Facility Standards and Inspection Requirements
What the Board inspects
Registered veterinary hospitals are subject to Board inspection. Inspectors verify the physical facility, sanitation, species-appropriate housing, isolation of contagious patients, surgery and radiography areas, pharmacy security, recordkeeping, and emergency readiness. The point is not cosmetic: deficient practice can lead to corrective orders or discipline.
Core standards
- Sanitation: cleanable surfaces, waste handling, pest control, ventilation, and adequate lighting.
- Housing: sufficient space, bedding, temperature, water, and separation by species or condition as needed.
- Isolation: a defined area for infectious cases with dedicated equipment or a strict cleaning protocol.
- Surgery: clean area, anesthesia monitoring, waste-gas scavenging, sterile supplies, and recovery space.
- Pharmacy: labeled drugs, unexpired stock, locked controlled substances, and dispensing logs.
- Records: legible, contemporaneous entries retained under Board rule; include examination findings, orders, anesthesia, and drugs dispensed.
- Emergency readiness: fire extinguishers, clear exits, emergency drugs and equipment, and accessible telephone.
Worked example
An inspector finds an unlocked cabinet of ketamine, expired vaccines mixed with current stock, and no anesthesia log for two procedures. The problem is not just housekeeping: controlled substances must be secured and logged, expired drugs must be segregated, and anesthesia records must be complete. The practice should lock and reconcile the ketamine, quarantine expired stock, reconstruct or document the missing records, and institute a daily controlled-substance check.
Traps
- A clean lobby does not mean the pharmacy, treatment area, or records will pass.
- Inspection deficiencies are usually correctable, but concealment or repeat failures are aggravating.
- Record retention is a rule requirement, not a client-service courtesy.