A growing number of pet owners are turning to AI tools and search engines to assess their dog’s health, particularly when it comes to digestive symptoms. 

Research from Protexin - which specialises in pet digestive health - found that 13% of pet owners (1 in 7) would ask AI tools if their pet was showing signs of poor gut health*, with a further 35% turning to Google searches too. 

This emerging “digital diagnosis” behaviour is more common among younger pet owners, with 1 in 5 millennials (21%) saying they would ask AI about symptoms. Regionally, this rises to 27% in Northern Ireland, and 25% in London - indicating a more digital-first approach in certain areas.

Sam Booth, Veterinary Advisor at Protexin is highlighting the implications this can have on veterinary practices: “Digestive issues can be a symptom of a wide range of underlying causes in dogs, which makes accurate, clinical assessments important. The problem for veterinary practices with “digital diagnosis” behaviour is that when clients turn to AI and Google first, they may arrive with misinformation before a consultant has even begun.

“Google or AI can be helpful in some situations, but it doesn’t always show the bigger picture. A symptom like diarrhoea may resolve on its own, but what matters is whether it keeps recurring. If a pet has the same issue repeatedly, that pattern may point to an underlying cause, and that is something a vet can help identify. Early intervention can also prevent problems from becoming chronic or harder to treat later. At the same time, online searching can make owners assume the worst when the issue may actually be mild. The difficulty is that Google is not good at helping people interpret context, patterns or severity.

“There is an opportunity for practices to proactively guide clients towards reliable information and reinforce the importance of early clinical assessment, especially for ongoing or recurrent digestive symptoms."