Post-operative check appointments with the vet nurse

Post-operative checks are a natural fit for nurse clinics: the vet sets the plan at surgery, and the nurse checks the wound, removes sutures on the planned day and answers the owner's questions, calling the vet in only when something is not right. Book the checks at discharge, before the owner leaves with the animal, so they fall on the right days. Give the owner written instructions for home care and a clear list of signs that should make them call before the next check.

The surgeon decides when the animal should be seen again and when sutures come out. Turn that plan into appointments while the owner is still at the desk: a first check a few days after surgery if the vet wants one, and a suture removal on the planned date. Booking both at once avoids missed checks and last-minute calls when the date comes round.

Agree with the vets which findings mean the vet sees the animal the same day: an open wound, heavy discharge, a hot painful swelling, an animal that will not eat or seems unwell. Write the rule down and keep it at the nurse clinic desk, so the decision is quick and the same every time.

Licking, too much activity and a wet wound are the problems the owner can prevent. Show how the cone fits and how long it stays on, explain lead-only walks or cage rest if the vet prescribed it, and say how to keep the wound clean and dry. Give the advice in writing too: owners leave the practice with a lot to remember.

An owner seeing a shaved patch and stitches for the first time can worry about normal healing. Show what a healthy wound looks like at this stage, and answer questions without rushing. A calm owner follows the home care better.

Removing sutures is quick when the animal is calm. Keep the slot short but not rushed, have a second person available for restraint if needed, and check the whole wound before taking the last stitch out. Tell the owner when normal activity, baths and grooming can resume, as the vet advised.

Owners ask about pain relief at checks: whether to continue, whether the animal is in pain, what to do if a dose was missed. Answer within the plan the vet prescribed, and pass anything outside it to the vet. Ask the owner to bring the medication so you can check doses and what is left.

Every post-op check the nurse runs is a consult slot the vet keeps for new cases. To make this work, give the nurse clinic its own published slots, separate from the vets' consultations, and make sure each check has a note in the record from the surgery: procedure, suture type, planned removal date and any special instructions. The nurse then has everything at hand without interrupting the surgeon.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create "Post-op check" and "Suture removal" services and publish nurse clinic slots that repeat weekly. Each slot belongs to one service and sits within a single day, and with one place per slot a booked check no longer appears on your public page. At discharge, book the checks for the owner yourself from your calendar; when owners book online, they can add the animal's name and the surgery date in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If a check has to move, change it from your bookings list and tell the owner yourself, as Book does not email clients when a booking is rescheduled or cancelled. Book costs €5/month, all-inclusive: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no commitment.