How to Use Medical Templates to Inform Adopters and Improve Efficiency
By Erica Schumacher, DVM, Shelter Veterinarian at Dane County Humane Society
As technology advances, many shelters are moving toward digital record keeping. There are a variety of choices for programs, including web-based programs such as PetPoint. Most computerized record keeping programs are customizable. Shelter staff should familiarize themselves with the customizable parts of their system so as to more efficiently distribute information, whether it is to adopters or other shelter staff. Using medical templates is one way in which we can place a large amount of information in an animal’s medical record with a click of a button.
PetPoint has instructions online that describe how to create new templates that suit your organization’s needs. Visit http://www.petpoint.com/help/medical.htm for more information.
Simply enter an exam for the animal on which you are working and choose a template from the drop-down menu in the “Notes” section. Click “Append” and it will add it to your exam notes.
Here are just a few examples of templates that can be used to inform adopters about certain conditions.
Ear conformation disclaimer: (for breeds like Cocker spaniels, hounds, etc.)
Adopters should be aware that dogs with this ear conformation are predisposed to developing ear infections which could lead to chronic ear disease. This dog does not have evidence of ear disease/infection at this time, but adopters should be aware of her predisposition to ear disease and are encouraged to develop a plan for at-home ear cleaning with their regular veterinarian. Adopters are also encouraged to discuss the potential costs and treatments that might arise with their veterinarian prior to adoption.
As technology advances, many shelters are moving toward digital record keeping. There are a variety of choices for programs, including web-based programs such as PetPoint. Most computerized record keeping programs are customizable. Shelter staff should familiarize themselves with the customizable parts of their system so as to more efficiently distribute information, whether it is to adopters or other shelter staff. Using medical templates is one way in which we can place a large amount of information in an animal’s medical record with a click of a button.
PetPoint has instructions online that describe how to create new templates that suit your organization’s needs. Visit http://www.petpoint.com/help/medical.htm for more information.
Simply enter an exam for the animal on which you are working and choose a template from the drop-down menu in the “Notes” section. Click “Append” and it will add it to your exam notes.
Here are just a few examples of templates that can be used to inform adopters about certain conditions.
Ear conformation disclaimer: (for breeds like Cocker spaniels, hounds, etc.)
Adopters should be aware that dogs with this ear conformation are predisposed to developing ear infections which could lead to chronic ear disease. This dog does not have evidence of ear disease/infection at this time, but adopters should be aware of her predisposition to ear disease and are encouraged to develop a plan for at-home ear cleaning with their regular veterinarian. Adopters are also encouraged to discuss the potential costs and treatments that might arise with their veterinarian prior to adoption.
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Amputation information for adopters (cat): fill in name and appropriate pronoun
Adopters should be made aware that because XXXX only has three limbs, it is not appropriate for to let HER outside unless SHE is being directly supervised. SHE is at greater risk for serious injury or death because SHE cannot move as quickly or defend HERself as well against cars or other animals that SHE could encounter outside. Similarly, this cat may not be considered as a candidate for declawing at any point in its life. In addition it is important that adopters understand that SHE should be maintained at a healthy weight for the remainder of HER life. For any cat being overweight predisposes them to developing diabetes, arthritis and other serious and potentially painful/life-threatening conditions. As SHE only has three limbs to bear HER weight, SHE is at an even greater risk for developing serious arthritis or joint injuries if SHE becomes overweight. One of the simplest ways to prevent obesity is feeding meals instead of leaving out large amounts of food ("free-feeding"). Adopters must discuss a weight management plan with their veterinarian as soon as possible after adoption. Adopters may also visit www.petobesityprevention.com to learn more about healthy feeding habits and nutrition for pets. |
Moo Moo the 3-legged cat practicing his yoga moves
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Lyme positive:
This dog had a 4DX test completed and has tested positive for Lyme disease. A positive test means exposure to the organism(s), but does not necessarily mean that this dog is currently infected or suffering from clinical disease. It is possible the dog mounted an appropriate immune response to clear the infection. It is also possible for a dog to be infected and not showing any clinical signs, so we often treat prophylactically with an antibiotic called Doxycycline. These kinds of organisms respond very well to this drug and if this dog is subclinically infected (i.e. infected but not showing outward signs of disease) this can prevent more serious disease from developing. It is important to know that once a dog has been exposed to one of the organisms and has an immune response they may test positive on this particular test for many years following the exposure, but without any signs of disease it does not affect this dog’s long-term health. Adopters should watch for signs of fever, intermittent lameness or lethargy and report to their veterinarian if noted. 90% of dogs that test positive for Lyme disease on this test do not show clinical signs of disease.
