You sent a photo, report or recording and AI Vet replied that it couldn't read it. Don't worry — the file is still saved to your pet's document library either way, so nothing is lost.
Jump to:
- The file type isn't supported
- The file couldn't be opened or read
- The file is too big or too long
- It's a video
"I can't open this file type."
The full message is: "I can't open this file type. Try sending a JPEG, PNG, PDF, MP3, or spreadsheet."
AI Vet can read images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HEIC), PDFs, Excel and CSV spreadsheets, and MP3/WAV/M4A/AAC audio. If your file is something else, convert it — a screenshot or a PDF export usually does the job.
You may also be stopped before sending, with "This file type isn't supported".
"I couldn't open this file. Please try re-uploading it."
The file looks damaged, or its contents don't match its file extension. Re-export or re-save it and send it again.
"I couldn't access this file" or "I had trouble reading this file"
Something went wrong reading the file — "It's saved to your pet's documents — try resending if you'd like me to look at it again." Send it once more, on a stronger connection if you can.
Too big, too long, too many
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| "File is too large to upload (limit 100 MB). Please send a smaller file." | Compress it or send a lower-resolution version |
| "Saved to your pet's documents. The PDF is too long for me to analyze in this version (over 50 pages)." | Send just the relevant pages |
| Audio over 5 minutes | Trim it to the important part |
| Spreadsheet over 10 MB | Send a smaller extract |
| "Maximum 5 attachments per message. Remove one to add another." | Send them across two messages |
There are also limits on recordings made in the app: "Video is too long (max 2 min)." and "Audio is too long (max 5 min)."
Please note: in every one of these cases the file is still added to your pet's document library. AI Vet simply couldn't analyse it — a real vet can still review it later.
Videos
AI Vet can't watch video yet. You'll get: "I can't watch the video yet, but a vet on the team can review it directly. What's going on in the clip?"
Describe what happens in the clip in your own words. The video stays in your pet's documents, so if you hand off to a real vet they can watch it.
Other things worth checking
- "Upload failed" means the file couldn't be sent at all — the alert names the reason. Check your connection and try again.
- "Camera unavailable" — "Could not open the camera. Make sure camera permission is granted in Settings."
- Tap the In documents badge to confirm the file was saved.
If it still doesn't work
If a supported, small file keeps failing, contact the Ask A Vet support team with the file type and the message you saw [CONFIRM: support contact channel — email address and/or in-app support route].
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