Rawesome Vets · Internal Staff Protocol

Telephone Triage Protocol

Version 1.0 · May 2026 · For internal staff use

How to Triage a Call

1. Get the patient species, age, and name first
2. Ask: "What's happening with [name] today?" — let them describe before you ask questions
3. Ask: "When did this start?" and "Is it getting better or worse?"
4. Use the tables below to match the situation to an urgency level
5. If anything doesn't feel right — put the caller on hold and check with the vet before continuing

Urgency Levels

There are four levels. When in doubt, always triage to a higher urgency.

Level	Action	What to say
Immediate	Refer to emergency right now — or tell them to come straight in if we're open and the vet agrees	"[Name] needs to be seen by an emergency vet right now. Please go straight to [SASH / ARH]."
Same day	Book as the next available urgent slot today — check with vet on duty if no slot	"We'd like to see [name] today. Let me check what we have available."
Routine	Book next available appointment (within a few days to 1 week)	"This sounds like something we should check out, but it's not urgent. Let me find you a time this week."
Home care	Give appropriate home care advice and advise to call back if not improving	"That sounds manageable at home for now. Here's what to do…" — then give the specific advice below.

Scenario Quick-Reference

Emergency / Immediate

Scenario	Notes
Not breathing / collapsed / unresponsive	Go to emergency immediately
Suspected snake bite — sudden weakness, wobbliness, drooping face, dilated pupils, bloody urine	Do not wait — every minute matters. SASH or ARH
Tick paralysis — wobbly hindquarters, change in bark or meow, difficulty swallowing, gagging	Emergency immediately. Do not feed or give water
Difficulty breathing — open-mouth breathing in a cat, laboured breathing, blue/grey gums or tongue	Emergency immediately
Suspected urinary blockage — male cat — straining to urinate, crying, nothing or drops coming out, hiding	Can be fatal within hours. Emergency now
Active seizure lasting more than 3 minutes or multiple seizures in a short period	Emergency immediately
Suspected poisoning — ingested very recently (rat bait, chocolate, grapes, raisins, onion, xylitol, medications)	Come in immediately or emergency. Time-critical for decontamination
Uncontrolled bleeding — wound that won't stop with pressure	Come straight in or go to emergency
Eye injury — scratched or punctured eye, eye prolapse, sudden complete loss of vision	Same-day at minimum — emergency if after hours
Trauma — hit by car, fall from height, significant impact	Come in immediately even if animal appears okay

Same Day

Scenario	Notes
Vomiting more than 3 times in 12 hours OR vomiting blood	Book today. More urgent if puppy/kitten or elderly
Diarrhoea with blood	Book today — check hydration status, any other symptoms
Not eating — puppy or kitten under 12 weeks	More than 6–8 hours without food in young animals is urgent
Complete non-weight bearing lameness — won't put paw down at all	Book today. Ask if there was trauma
Wound that may need suturing — gaping, deep, contaminated	Book today — don't leave a wound more than a few hours
Suspected foreign body ingestion — happened earlier, no symptoms yet	Same day — vet may want to X-ray or induce vomiting
Urinary straining — female cat or dog	Less immediately dangerous than male cat blockage, but still same-day
Post-operative concern — wound opening, not eating 24+ hours post-surgery, lethargy	Same day — vet needs to check
Significant swelling — face, throat area, limb rapidly swelling	Potential allergic reaction — same day or immediate if worsening quickly
Not eating 24+ hours — adult dog or cat (previously healthy)	Same day if no other symptoms. Immediate if lethargic, vomiting, or painful

Routine Appointment

Scenario	Notes
Mild limping — still weight bearing, no obvious pain at rest	Within a few days to 1 week
Lump or bump noticed — not growing rapidly, not bleeding	Book a consult within 1–2 weeks
Ear problems — head shaking, scratching ears, mild odour	Within a few days
Skin issues — itching, hot spot, hair loss, mild rash (not spreading rapidly)	Book soon — within a week
Dental concerns — bad breath, reluctance to eat hard food, visible tartar	Routine appointment, no urgency
Weight loss or gain noticed over weeks	Routine appointment
General health check / vaccination due	Book at next convenient time
Mild diarrhoea — adult dog (no blood, drinking, alert)	Manage at home first — if persists more than 2 days, book

Home Care With Advice

Scenario	Advice to give
Mild cut or graze — has stopped bleeding	Clean with cooled boiled water or saline. Monitor for swelling, redness, or discharge. Call back if it looks infected or reopens.
Mild diarrhoea — 1–2 episodes, adult dog, otherwise well	Fast for 12 hours then offer bland food (boiled chicken and rice or plain boiled meat). No kibble. Call back if persists more than 2 days or blood appears.
Mild post-vaccine tiredness / off food for 24 hours	This is normal. Keep warm, offer water, light food. Call back if not improving after 24 hours or if swelling or vomiting develops.
Hairball concern — cat gagging occasionally	Normal if infrequent. Offer a small amount of butter or hairball paste. Call back if gagging becomes frequent or cat stops eating.