Remembering exactly what your pet ate last Tuesday can be surprisingly difficult—especially when more than one person feeds them. A short diary gives you somewhere to keep the details together.
You do not need an app or a complicated spreadsheet. A notebook, a shared phone note or a printed page can work. Choose something everyone in the household can use, and keep a separate record for each pet.
Start with the everyday details
At the top of your diary, write your pet’s name and the date you started. Add the names of the people who normally feed them. Keep a photo of the packaging for their usual food so you can check the precise product name later.
Record meals with the time, food name and amount offered. If some is left, note that too. Include treats, chews, table scraps and food used to give medication, as well as supplements and medicines. The AAHA nutrition-history guidance considers food, feeding arrangements and the wider routine when building a picture of a dog or cat’s diet.
Be specific where you can: “half a pouch of the usual chicken recipe” is easier to interpret later if the brand and pouch size are recorded elsewhere. If you do not know the amount, say so. An honest estimate is more useful than a precise-looking guess.
Describe what you actually notice
Use plain observations rather than deciding what caused them. For example, “licked front paws several times after the evening walk” records an event. “Reacted to dinner” adds a conclusion you may not be able to support.
Write down when something happened, what you saw and roughly how long it lasted. If you take a photograph, label it with the date and keep it with that day’s notes. Record quieter days too, including days when you notice nothing unusual.
Food is only one part of the picture. Make a brief note of changes such as a different walk, a stay away from home, grooming or a new feeding routine. These notes preserve context; they do not identify a cause.
A simple diary entry to copy
Pet’s name:
Date:
Meals: Time / exact food / amount offered / amount left
Extras: Treats, chews, table food or other food / approximate amount / time
Medicines and supplements: Name / amount given as directed / time
Observations: What I saw / when / how long / photograph filename if useful
Routine changes: Anything different today, or “usual routine”
Who added this entry:
Questions for the vet:
Leave a space blank or write “not known” if you missed something. You can add a note later, marking it as an estimate rather than trying to recreate an exact timeline.
Make it easy for everyone to contribute
Keep the diary near the food cupboard or pin the shared note where everyone can find it. Ask each person to add extras when they give them, rather than relying on one person to remember the whole day.
In a multi-pet household, use names on every entry. If you are unsure who ate food left in another bowl, record that uncertainty. You do not need to turn the diary into a scoring system: short, consistent notes are enough to make it readable.
Before an appointment, make a brief summary of your main concern and when you first noticed it. Bring the detailed entries and food-label photographs as supporting information.
Use the diary to support a conversation with your vet
A diary cannot diagnose a food allergy or establish that a particular ingredient caused a symptom. PDSA explains that signs associated with food allergies in dogs can also occur with other conditions, and advises contacting your vet about suspected problems. Read PDSA’s food-allergy guidance.
If your pet is unwell, seek veterinary advice rather than waiting to collect more entries. Do not use the diary to start restrictive diets or change prescribed treatment yourself. If your vet recommends a dietary trial, ask them what to record and follow their instructions.
The aim is simple: clearer information, fewer forgotten details and a more useful conversation about your pet.
For practical information about an existing Test My Pets order, see what happens after ordering.