Our story
Why I built VitalPaw
VitalPaw wasn’t built in a boardroom. It was built sitting beside a dog that was struggling to breathe, wishing there was an easier way to know if she needed emergency care.
VitalPaw wasn’t created because I wanted to build another pet app.
It was created because one of my own dogs suddenly couldn’t breathe.
One day Charlie was fine. The next, she was struggling for every breath.
Over the following weeks we made countless trips to emergency hospitals, specialist appointments, CT scans, oxygen therapy, blood work, medications, and tests trying to understand what was happening.
Every time we came home I had the same question:
“How do I know if she’s getting worse?”
The veterinarians kept telling me to monitor her.
- Monitor her breathing.
- Monitor her heart rate.
- Monitor her temperature.
- Monitor her gums.
- Monitor her capillary refill time.
Those are simple instructions.
Actually doing them isn’t.
I’d find my phone. Open a stopwatch. Count for fifteen seconds. Multiply by four. Write the number down somewhere. Repeat the process again a few hours later.
Then wonder…
“Is this normal?”
“Is this better than this morning?”
“Should I be driving back to the emergency clinic?”
When your dog is struggling to breathe, every minute feels like an hour.
I didn’t want calculations.
I wanted answers.
So I built the tool I wished I’d had.
VitalPaw lets you tap while you watch your dog’s breathing or heartbeat, calculates everything automatically, compares it to normal ranges for your dog’s size, explains what the numbers mean, and stores every reading so you can see changes over time.
It doesn’t replace your veterinarian. It simply helps you notice changes sooner and make more informed decisions.
Because when your dog is sick, reducing uncertainty matters.
Why “Choose Your Price”?
Charlie eventually became what my family jokingly calls…
our $16,000 dog.
Emergency medicine is expensive. Specialists are expensive. Diagnostics are expensive.
I know firsthand that when your dog becomes critically ill, every dollar suddenly has somewhere it needs to go.
I didn’t want the cost of this app to become another decision someone had to make while they’re already worrying about their dog.
So instead of setting a fixed price, I decided to let people choose what feels fair.
If VitalPaw gives you peace of mind, helps you monitor your dog between veterinary visits, or helps you recognize when it’s time to seek emergency care, pay whatever you think it’s worth.
Some people may only be able to pay a few dollars. Others may choose to pay more to help support future improvements.
Either way, every purchase helps keep VitalPaw growing and allows more dog owners to have access to a tool that was built from a real experience — not a business idea.
Choose your price
Pay whatever VitalPaw is worth to you. It helps cover Charlie’s veterinary bills and keeps the app growing for other dog owners.
This opens PayPal in a new tab. VitalPaw stays fully usable whether you contribute or not.
VitalPaw provides general reference information to help you observe and describe your dog’s vital signs. It does not diagnose, treat or give veterinary advice, and it is not a substitute for examination by a licensed veterinarian. If you are worried about your dog, contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary service.