Anomalies are one of the biggest threats you’ll encounter in Animal Hospital. They disguise themselves as normal patients or appear inside the hospital, causing emergencies, draining your Sanity, damaging equipment, and even killing patients if left unchecked.
- Animal Hospital Anomalies Guide – How to Defeat Anomaly
- Appearance Anomalies
- Photo Anomalies
- CCTV Anomalies
- Deformed Body
- Void Body
- CCTV Twitching
- Shapeshifter (Skinwalker)
- Different Ears
- Staring at the Camera
- Black Eyes
- Black Body with Red Eyes
- How to Defeat Anomalies
- Best Ways to Spot Anomalies
- Anomaly Identification Checklist
- Tips for Surviving Anomalies
Fortunately, every anomaly has specific signs that help you identify it before it’s too late. This guide covers every known anomaly type, how to recognize them, and the best way to deal with them.
Animal Hospital Anomalies Guide – How to Defeat Anomaly
Anomalies are hostile entities that appear during your shift.
Some disguise themselves as regular patients waiting for treatment, while others appear inside the hospital after check-in.
If allowed inside, anomalies can:
- Drain your Sanity.
- Trigger dangerous emergencies.
- Attack patients.
- Kill patients.
- Damage hospital equipment.
The safest approach is identifying them before admitting them into the hospital.
Appearance Anomalies
These anomalies can usually be identified simply by looking at them.
Hollow Eyes
How to Identify
- Completely hollow eyes.
Danger
Can trigger the Death Ritual if admitted.
Human Teeth
How to Identify
- Human-like teeth instead of normal animal teeth.
Danger
May trigger the Death Ritual or transform into a Shapeshifter.
Creepy Smile
How to Identify
- Wide eyes.
- Unnaturally large smile.
Danger
Can become a Shapeshifter or cause the Death Ritual.
Three Eyes
How to Identify
- Three glowing red eyes.
Danger
Can cause monsters to appear inside the hospital.
Googly Eyes & Sharp Teeth
How to Identify
- Distorted eyes.
- Sharp teeth.
- Terrifying smile.
- Strange voice.
Danger
Should never be admitted.
Twitching
How to Identify
Watch the patient for several seconds.
If their:
- Head
- Arms
continue twitching repeatedly, they’re an anomaly.
Head Banger
How to Identify
Continuously slams its head against the reception window.
Special Behavior
Unlike most anomalies, it prevents the reception shutters from closing.
If you interact without coffee, you’ll lose Sanity.
You can:
- Wait until it leaves.
- Give it coffee.
Photo Anomalies
Some anomalies only reveal themselves after taking a patient photograph.
Always inspect photos carefully.
Different Appearance
The patient appears normal in person but looks different in the photo.
Differences may include:
- Eyes
- Ears
- Color
- Overall body shape
Static Photo
Some photographs develop static interference.
If static appears, treat that patient as an anomaly.
Static can also appear alongside other visual changes.
Cursed Photo
One of the most dangerous photo anomalies.
If you inspect the photo before processing finishes:
- Lose 10 Sanity immediately.
Wait until processing is complete before examining it.
Fully processed cursed photos reveal unnatural-looking animals.
CCTV Anomalies
Some anomalies cannot be detected through appearance or photos.
You must regularly check the hospital CCTV cameras.
Deformed Body
The patient appears normal at reception.
On CCTV:
- Body becomes distorted.
- Appearance changes when switching cameras.
Void Body
Appears as:
- Completely black body.
- Hollow appearance.
Visible only through CCTV.
CCTV Twitching
Looks normal in person.
On camera:
- Constant twitching movements become visible.
Shapeshifter (Skinwalker)
One of the hardest anomalies to detect.
Normal appearance:
- Reception
- Photograph
Abnormal appearance:
- CCTV only
Look for:
- Huge mouth.
- Sharp teeth.
Checking the waiting room camera before admitting patients is one of the best ways to catch them.
Different Ears
Some patients have completely normal ears in person.
On CCTV, the ears appear different.
These are anomalies.
Staring at the Camera
Normally, patients ignore security cameras.
If someone constantly stares directly into every CCTV camera they’re an anomaly.
Black Eyes
Visible only through CCTV.
Look for:
- Black bar covering the face.
- Realistic human-like eyes.
Do not admit them.
Black Body with Red Eyes
Unlike most anomalies, this one appears inside the CCTV feed itself.
If you see:
- Black body.
- Red glowing eyes.
Immediately exit the CCTV.
Otherwise:
- Camera zooms toward the anomaly.
- Your Sanity rapidly decreases.
After escaping, repair the affected camera before using it again.
How to Defeat Anomalies
Close the Reception Shutters
The safest solution.
If you identify an anomaly before admitting it:
- Press the large red button.
- Close the shutters.
- Wait for the anomaly to leave.
This works for nearly every anomaly.
Head Banger Exception
The Head Banger blocks the shutters.
Instead:
- Wait until it leaves.
- Give it coffee.
Avoid interacting without coffee or you’ll lose Sanity.
Gun
If an anomaly has already entered:
- Shoot it using a Gun.
This is the fastest method.
Taser
The Taser also defeats anomalies.
Bonus:
- Restores +2 Sanity when used successfully.
Wrong Treatment
If you’ve already admitted an anomaly, you can intentionally give it the wrong treatment.
This kills the anomaly but comes with a downside:
- Reduces your end-of-shift rewards.
Because of the penalty, this method should only be used if no better option is available.
Best Ways to Spot Anomalies
To avoid letting dangerous anomalies inside:
- Carefully examine every patient’s appearance.
- Always inspect processed photos.
- Regularly check CCTV cameras.
- Watch patients for twitching.
- Listen for unusual voices.
- Never rush through reception.
Most mistakes happen when players admit patients too quickly.
Anomaly Identification Checklist
| Detection Method | What to Watch For |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Hollow eyes, human teeth, creepy smile, three eyes, sharp teeth, twitching, Head Banger |
| Photo | Different appearance, static, cursed photos |
| CCTV | Deformed body, Void Body, Skinwalker, different ears, staring, black eyes, red-eyed shadow |
Tips for Surviving Anomalies
- Keep the reception shutters ready at all times.
- Use CCTV between patients instead of only when suspicious.
- Never inspect an unfinished cursed photo.
- Carry a Gun or Taser whenever possible.
- Deal with anomalies immediately to protect both your Sanity and your patients.
- Learn the visual differences between normal patients and common anomaly types—the faster you recognize them, the easier each shift becomes.
Mastering anomaly identification is one of the most important skills in Animal Hospital. Once you learn each anomaly’s unique warning signs, you’ll be able to keep your hospital safe, avoid unnecessary patient deaths, and complete shifts far more consistently.