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Daily Medications

Staff procedure for who gives medication, when, and how it gets logged.

Purpose

Here's how this SOP is built: what daily medications cover, who is allowed to give them, the schedule we run on, and what to do the moment something looks off. Giving medication correctly is one of the most serious responsibilities on this team. For some dogs in our care, a missed dose or a mixed-up dog is not a small mistake, it affects quality of life and in some cases it is the difference between life and death.

At a Glance

  • Only a senior staff member, or someone specifically approved to distribute medication, gives meds.
  • One dog at a time, full attention, no other tasks or conversations during medication time.
  • Morning meds go out as soon as possible with breakfast, before breakfast if the instructions say empty stomach.
  • Evening meds go out by 5 PM with dinner, before dinner if empty stomach.
  • Three-times-a-day meds are given as prescribed, most often around 12 PM.
  • Every dose gets logged and initialed on the Medication Report as it is given.

Steps

  1. Only a senior staff member, or someone who has been approved to distribute medication, gives meds.
  2. Wash your hands before you begin and again between each dog.
  3. Match the dog in front of you to their owner's instructions exactly. If anything about the instructions is unclear, stop and ask, even if that means calling management at home.
  4. If the bottle's instructions don't match the medication label, check the pet profile sheet, call the vet, or call the owner to confirm before giving anything. See Labeling Bowls for the labeling rule this depends on.
  5. Give medications to one dog at a time. Don't start a second dog's meds, a conversation, or another task until the current dog's dose is fully logged.
  6. Use a pill pocket, cheese, bread, or whatever works to get the dog to take it, but check for food allergies or restrictions first.
  7. Watch the dog take and swallow the medication completely. Some dogs are skilled at spitting it out without anyone noticing.
  8. Fill out and initial the Medication Report immediately, before moving to the next dog. Skipping this step can lead another staff member to think the dose was never given and administer a second one.

Edge Cases

  • Running low on a dog's medication: tell a manager or RI immediately so they can arrange more with the owner. Don't wait until the supply runs out.
  • Can't get a dog to take its medication: ask a senior staff member or manager for help rather than skipping the dose or forcing it.
  • Instructions on the bottle don't match the label: check the pet profile sheet, call the vet, or call the owner before giving anything.

Where do I log this once a dose is given?

On the Medication Report, immediately, with your initials next to that dog's name and time. Logging right away, not at the end of your shift, is what keeps a second staff member from second-guessing whether the dose already happened. See Feeding Categories for how a dog's medication also shows up marked on their feeding label.

Who to Ask

If a dog's instructions don't make sense, ask a senior staff member or manager before giving anything, even if that means a call at home. A manager or RI handles refill arrangements with the owner when supply is running low. See Meal Preparations for how medicated meals get kept out of reach until feeding time. The routine feels rigid the first few times you run it; after a handful of shifts, checking the label, confirming the dog, and logging the dose becomes second nature.