Veterinary Clinic SOP Templates: Patient Care, Surgery, and Client Communication

Veterinary clinics handle life-and-death situations daily. Consistent procedures ensure patient safety, reduce errors, and help new team members get up to speed quickly in a high-pressure environment.

Patient Check-In SOP

1. Greet client and patient by name
2. Verify appointment type and reason for visit
3. Weigh patient and record in chart
4. Ask about changes since last visit: appetite, behavior, medications
5. Update client contact information if changed
6. Collect any lab results or records from other providers
7. Verify vaccine history and note any due
8. Escort to exam room
9. Notify veterinarian that patient is ready

Physical Examination SOP

1. Review patient history and reason for visit
2. Observe patient demeanor and gait
3. Temperature, pulse, respiration (TPR)
4. Systematic examination: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, lymph nodes, heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, musculoskeletal, neurological
5. Record all findings in patient chart in real-time
6. Note any abnormalities with description and location
7. Discuss findings with client
8. Develop treatment plan with client input
9. Obtain informed consent for any procedures

Vaccination SOP

1. Verify vaccine is indicated based on patient age, species, and lifestyle
2. Check for contraindications: illness, previous reactions
3. Select correct vaccine from refrigerator (check expiration date)
4. Draw up correct dose
5. Administer at appropriate site per clinic protocol
6. Record in chart: vaccine name, manufacturer, lot number, expiration, site, administrator
7. Observe patient for 15 minutes post-vaccination
8. Provide client with vaccine certificate
9. Schedule next vaccination due date in reminder system

Pre-Surgical SOP

1. Confirm patient identity and procedure with surgical consent form
2. Verify pre-surgical bloodwork results are acceptable
3. Confirm fasting status (minimum 8 hours for general anesthesia)
4. Place IV catheter
5. Pre-anesthetic medications per veterinarian orders
6. Clip and prep surgical site using aseptic technique
7. Induce anesthesia per protocol
8. Intubate and connect to anesthetic monitoring
9. Position patient for procedure
10. Final surgical prep: scrub, drape
11. Time-out: verify patient, procedure, and side if applicable

Post-Surgical Recovery SOP

1. Extubate when swallow reflex returns
2. Monitor vital signs every 5 minutes until stable
3. Maintain temperature support (warming blanket, towels)
4. Record all monitoring in anesthetic log
5. Assess pain and administer analgesics per protocol
6. Move to recovery ward when alert and sternal
7. Continue monitoring every 15 minutes for first hour
8. Offer small amount of water 2 hours post-recovery
9. Contact client with update when patient is stable
10. Prepare discharge instructions

Client Communication SOP

Phone Triage

1. Gather patient name, species, age, weight
2. Ask about symptoms: onset, duration, severity
3. Determine urgency using triage checklist
4. Emergency signs: difficulty breathing, seizures, collapse, bloat, toxin ingestion, trauma
5. If emergency: direct to come immediately or nearest emergency clinic
6. If urgent: schedule same-day appointment
7. If routine: schedule next available appointment
8. Document call in patient chart

Discharge Instructions

1. Review diagnosis and treatment with client
2. Provide written discharge instructions (printed or emailed)
3. Demonstrate any at-home care (wound care, medication administration)
4. Review medications: dose, frequency, duration, side effects
5. Discuss activity restrictions and duration
6. Schedule recheck appointment
7. Provide emergency contact information
8. Ask if client has questions
9. Confirm client understanding by having them repeat key instructions

Pharmacy SOP

1. Receive prescription from veterinarian
2. Verify: patient, drug, dose, route, frequency, duration
3. Check for drug interactions with current medications
4. Pull medication from inventory
5. Verify correct drug and strength against prescription
6. Count or measure prescribed quantity
7. Label container: patient name, client name, drug, strength, dose, frequency, duration, refills, expiration
8. Double-check label against prescription
9. Log dispensed medication in controlled substance log if applicable
10. Review administration instructions with client

Using ProcessReel for Veterinary SOPs

For practice management software workflows (PIMS), inventory management, and billing procedures, record your screen while navigating your specific system. ProcessReel generates SOPs with screenshots showing exactly where things are in your software.

For clinical procedures, combine verbal descriptions with screen recordings of the charting and documentation steps.

FAQ

Are veterinary SOPs required for AAHA accreditation?

Yes. AAHA accreditation requires documented protocols for anesthesia, surgery, dental, emergency, and pain management.

How do I train new veterinary technicians?

Start with SOPs for the 10 most common procedures. Have new techs follow the SOP with supervision before performing independently.

Should different species have different SOPs?

For clinical procedures like anesthesia, yes. Drug protocols, monitoring parameters, and recovery expectations differ between species.

Document your veterinary practice workflows. Try ProcessReel free