dose history helps your vet judge how well a treatment is working and whether doses were missed.
Bring the record to the vet
At a recheck, your vet will often ask when the last dose was and whether any were missed or caused side effects. A dated log — especially notes like "vomited after the evening dose" — gives them real information instead of guesses.
A medication log built for this
VetKeeper 1.2 adds a medication log: add each medication and its dose, tap Given when you give it, add a note when something's different, and see the full history. Recent doses appear on the one-page PDF summary you share with your vet. VetKeeper keeps a record of what you give; it doesn't provide dosing advice.