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Overnight Check Ins: Pre-Entry Exam

Staff procedure for the mandatory pre-entry health check performed on every dog before it enters the facility.

Purpose

A Pre-Entry Exam checks every dog for cuts, scrapes, injuries, and ear or eye infections before it enters the facility, so the school has a record of the dog's condition on arrival. It also protects the school from liability: if a client later claims an injury happened here, the exam record shows what was already present before the dog came in.

At a Glance

  • Perform a Pre-Entry Exam on every dog, no exceptions.
  • It takes about a minute.
  • Fill out a Pre-Entry Exam worksheet for every dog, or take photo documentation of each component.
  • Review findings with the owner before the dog enters the facility.
  • If the dog is coughing, document it and get a manager before allowing the dog in.

Performing the Exam

  1. GREETING: Approach the dog and let it become familiar with you. Have the owner hold the leash while you work. Ask the owner if there are any sensitive spots on the dog, both to protect you from a bite and to know what to expect.
  2. EYES: Check for excess discharge or redness. Some breeds, Maltese, Poodle, and similar, normally have weepy eyes with reddish staining; this is usually normal.
  3. EARS: Check for signs of infection: dirty or foul-smelling discharge, excess redness, inflammation, or matted hair inside the ear canal.
  4. FEET: Check each paw for long or cracked toenails, cuts, or sores on the pads.
  5. FUR: Run your fingers through the coat and note if it is dry, flaky, or matted. Check behind the elbows and ears on long-coated dogs, the most common spots for mats. Part the fur and look for fleas or flea dirt, black or white specks, and check for hot spots, cuts, or sores.
  6. GAIT: Walk the dog and watch for limping. A nervous dog may crouch low, which can make the gait harder to read.
  7. GENERAL HEALTH: Take in the dog's overall condition. If the dog is coughing, document it and get a manager before allowing the dog into the facility. Document tumors or chronic conditions as well.

After the Exam

Review your findings with the owner before the dog enters. This is also a natural moment to mention any care the dog could use while it is at the school, a nail trim, paw care, or nose care.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from having a veterinarian examine the dog?

It is not a diagnosis or a treatment. A Pre-Entry Exam is a quick visual and hands-on screening to catch what is already there, contagious risk, cuts, infections, so it can be pointed out to the owner and documented before the dog enters. Anything that looks like more than a minor issue, a chronic condition, a tumor, a dog that is coughing, gets documented and handed to a manager rather than assessed further at the door.

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