Obesity:
This animal is currently overweight. If not corrected this may lead to serious and painful medical conditions in the future including diabetes, arthritis and even joint injuries. It is critical that adopters discuss a weight loss and management plan with their regular veterinarian as soon as possible. Additional information and resources can be found at www.petobesityprevention.com.
Chronic Skin Disease:
Skin Scrape was negative for parasites and cytological exam revealed _____________.
The skin and coat changes may be caused by any number of things including: flea-bite hypersensitivity, other environmental hypersensitivities or a food hypersensitivity. There may also be a psychological component to some of the licking/chewing, although this is difficult to discern in a stressful shelter environment. A full work-up to determine the underlying cause of these abnormalities is beyond this shelter's resources. Adopters should be made aware of his chronic skin issues and are encouraged to discuss options for working up and treating this condition with their regular veterinarian prior to adoption.
By ensuring that adopters are aware of any special needs or issues before they bring their new pet home, we can give adopted shelter animals their best chance of staying in their homes. Medical templates can help provide this information without giving shelter staff any additional work! Spend a few hours to create the templates you think you would use most often. You can feel good knowing that you are keeping complete medical records by creating your own templates for spay/neuter surgery, other surgical procedures or examinations- all that needs to be done later is filling in the details! Good luck and enjoy your medical templates!
This dog had a 4DX test completed and has tested positive for Lyme disease. A positive test means exposure to the organism(s), but does not necessarily mean that this dog is currently infected or suffering from clinical disease. It is possible the dog mounted an appropriate immune response to clear the infection. It is also possible for a dog to be infected and not showing any clinical signs, so we often treat prophylactically with an antibiotic called Doxycycline. These kinds of organisms respond very well to this drug and if this dog is subclinically infected (i.e. infected but not showing outward signs of disease) this can prevent more serious disease from developing. It is important to know that once a dog has been exposed to one of the organisms and has an immune response they may test positive on this particular test for many years following the exposure, but without any signs of disease it does not affect this dog’s long-term health. Adopters should watch for signs of fever, intermittent lameness or lethargy and report to their veterinarian if noted. 90% of dogs that test positive for Lyme disease on this test do not show clinical signs of disease.
Obesity:
This animal is currently overweight. If not corrected this may lead to serious and painful medical conditions in the future including diabetes, arthritis and even joint injuries. It is critical that adopters discuss a weight loss and management plan with their regular veterinarian as soon as possible. Additional information and resources can be found at www.petobesityprevention.com.
Chronic Skin Disease:
Skin Scrape was negative for parasites and cytological exam revealed _____________.
The skin and coat changes may be caused by any number of things including: flea-bite hypersensitivity, other environmental hypersensitivities or a food hypersensitivity. There may also be a psychological component to some of the licking/chewing, although this is difficult to discern in a stressful shelter environment. A full work-up to determine the underlying cause of these abnormalities is beyond this shelter's resources. Adopters should be made aware of his chronic skin issues and are encouraged to discuss options for working up and treating this condition with their regular veterinarian prior to adoption.
By ensuring that adopters are aware of any special needs or issues before they bring their new pet home, we can give adopted shelter animals their best chance of staying in their homes. Medical templates can help provide this information without giving shelter staff any additional work! Spend a few hours to create the templates you think you would use most often. You can feel good knowing that you are keeping complete medical records by creating your own templates for spay/neuter surgery, other surgical procedures or examinations- all that needs to be done later is filling in the details! Good luck and enjoy your medical templates!
