Everything to write down before someone else looks after your pet. A sitter for the weekend. A neighbour in an emergency. A vet who has to decide without you in the room.
Written by G.D. Hart · GuardDoc.tech · Free to use, no sign-up
START HERE
If you only do one thing, write down three: your vet’s name and number, your pet’s medicines and doses, and a signed line saying who can approve treatment, and up to what cost. Those three cover most of what goes wrong. Everything else on this page is detail.
Five things worth getting right
Each guide answers one question and tells you exactly what to write down. Read them in any order.
1. What a vet actually needs to treat your pet without you
A vet can’t always go ahead on a phone call. Here’s what they need in writing, who can give it, and why “do whatever it takes” isn’t enough.
GUIDE · 5 MIN READ
2. The pet sitter handover checklist
Food, medicines, routines, the vet, and the things only you know. One page to print and leave on the counter.
CHECKLIST · 3 MIN READ
3. Who can say yes to treatment for your pet
Naming a second person, setting a spending limit, and putting both in writing before you need them.
GUIDE · COMING SOON
4. What to put on a pet’s ID and wallet card
What fits, what matters, and what a stranger or a vet nurse can act on in thirty seconds.
GUIDE · COMING SOON
5. Microchip, insurance, medicines: the pet records people always lose
The numbers you’ll be asked for at the worst moment, and where to keep them so you can find them.
GUIDE · COMING SOON
WHY IT’S WORTH AN HOUR
Nobody plans for the sitter who can’t reach you, or the vet who needs a yes. When it happens, what you wrote down is all anyone has to go on.
What to write down
Instruction: The full set, from all five guides. Copy it into a notebook if you like. It works just as well.
- Name, breed, age, sex, colour and markings
- Microchip number and registry
- A current photo
- Your vet: practice, address, phone, out-of-hours number
- Medicines, doses and times
- Allergies and bad reactions
- Ongoing conditions and past surgery
- Vaccination dates
- Insurer and policy number
- Food: how much, when, and what not to give
- Routine, walks, and how they are with strangers
- Who can approve treatment, and their number
- A spending limit you could actually pay
- A second contact if nobody can reach you
- Where the carrier, lead and records are kept
- Your signature and the date
Sixteen things. Most people can fill in twelve from memory.
Pet Ready: fillable forms for everything on this page
Three fillable PDFs: Veterinary Care Authorization, Medical & Identity Profile, and Caregiver Instructions. Download. Fill. Save. Print. Keep. Share. Change it whenever you like.
FAQ
Is a signed note legally binding?
It isn’t a contract, and it doesn’t override the vet’s judgement. What it does is remove doubt about who you’ve trusted to decide and what you’ve agreed to pay. That’s often the difference between going ahead now and waiting for a phone call.
My pet is microchipped. Isn’t that enough?
A microchip shows who owns the pet. It doesn’t say what they’re allergic to, what they take, or who can approve surgery. Those are the questions a vet asks first.
What if my sitter has to use a different vet?
Write the note so it covers any vet, not only your own. Add your usual vet’s details so the new one can ask for records. Out of hours, the nearest clinic often isn’t your usual one.
How often should I update it?
Once a year, and whenever the medicines, insurance or vet change.
LAST REVIEWED
Last reviewed: September 2026 · General information, not veterinary or legal advice. Rules vary by practice and country. Ask your own vet.
Sources
American Veterinary Medical Association, “Who’s in charge of your animal’s care while you’re away?” — https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/whos-charge-your-animals-care-while-youre-away
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, “Communication and consent” — https://www.rcvs.org.uk/veterinary-professionals/conduct-and-guidance/supporting-guidance/11-communication-and-consent
When a “Coming soon” page goes live: add the link to its H3 on this hub, change its label from COMING SOON to the read time, and add it to Read next on one or two sibling pages.
