10 free copy-paste clinical templates. Written for ezyVet, RxWorks, Cornerstone, Avimark, Covetrus, VetlinkSQL, Provet Cloud and every other system, because they are clean plain text that pastes anywhere, including a word processor for clinics that print.
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Plain text that pastes anywhere
By Dr Duncan Houston
BVSc, University of Sydney · emergency & GP veterinarian · Last reviewed 23 August 2026
Mid-shift, need it now
The four you reach for most, straight to the text.
Find a template below, hit Copy, paste it into your practice software and replace the [bracketed prompts] with your patient's details. Save it in your system's own template or quick-text feature once, and it is a two-click insert forever. Written for veterinary professionals. Owners should use the free pet calculators for owners instead.
Copy the templates
Every live template in full, each with Copy, Email, Download and Print buttons. Copy straight into your software, email it to the practice inbox, download it as a text file for your templates folder, or print a clean sheet, then replace the [bracketed prompts] and adapt the wording to your clinic.
10 of 10 templates shown.
Client Telephone Update
Client communication
TELEPHONE UPDATE: [date, time] SPOKE WITH: [owner name / voicemail / no answer]
CALLED BY: [name and role]
REASON FOR CALL: [results / patient update / treatment decision / other]
DISCUSSED: [key findings or update in plain language as explained]
INTERPRETATION GIVEN: [normal / abnormal - what it means for the patient]
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE:
- [next step 1, e.g. start medication, repeat test in x weeks, book recheck]
- [next step 2]
OWNER RESPONSE: [agreed / declined / wants to consider - any questions asked]
CONSENT OBTAINED: [what was consented to, if anything]
ACTIONS:
- [booked recheck date / medications to be dispensed / callback scheduled]
FOLLOW-UP REQUIRED: [what and when, and who is responsible]
Dental Procedure Discharge
Discharge
[PATIENT NAME] had a dental procedure today under general anaesthesia: [scale and polish / extractions - list teeth removed]. Dental X-rays [were/were not] taken.
TONIGHT: sleepiness from the anaesthetic is normal. Offer a small soft meal and fresh water.
THE NEXT [7-10] DAYS:
- Feed soft food only: [wet food / soaked kibble]. No hard kibble, bones, chews or hard toys[ while the extraction sites heal].
- Medications: [drug, dose, frequency, duration]. [Antibiotics if dispensed: complete the full course.]
- Mild blood-tinged saliva for the first day or two can be normal after extractions.
- Some pets are quieter for a day; most are noticeably brighter within a week, often because a painful mouth has been treated.
CONTACT US ON [PHONE] IF YOU SEE:
- Ongoing bleeding from the mouth
- Not eating by tomorrow evening, or dropping food consistently
- Pawing at the mouth, facial swelling, or a bad smell returning
RECHECK: [date/time] to check the mouth [and extraction sites].
ONGOING DENTAL CARE: [brushing / dental diet / chews recommendation] once healed.
After hours, contact [emergency clinic name and phone].
Emergency Triage Note
Triage & ECC
TRIAGE TIME: [time] TRIAGED BY: [name]
PRESENTING COMPLAINT: [owner's words]
TIME OF ONSET: [when] WITNESSED: [yes/no]
TRIAGE PRIORITY: [1 immediate / 2 urgent / 3 semi-urgent / 4 routine]
PRIMARY SURVEY:
- Airway: [patent / obstructed / at risk]
- Breathing: [RR, effort, pattern, stridor/stertor]
- Circulation: [HR, pulse quality, MM colour, CRT]
- Neuro: [mentation - alert / obtunded / stuporous / comatose; ambulatory yes/no]
- Temperature: [x C]
- Pain score: [x/10 or scale used]
KEY HISTORY (AMPLE):
- Allergies/reactions: [known]
- Medications: [current]
- Past history: [relevant]
- Last meal: [when]
- Events leading up: [trauma, toxin access, ticks, heat, other animals]
TOXIN EXPOSURE (if relevant): [substance, amount, time since ingestion, packaging seen]
OWNER CONSENT: [CPR status discussed: CPR / DNR; estimate given: $x-$x; consent signed yes/no]
INITIAL ACTIONS: [oxygen, IV access, bloods drawn, analgesia given - drug/dose/route/time]
VET NOTIFIED: [name, time]
Euthanasia Condolence & Aftercare Letter
Client communication
Dear [owner name],
All of us at [clinic name] are thinking of you after saying goodbye to [patient name] [yesterday / on date].
[Personal line - a genuine memory or quality, e.g. "He greeted every one of us with a wagging tail, even on his hardest days."]
Choosing euthanasia is one of the kindest and hardest decisions an owner can make. You gave [patient name] a peaceful, dignified goodbye, surrounded by love, and [he/she] was fortunate to have you.
[If private cremation: "[Patient name]'s ashes will be ready to collect from [date]. There is no rush; call us when you feel ready."]
[If communal cremation or home burial: omit or adapt.]
