Monitoring animals in their housing units is an important support to the daily rounds process and dramatically improves the likelihood that signs of problems will be identified early. For example, inappetance, vomiting, or diarrhea could possibly all be missed if no note is taken prior to cleaning and re-filling the food.

Care staff who work with the animals early in the morning may be best able to pick up on signs of problems before cages are cleaned and food is replaced. Appetite and food intake monitoring is best done during feeding. Monitoring sheets, filled out by direct care givers can then be consulted by those doing rounds even after the signs of illness have been cleaned away.

• Provide training for care staff in recognition of clinical signs of disease.
• Provide training for care staff in utilizing monitoring sheets for cats and dogs.
• Utilize monitoring sheets daily for each animal in the shelter.
• Keep monitoring sheets in a separate binder so animals cannot reach and demolish them.
• Cages and animals must both be properly identified.
• Keep a separate binder for each ward.
• Move monitoring sheets to new location if animal is moved.
• Record attitude prior to feeding in the morning.
• Monitor appetite during feeding.
• Look for urine /fecal output before beginning cleaning.
• In general housing areas, if an animal appears sick, mark the cage so others are alerted.
• Unless an animal requires immediate intervention, cleaning staff should not enter the cage of an ill animal until feeding and cleaning of the general population has been completed. Follow appropriate procedures to notify veterinary staff or supervisors of problems.
• Include weekly weight checks as part of a complete monitoring program.
• When animals remain in care for longer than one month, full physical exams including weight and body condition score should be performed and recorded by trained staff on a monthly basis, and veterinary examinations should be performed biannually or more frequently if problems are identified. Geriatric or health-compromised animals should be evaluated by a veterinarian as needed for appropriate case management.