To enable DiagnoseAI for your practice, navigate to Admin > Clinic Settings > AI Settings and toggle Enable DiagnoseAI on, then click Save.

If DiagnoseAI is still not visible within a SOAP after enabling, contact Shepherd Support for assistance.

To control which users can enable or disable AI Settings, update the AI Settings permission within user roles at Admin > Users > Roles > Edit Role > Permissions > Admin Tab - check AI Settings.

To use DiagnoseAI, open any SOAP note and click DiagnoseAI in the top right corner of the SOAP. Click Start Assistant to open the DiagnoseAI panel.
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DiagnoseAI will analyze the patient information listed above and return differential diagnoses and suggested treatment considerations. You can continue the conversation in the assistant window to ask follow-up questions or request additional detail.

DiagnoseAI does not automatically write its output into any SOAP field. After reviewing DiagnoseAI's suggestions, manually enter your final clinical decisions into the appropriate SOAP sections — diagnoses in Assessment and the treatment plan in Plan.

DiagnoseAI is powered by a large language model (LLM) — a type of artificial intelligence trained on large datasets to understand and generate human-like language. Shepherd has worked with AI experts, developers, and veterinary professionals to build, train, and test DiagnoseAI specifically for use in veterinary clinical settings.
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DiagnoseAI is designed to draw from a broad range of information sources, including peer-reviewed journals, veterinary databases, and reputable online resources. It is regularly updated to reflect current veterinary knowledge and best practices.

Because Shepherd is not directly partnered with any individual publication or information source, we are not able to identify the specific source referenced for any individual response. If a response cites or implies a specific source, use your clinical judgment to verify it independently.

DiagnoseAI has been tested and reviewed by Shepherd's internal team as well as external veterinary professionals to validate the quality of its responses. Shepherd continually develops specialized datasets to improve the tool's knowledge and accountability for the veterinary industry.
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That said, DiagnoseAI has limitations and will not always get it right. Think of it the way you would a web search — a useful starting point and reference, not a definitive answer. Your feedback through the tool helps it improve over time.
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When generating suggestions, DiagnoseAI pulls the following information from the patient record:
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Patient

Medical Record

Information outside the SOAP Subjective — such as previous visit notes or lab results — is not included in DiagnoseAI's analysis.
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DiagnoseAI can generate Buoy's Law compliant discharge instructions based on the current SOAP. To request discharge instructions, ask DiagnoseAI directly within the assistant window — for example: "Please create discharge instructions for this visit" or "Generate at-home monitoring instructions for this patient."

Discharge instruction generation depends on the content present in the SOAP Subjective. If the Subjective is sparse or uses non-specific language, DiagnoseAI may not produce relevant discharge content. Using clear, descriptive language in the Subjective — or explicitly prompting DiagnoseAI to create discharge instructions — produces the most consistent results.

Discharge instructions generated by DiagnoseAI are not automatically added to the patient record. Copy the output and add it to the appropriate location in the SOAP or client communication.
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DiagnoseAI is a conversational AI assistant built directly into Shepherd's SOAP. Once open, you can ask it questions, request differential diagnoses based on the patient's presenting symptoms, explore treatment considerations, and generate discharge instructions — all without leaving the medical record. It reads from the patient record and SOAP Subjective, so the more detail present, the more relevant its responses. DiagnoseAI uses a large language model (LLM) — an AI trained on large datasets to understand and generate language — tuned toward veterinary clinical content.

No. DiagnoseAI is not a substitute for the expertise and clinical judgment of a licensed veterinarian. It is a reference tool designed to support the diagnostic process. All final diagnoses and treatment decisions must be made by a licensed veterinary professional.

Yes. DiagnoseAI is available in both Comprehensive and Quick SOAP workflows.

If DiagnoseAI opens but shows only a loading indicator and does not return results, check the following:

If the issue persists across multiple SOAPs, contact Shepherd Support and include a screenshot or screen recording, your browser and device, and the specific SOAP where the issue occurred.