If you would like to talk about anything from [patient name]'s care, or if we can help in any way, please call us on [phone]. Grief after losing a pet is real, and support is available: the Pet Loss Support line and your GP are both good places to start if the coming weeks feel heavy.
With sympathy,
[vet name] and the team at [clinic name]
[PATIENT NAME] was [hospitalised from [date] to [date] / seen today] for [condition, in plain language].
WHAT WE FOUND: [diagnosis or working diagnosis, key test results in plain language]
TREATMENT PROVIDED: [fluids, medications, procedures - plain language summary]
AT HOME:
- Medications: [drug - what it is for - dose - frequency - with/without food - duration]
- Feeding: [diet, amount, frequency, any restrictions]
- Activity: [restrictions and for how long]
- Monitoring at home: [what to watch - appetite, thirst, urination, breathing rate, etc.]
EXPECTED COURSE: [what improvement should look like and over what timeframe]
CONTACT US ON [PHONE] IF YOU SEE:
- [specific warning sign 1]
- [specific warning sign 2]
- Any return of the original signs, or [he/she] seems worse to you
RECHECK: [date/time] for [repeat bloods / exam / imaging].
After hours, contact [emergency clinic name and phone].
Nursing Shift Handover
Hospital & handover
PATIENT: [name, signalment, weight] CAGE: [location]
CODE STATUS: [CPR / DNR] IVC: [site, placed date]
PROBLEM: [one-line reason for hospitalisation]
BACKGROUND: [key history and findings so far, major results]
CURRENT STATUS: [demeanour, vitals trend, eating/drinking, urination/defecation, pain score]
FLUIDS: [type, rate mL/h, next bag due]
MEDICATIONS DUE THIS SHIFT: [drug - dose - route - time]
FEEDING: [food, amount, frequency, last ate]
MONITORING: [what to check and how often, incl. parameters to act on]
CALL THE VET IF: [specific triggers, e.g. RR over x, no urination by x, pain score over x]
OWNER: [name, phone, last update given, next update due]
PLAN FOR TOMORROW: [rechecks, imaging, bloods, likely discharge]
Postoperative Discharge
Discharge
[PATIENT NAME] had surgery today ([procedure, e.g. desexing]) under general anaesthesia. The procedure went smoothly and recovery was uneventful.
TONIGHT: [he/she] may be sleepy or unsteady from the anaesthetic. Offer a small dinner ([half the usual amount]) and fresh water. Keep [him/her] indoors, warm and quiet.
THE NEXT [10-14] DAYS:
- Strict rest: short lead walks only for dogs, no running, jumping, stairs or rough play. Cats stay indoors.
- The wound must stay clean and dry: no baths, no swimming, no licking. Keep the [Elizabethan collar / recovery suit] on at all times, including overnight. Licking is the most common cause of wound breakdown.
- Check the wound twice daily. Mild bruising and a small firm lump under the incision can be normal.
- Medications: [drug, dose, frequency, with/without food, duration]. Never give human pain relief such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
CONTACT US ON [PHONE] IF YOU SEE:
- Redness, swelling, discharge or an opening at the wound
- Bleeding, or a swelling that is growing
- No appetite by tomorrow morning, vomiting, or ongoing lethargy
- No urination within 24 hours
RECHECK: [date/time] for a wound check [and suture removal if applicable].
After hours, contact [emergency clinic name and phone].
Sedation & Day-Procedure Discharge
Discharge
[PATIENT NAME] had [procedure] today under [sedation / general anaesthesia] and has recovered well.
TONIGHT:
- Drowsiness, wobbliness or clinginess for up to 24 hours is normal.
- Offer a small meal ([half the usual amount]) and fresh water. Mild appetite loss tonight is common.
- Keep [him/her] indoors, warm, and away from stairs, pools and other pets while unsteady.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS:
- [Procedure-specific care: wound, dressing, bandage or site instructions]
- Medications: [drug, dose, frequency, duration, or "none required"]
- Normal food and routine can resume [tomorrow / timeframe] unless advised otherwise.
CONTACT US ON [PHONE] IF:
- [He/She] is still very drowsy or not eating by tomorrow evening
- There is vomiting, breathing changes, or anything at the procedure site that worries you
RESULTS: [when and how you will hear about any lab/biopsy results]
RECHECK: [date/time, or "no recheck needed unless concerns"].
After hours, contact [emergency clinic name and phone].
Veterinary Referral Letter
Referral & transfer
Dear [referral vet / service],
RE: [patient name], [age] [sex] [breed] [species], owned by [owner name]
Thank you for seeing [patient name] for [reason for referral].
HISTORY: [concise chronological summary of the presenting problem]
EXAMINATION FINDINGS: [key findings at presentation and most recent exam]
DIAGNOSTICS PERFORMED:
- [test - date - key results; attach full results]
TREATMENT TO DATE: [drugs with doses and dates, response to treatment]
CURRENT MEDICATIONS: [drug, dose, frequency, last given]
REASON FOR REFERRAL: [specific question or procedure requested]
The owners have been advised of [what they have been told, incl. any estimate discussed].
