Rawesome Vets · Internal Staff Protocol

Opening Shift

Nursing Team Kennel Hand
Kennel Handling

Version 1.2 · April 2026 · For internal staff use

☰ Opening Shift Checklist — Print & use weekly

Start Time

Standard start is 8:30am.

Start at 8:00am if either of the following apply:

  • 4 or more boarding animals overnight
  • 2 or more hospital patients (post-surgical or hospitalised)

Counting rules:

  • Ron (clinic cat) is always included in the count
  • A litter of kittens = counted as one
  • Puppies = counted individually
Evening Nurse → Opening Nurse

The evening nurse messages the group chat before leaving with the overnight animal count and the required start time. The opening nurse must acknowledge.

Example: "Overnight 30 Apr: 2 boarders + Ron + 1 post-op (Bella). Morning start: 8am."

If no message is sent, or no acknowledgement received — the opening nurse starts at 8:30am as default. The evening nurse owns the communication. The opener is not responsible for chasing it.

Before 9am

All tasks in this section must be complete before 9am. Phones go live at 9am exactly.

Boarding Animals

  1. Read the boarding chart before touching any animal.
  2. Note whether they have eaten — update the boarding chart.
  3. Note demeanour and anything abnormal.
  4. Any concerns → write on the treatment whiteboard for the vet to examine or discuss.
  5. Move dogs to outside kennels.
  6. Move cats to a fresh run or cat tower.
  7. Clean inside kennels — wipe all surfaces, clean sink, refresh food and water.
  8. Clean dog beds and bowls.
  9. Clean floors and drains.

Hospital Patients

  1. Read the hospital chart before touching the patient.
  2. Note observations — vomiting, diarrhoea, eaten or not.
  3. Check whether fluids ran overnight.
  4. Check the hospital chart for any medications due this morning — report to the nurse on duty. Medications are given by the nurse only, not the kennel hand.
  5. Move dogs outside for a toilet break and stretch, then reassemble.
  6. If diarrhoea is present — collect a sample in case a faecal float is needed.
  7. If a surgical patient soils their kennel before going to surgery — clean it up immediately. Do not leave it.
Any concern with a hospital patient — stop and find the nurse on duty before continuing. Do not move the animal if you are unsure.
SituationWhat to do
Animal appears unwell, distressed, or different from yesterdayStop. Find the nurse on duty before doing anything else.
Cage card or hospital chart is missing or unclearDo not proceed with that animal. Find the nurse and get clarification first.
Freezer not cold or making unusual noiseNote the time. Do not restock it. Tell senior nurse or Dr Mei immediately.
Dog showing aggression — unsafe to moveLeave the dog, close the kennel, find the nurse. Do not attempt to move alone.

Ron

  1. Move Ron to the outside run.
  2. If he refuses to be caught — do not let him roam freely. He will approach large dogs and cause an incident. Return him to his kennel and try again later.

Laundry

  1. Pull down all dry towels from yesterday.
  2. Hang up washed ones — unfolded and vertical, not folded over the line.
  3. Put the next load on.
  4. Keep laundry rolling throughout the morning — it is not a one-off task.

Pet Food Room

  1. Unlock the feed room door.
  2. Unlock the outside/chicken freezer.
  3. Turn on the POS system.

Front of Clinic

  1. Turn on lights throughout the clinic.
  2. Turn on computers and laptops — consultation rooms, reception, treatment room, and kitchen.
  3. Open OpenVPMS in Chrome on each computer. Leave it on the Workflow page.
  4. Turn on the scales. Tare to confirm reading 0.00kg.
  5. Check cleanliness — reception, consult rooms, meat room. Wipe tables, sweep floors.
  6. Turn on the reception TV and start the educational/promotional videos.
  7. Turn phones live at 9am exactly.
Done looks like this — 9am
  • All cage cards read, animals checked and noted on charts
  • Dogs outside with full, clean water bowls
  • Cats in fresh run or cat tower
  • Ron in outside run (or back in kennel if uncooperative)
  • Inside kennels clean — no soiling, no odour
  • Laundry running, dry towels pulled down and hung fresh load
  • Feed room unlocked, POS system on
  • All computers on, OpenVPMS open on Workflow
  • Scales on and reading 0.00kg
  • Consult rooms wiped, no hair, no odour
  • TV on with videos running
  • Phones live at 9am
Hard stop: Do not show clients into a consultation room until it is clean and odour-free. Check immediately before each client — not just at opening.

9am – 11am

Surgery starts at 11am. Everything in this section must be complete by then.

Hard 11am finish — must be done before surgery starts:
  • Surgery fully set up
  • Online pet food orders packed and marked as ready for pickup

Complete as early as possible:

  1. Turn on blood machines and run the blank on the HM5 — follow the prompts on the machine.
  2. Restock towels throughout the clinic.
  3. Restock treatment and surgery stations — syringes, consumables, using stock under the whiteboard or in the storeroom.
  4. Fill disinfectant, chlorhex, alcohol bottles, and the scrubbing tub.
  5. Keep laundry rolling — pull down dry, hang wet, put on next load as needed.

If needs doing:

  1. Pack away clean dishes from the dishwasher.
  2. Pack dry instruments for kit packing.
  3. Put away dry ET tubes — decuff first, hang in correct size spots above the TX or radiology table.
  4. Maintain clippers — spray clean and oil blades.

Kennel Patient Care — Feeding

Patient TypeFeeding
Kittens and puppiesFood available at all times — check and top up throughout the shift
Adult dogs and cats (boarding)Fed at closing/evening only
Surgical patientsFasted — do not feed. Clean up any soiling in their kennel immediately.

Sign Off

Confirm you have read and understood this SOP.

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