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Modified Glasgow Coma Scale (Vet)

Score the veterinary modified Glasgow Coma Scale (MGCS) for a dog or cat after head trauma by picking what you see in each category; the total and its published prognosis band update as you go.

Motor activity: 6
Brainstem reflexes: 6
Level of consciousness: 6
MGCS total
18 of 18
Published prognosis band
Good (15–18)
  • 6 (motor) + 6 (brainstem) + 6 (consciousness) = 18. Bands: 3–8 grave, 9–14 guarded, 15–18 good.
  • In Platt and colleagues' 2001 study of 38 dogs with head trauma, a score of 8 matched a 50% chance of surviving the first 48 hours. Repeat the score over time: the trend matters.

For veterinarians and vet nurses. A published scale, not a diagnosis or a prognosis for one animal: use it with your examination and current guidance.

How to use it

  1. In each category, choose the description that best matches the animal now (6 is normal, 1 is the most severe).
  2. Read the total, from 3 to 18, and its published band: good, guarded or grave.
  3. Score again as the animal's condition changes and compare the totals.

The scale

ScoreMotor activityBrainstem reflexesLevel of consciousness
6Normal gait, normal spinal reflexesNormal pupillary light reflexes and vestibulo-ocular reflexOccasional periods of alertness and responsive to environment
5Hemiparesis, tetraparesis, or decerebrate activitySlow pupillary light reflexes and normal to reduced vestibulo-ocular reflexDepression or delirium, capable of responding but response may be inappropriate
4Recumbent, intermittent extensor rigidityBilateral unresponsive miosis with normal to reduced vestibulo-ocular reflexSemicomatose, responsive to visual stimuli
3Recumbent, constant extensor rigidityPinpoint pupils with reduced to absent vestibulo-ocular reflexSemicomatose, responsive to auditory stimuli
2Recumbent, constant extensor rigidity with opisthotonusUnilateral, unresponsive mydriasis with reduced to absent vestibulo-ocular reflexSemicomatose, responsive only to repeated noxious stimuli
1Recumbent, hypotonia of muscles, depressed or absent spinal reflexesBilateral, unresponsive mydriasis with reduced to absent vestibulo-ocular reflexComatose, unresponsive to repeated noxious stimuli

Worked example

A dog that is tetraparetic (motor 5), has slow pupillary light reflexes (brainstem 5) and is semicomatose but responds to visual stimuli (consciousness 4) scores 5 + 5 + 4 = 14, the top of the guarded band (9–14). If the next check finds intermittent extensor rigidity (motor 4), the total drops to 13.

References

  • Platt SR, Radaelli ST, McDonnell JJ. The prognostic value of the modified Glasgow Coma Scale in head trauma in dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2001;15:581–584 (PMID 11817064).
  • The scale was adapted for animals by Shores (1983), as cited by Platt and colleagues.
  • Beltran E, Platt SR, McConnell JF, et al. Prognostic value of early magnetic resonance imaging in dogs after traumatic brain injury: 50 cases. J Vet Intern Med 2014;28:1256–1262 (PMID 24814522), Table 1: the descriptors used here.
  • Ash K, Hayes GM, Goggs R, Sumner JP. Performance evaluation and validation of the animal trauma triage score and modified Glasgow Coma Scale with suggested category adjustment in dogs: a VetCOT registry study. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2018;28:192–200 (PMID 29687940).

Scale checked on 7 October 2026. For veterinarians and vet nurses: use with your examination and current guidance; this is not veterinary advice for a particular animal.

Frequently asked questions

What is the modified Glasgow Coma Scale?

It's an adaptation of the human Glasgow Coma Scale for animals with head injuries. It scores three things from 1 (worst) to 6 (normal): motor activity, brainstem reflexes and level of consciousness, for a total of 3 to 18.

What do the bands mean?

A total of 15–18 is usually described as a good prognosis, 9–14 as guarded and 3–8 as grave. In Platt and colleagues' 2001 study of 38 dogs with head trauma, a score of 8 matched a 50% probability of surviving the first 48 hours. The bands describe groups of animals, not what will happen to one patient.

Can I use it for cats?

The scale is used for both dogs and cats. The 2001 study that linked the score to survival was in dogs, so treat the bands as a guide for cats.

How often should I score?

The scale is most useful repeated over time, because a falling or rising score shows how the patient is changing. Record each score with the time it was taken.

Does the score replace a neurological exam?

No. It condenses part of the exam into a number. Imaging, the full neurological examination and the clinical picture still drive decisions.

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