Please contact me if you need anything further. I have attached [records/imaging/lab results].
Kind regards,
[vet name], [qualifications]
[clinic name] | [phone] | [email]
Free, and staying free
No account, no trial, nothing gated. Copying happens in your browser and no patient data ever touches this page. If a template is missing, or your software needs a different format, tell me and I will build it.
Need the paperwork, not the wording?
The clinic forms and certificates library has fill-and-print consent forms, vaccination certificates and health certificates, customised with your clinic details.
What the templates are, where they work and what happens to anything you copy.
Are these veterinary templates actually free?
Yes. Every template is free, permanently, for any veterinary clinic including commercial use. No account, no email capture, no trial, and nothing is gated behind a paid tier.
Do these work as ezyVet templates?
Yes, two ways. Every template pastes into ezyVet as plain text and becomes a two-click insert from then on. ezyVet also supports coded templates set up in its template editor, which render dropdowns and selectable fields instead of bracketed prompts. Coded ezyVet versions written and used in practice by Dr Duncan Houston are being added, and each template's entry will say when its coded version is live.
Do they work in RxWorks?
Yes, the same way. RxWorks clinics can store the text wherever the practice keeps reusable notes and merge text. The templates deliberately avoid special formatting, so what you paste is what you get.
What about Cornerstone, Avimark, Covetrus, VetlinkSQL, Provet Cloud or paper?
Plain text pastes into all of them, and into a word processor for clinics that print. Every major practice system has some feature for storing reusable text, whether it calls that templates, macros, glossaries or quick text, and these are written to survive any of them.
Why plain text instead of native imports for each system?
Because formatting is what breaks between systems, and a template that arrives mangled wastes more time than it saves. Universal text works everywhere on day one. Platform-specific versions with real import files are only worth publishing after they have actually been tested in that platform, and will be labelled that way when they exist.
What do the square brackets mean?
Each [bracketed phrase] is a prompt to replace with your patient's details: [PATIENT NAME], [drug, dose, frequency], [date/time]. Everything outside the brackets is ready-to-keep wording you can edit to suit your clinic.
Can I customise them for my clinic and protocols?
Yes, and you should. They are starting structures: adapt the wording, add your clinic's protocols and drug choices, and drop sections that do not fit your caseload. Drug names and doses are deliberately left as prompts, because those belong to your formulary and your prescribing decisions.
Who wrote these templates?
Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc, University of Sydney, working in emergency and general practice. The structures reflect real shifts: the SOAP note is the history a locum can follow, the handover is the sheet that stops a 2am medication being missed, and the discharges are the calls that do not come in at midnight because the owner already had the answer.
Can nurses and technicians use them?
Yes, and several are written for exactly that: the nursing shift handover, the triage note and the client update record are daily nursing documentation. Prescribing decisions and certifying statements remain the veterinarian's.
Can veterinary students use these as examples?
Yes. Each template doubles as a worked example of the record it structures, and the writing guides on this page explain the reasoning behind the SOAP, handover, discharge, referral and triage formats. Documentation submitted for assessment still needs to follow your school's requirements.
Is anything I type or copy stored anywhere?
No. Copy puts the text straight on your clipboard, Download saves a text file to your own device, Email opens a draft in your own mail app, and Print uses your browser's print dialog. Nothing goes through a server, and no patient data is entered on this page at all.
What is the difference between these and the clinic forms?
A template is reusable wording you paste into the medical record or a client communication. A form or certificate is a standalone document that gets completed, signed and printed, like a consent form or vaccination certificate. Those live in the certificates and clinic forms library.
A template is missing, or my software needs a different format. What do I do?
Contact me with the template and the system you use. Requests from working clinicians get priority, and tested software-specific versions are on the roadmap.
Sending an owner home with instructions?
The owner-facing tools cover toxicity thresholds, feeding amounts, quality of life scoring, vaccination schedules and prevention. Safe to hand out as a link in a discharge email.
Send owners home with the answers, not a printout.
ASK A VET keeps weights, vaccinations, worming, medications and vet notes for every pet in the household, and gives owners certified vet chat between visits — so your discharge instructions have somewhere to live.
The app is free to download. Tracker connectivity, veterinary support and other premium features may require a paid plan. Check the app and product pages for current availability.
Using them safely in practice
The dose you give is your clinical decision.
Check the concentration, every time
The commonest source of error in a drug calculation is not the maths, it is the vial. Concentrations differ between manufacturers, countries and formulations. Read it off the bottle in your hand rather than trusting a default.
Read the working, not just the number
Each result shows the full calculation from the displayed operands, so a transposed weight or a wrong unit is visible rather than buried. If the working does not look like what you expected, stop.
Two-person checks still apply
A calculator does not replace a second pair of eyes on a controlled drug, a transfusion, or a paediatric or exotic dose. The anaesthetic calculator’s cage sheet mode prints a signature line for exactly this reason.
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