Veterinary Employee Handbook Template

Running a veterinary practice means caring for animals while managing unique workplace hazards and strict regulatory requirements. A veterinary employee handbook helps you document animal handling procedures, controlled substance protocols, and the policies that protect your staff, patients, and practice.

This guide covers everything you need to include in a veterinary-specific handbook, plus a free template to get you started.

Why veterinary practices need a specialized handbook

Generic employee handbooks don't address the unique hazards and compliance requirements of veterinary medicine. Your practice has specific needs that standard templates miss:

• Animal handling risks — Bites, scratches, kicks, and animal escapes
• Zoonotic diseases — Rabies, ringworm, leptospirosis, and other transmissible conditions
• Controlled substances — DEA compliance for Schedule II-V drugs
• Radiation exposure — X-ray safety and monitoring requirements
• Emotional challenges — Euthanasia, difficult clients, compassion fatigue
• Client communication — Estimates, treatment plans, end-of-life discussions

A veterinary-specific handbook addresses all of these while helping you avoid workplace injuries, regulatory violations, and client complaints.

Download the template

Get started with our free employee handbook template. It includes all the standard sections, which you can customize with veterinary-specific policies.

This is our general template. Add the veterinary-specific sections outlined below to make it complete for your practice. Need help? See our step-by-step handbook guide. Also check out our medical office handbook template and dental office template for similar healthcare compliance approaches.

Key sections for veterinary handbooks

Beyond standard handbook content, veterinary practices need these specialized sections:

Animal handling and safety

Animal-related injuries are the most common workplace hazard in veterinary medicine. Your handbook must document safe handling procedures:

Restraint principles

• Use minimum restraint necessary — excessive force increases stress and aggression
• Read animal body language before approaching
• Two-person restraint for any animal showing signs of fear or aggression
• Use appropriate equipment: muzzles, cat bags, towels, squeeze cages
• Never restrain an animal beyond your skill level — ask for help
• Document aggressive patients in the medical record for future visits

Bite and scratch protocol

• Stop and secure the animal immediately
• Wash wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 5 minutes
• Apply antiseptic and bandage
• Report incident to supervisor immediately
• Complete incident report form
• Seek medical attention for deep punctures, cat bites, or any wound showing signs of infection
• Document rabies vaccination status of the animal

Zoonotic disease prevention

• Wash hands before and after handling each patient
• Wear gloves when handling animals with suspected infectious disease
• Use appropriate PPE for high-risk procedures (ringworm, parvo, etc.)
• Report any illness that may be work-related
• Keep personal vaccinations current (rabies pre-exposure recommended)

Controlled substance policies

Veterinary practices use Schedule II-V controlled substances daily. DEA compliance is mandatory and violations carry serious penalties:

Storage requirements

• Schedule II drugs: double-locked storage (locked cabinet inside locked room)
• Schedule III-V drugs: locked cabinet with limited access
• Keys/codes held only by authorized personnel
• Maintain separate storage for euthanasia solutions

Logging and documentation

• Record every use: date, patient, amount used, amount wasted, staff initials
• Two-person witness required for all controlled substance waste
• Maintain running inventory counts
• Conduct monthly physical inventory and reconciliation
• Retain logs for minimum two years (check state requirements)

Disposal procedures

• Partial vials: witness waste and document in log
• Expired medications: use DEA-authorized reverse distributor
• Never dispose of controlled substances in regular trash
• Document all disposals with date, drug, quantity, method, and witnesses

Client communication guidelines

Veterinary staff regularly navigate emotionally charged conversations. Clear guidelines help maintain professionalism and reduce complaints:

Estimates and authorization

• Provide written estimates before any non-emergency treatment
• Include high and low range when diagnosis is uncertain
• Get signed authorization before proceeding
• Contact client before exceeding estimate by [10-15%]
• Document all phone authorizations with date, time, and who authorized

Difficult conversations

• Use private exam room for sensitive discussions
• Allow time for clients to process difficult news
• Offer options without judgment when finances are a concern
• Never discuss treatment costs in front of other clients
• Escalate to veterinarian or manager when client becomes hostile

Euthanasia protocols

• Obtain written consent from owner or authorized agent
• Discuss remains options (cremation, burial, etc.) before procedure
• Allow owner to be present if desired
• Provide private space and adequate time
• Follow up with sympathy card or call within [1 week]

Template vs. digital handbook

Veterinary staff work fast-paced days with little time for paperwork. They need quick access to protocols and policies:

Frequently asked questions

What should be in a veterinary employee handbook?

A veterinary handbook should include animal handling and restraint procedures, bite and scratch protocols, controlled substance policies (DEA compliance), zoonotic disease prevention, client communication guidelines, euthanasia procedures, OSHA safety requirements, and emergency protocols for animal escapes or injuries.

What safety training do veterinary employees need?

Veterinary staff need training on safe animal handling and restraint, bite and scratch prevention and response, zoonotic disease awareness, radiation safety for X-rays, anesthesia monitoring, proper lifting techniques for animals, and OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards. Controlled substance handling requires additional DEA-compliant training.

How should veterinary clinics handle controlled substances?

Veterinary clinics must follow DEA regulations including maintaining a DEA registration, double-locked storage for Schedule II drugs, detailed logs of all controlled substance use and disposal, two-person witness for waste, regular inventory counts, and proper disposal through reverse distributors. Document all policies in writing.

Do veterinary technicians need to be licensed?

Requirements vary by state. Most states require veterinary technicians to be credentialed (licensed, certified, or registered) to perform certain tasks. Check your state's veterinary practice act for specific requirements. Your handbook should specify which tasks require credentialed technicians vs. assistants.

How do I get veterinary staff to acknowledge the handbook?

Have each employee sign an acknowledgement form confirming they've received and read the handbook. For DEA compliance, maintain separate acknowledgments for controlled substance training — these records may be requested during inspections.