Handling 'is this safe for my dog?' questions without giving vet advice

Don't answer "is this safe for my dog?" as if you were a vet. Give plain product facts, like ingredients, sizes and materials, and for anything about one animal's health, tell the customer to ask their vet. You stay helpful and you stay out of trouble.

It looks like a simple question, but there are two questions hiding in it. Pet owners ask it constantly, and a confident-sounding answer from a brand can do harm. This is how I'd deal with it.

Two questions in one

Sometimes it's a product question you can answer. "What is in it?", "Is it suitable for a puppy size?", "Does it contain chicken?", "What is the harness made of?" The answers are in your product information.

Other times it's a health question you can't answer. "Is it safe for my dog who has a sensitive stomach?", "Can my diabetic dog have it?", "My dog ate a whole bag, will he be okay?" Those depend on one particular animal, and only a vet who knows that animal can answer them.

Your job is to answer the first kind well and pass the second kind on politely.

Facts yes, advice no

• Share: ingredient lists, analytical constituents, allergens, sizes and weight ranges, materials, care instructions, and anything printed on your own packaging.
• Don't give: opinions on whether a product is right for a specific dog, claims that a product treats, prevents or helps a condition, dosage advice, or reassurance about something a dog has already eaten or swallowed.
• Always offer: a clear route to a vet, and your own contact details for product questions.

If the answer is about the product, you can give it. If it depends on the dog, it belongs to a vet.

Wording you can borrow

Edit these into your own voice.

The customer asks about ingredients

Thanks for asking. This treat contains chicken, rice and linseed, and nothing else. The full ingredient list and analysis are on the product page. If your dog has a diagnosed allergy or health condition, please check with your vet before trying anything new. I am happy to answer any other questions about the product itself.

The customer asks whether it is safe for their dog's condition

I am not able to say whether it would suit your dog, as that depends on their health and I am not a vet. Your vet is the best person to ask, and the ingredient list on the product page will give them everything they need. If it helps, I can send you the full ingredients.

The customer says their dog has eaten something or seems unwell

I am sorry to hear that. Please contact your vet straight away, or an emergency vet if it is out of hours. They are the right people to help, and I cannot advise on this.

None of these replies guesses or tries to reassure. They give what you know and point the customer to the person who can help.

Product pages that head the question off

• List every ingredient, in full, in one place. Don't make people hunt for it.
• Give sizes with measurements and a weight range, so "will it fit?" gets a factual answer.
• Say what the product is made of and how to care for it.
• Keep the wording factual. Avoid phrases like "good for joints" or "calming" unless you're sure you can support them, and check the rules for health claims on pet products before using them. For supplements this matters even more: see support for pet supplement brands.
• Add one line near the top of the page: "If your dog has a health condition or special diet, please check with your vet before trying a new product."

Write the rule down

If more than one person answers your messages, write a short note of what you will and won't say. A few lines is enough.

1. We share product facts from our own pages.
2. We do not give advice about an individual animal's health, diet or symptoms.
3. We always suggest the customer speaks to their vet for those.
4. If a dog may be unwell, we tell the customer to contact a vet immediately.

It takes ten minutes, and it means everyone gives the same answer.

If a bot is answering for you

A chatbot needs the same rule, built in from the start. Hope AI's bot answers only from your own product information and never gives veterinary advice. Health questions get declined, with a suggestion to see a vet and your contact details, and when it doesn't know something it says so. If you're weighing one up, read whether a small Shopify store should use a chatbot and the FAQ. This is also one of the five questions every pet brand gets, and I think it's the one that deserves the most care.