How to Spot Anomalies in Animal Hospital

Quick answer

Anomalies are the horror hook of Animal Hospital — patients that look normal but aren't. Miss one and something terrible happens. Here's how to catch them.

What an anomaly is

An anomaly is a patient showing abnormal symptoms it shouldn't have. They arrive mixed in with normal patients, and it's your job to notice the difference before you treat them.

Three ways to detect them

You can spot an anomaly:

Three ways to detect them

In person
look closely at the patient in the room.
On the security cameras
some anomalies only reveal themselves on camera.
In photos
cursed photos can expose (or hide) what's really going on.

Symptom types to watch for

A single patient can show more than one symptom, so don't stop at the first thing you notice.

Unnatural facial appearance — smiling when it shouldn't, three eyes, a crooked or wrong face.
Behavioural anomalies — moving, staring or reacting in ways a normal patient wouldn't.

What happens if you let one pass

Waving through an anomaly is dangerous. It can trigger a Death Ritual, spawn a monster into the hospital, or turn the patient into a Mimic that eats other patients and players.

What to do with a confirmed anomaly

Do not treat it like a normal patient. Neutralise it with a defense item — the Taser or Gun — or handle it manually. Correctly dealing with anomalies is also how you earn Animal Coins (+0.5 per anomaly prevented).