Who we are

About PoopScout

A calm second look at the one thing every pet owner inspects and nobody talks about.

PoopScout started with a question most dog and cat owners ask at some point, usually at an awkward hour: is this normal? The answer is online somewhere, scattered across clinic pages, forums and pet food blogs, most of it either vague or alarming. We wanted one place that answers it the way a good vet tech would at the front desk: here is what that can mean, here is what to do today, and here is whether it is a vet call.

What PoopScout is

• The app (iPhone first): snap a photo of the poop, add anything else you noticed, and Scout, our beagle detective, gives a stool score on the 1 to 7 scale vets use, the color, visible findings like blood, mucus or worms, a Gut Score from 0 to 100, and one of four verdicts: All clear, Keep an eye, Call your vet today, or Call a vet now. Every check is saved to your pet's log on your phone, and Pro can turn the last 7 or 30 days into a one-page PDF for your vet.
• This site: the same scale, colors and verdicts as free tools you can use by eye, plus plain-language guides to the questions people search most, each written from named veterinary sources and each ending with when to call the vet.

What PoopScout is not

PoopScout is not a vet and does not diagnose. It gives general guidance from what you can see and what you tell it, and it can be wrong. A photo cannot show everything: many parasites only show up on a vet's fecal test, and a pet can look fine and still be unwell. If your pet seems unwell or you are worried, call your vet. In an emergency, contact your vet or the nearest emergency animal hospital right away.

How we write the guides

• Every health fact comes from a veterinary source we name on the page: the Merck Veterinary Manual, Cornell's Feline and Canine Health Centers, VCA Animal Hospitals, the Companion Animal Parasite Council, the AVMA, the AAHA, ASPCA Animal Poison Control, and university teaching hospitals.
• We never name a pet food brand, a store or a medication brand, and we never print a dose. Those are your vet's calls.
• We never invent ratings, review counts or user numbers.
• We use the app's own four verdicts on every page, so the site and the app always say the same thing.

Who makes it

PoopScout is made by Viral Tandel, who publishes apps as Viral Labs. It is an independent project, not affiliated with any clinic, veterinary association, university, pet food company or other app. Questions, corrections and ideas: viral.b.tandel@gmail.com. Corrections from vets and vet techs are especially welcome.