Pet medication chart
Why a chart on the fridge works
A pet on regular medication is usually cared for by more than one person. The classic mistake is not forgetting a dose — it is two people each giving it, or each assuming the other did. A chart in one obvious place, ticked the moment a dose is given, settles the question at a glance.
It also answers the question your vet will ask at the recheck: “Has she been getting it every day?” A sheet with a few honest gaps is far more useful than “yes, mostly”.
How to fill it in
- Write each medication on its own line with its strength and dose exactly as on the label — “1 tablet, 50 mg” rather than “one pill”.
- Note how it is given: with food, on an empty stomach, crushed into something, by syringe.
- Tick and initial each dose as soon as it is given. Initials tell you who to ask if something seems off.
- Write down what went wrong: a pill spat out, vomiting soon after a dose, a dose given late. These details help your vet judge whether the medication is working.
- Keep the refill date in view. Count the tablets left when you start a pack and note the day it will run out, so you order more before it does.
If a dose is missed
Don't give two doses at once to catch up unless your vet has told you to. For many medications the advice is to give the missed dose if you remember soon, and skip it if the next one is nearly due — but this depends on the drug, so ask your vet or pharmacist what to do for your pet's medication and write the answer on the chart.
Tapering and short courses
Some medications are stepped down over days or weeks, and antibiotics and painkillers often come as a short course that has to be finished. Write the dates of each step on the chart before you start, then tick through them — it is much easier than working out on day nine which dose you should be on.
Bring it with you
At the recheck, the chart shows your vet exactly what was given and when. If side effects appeared, the dates on the chart line them up with the doses.
Questions owners ask
Should I give the dose at exactly the same time every day?
As close as you reasonably can. For medication given twice a day, roughly twelve hours apart is usually what is meant. If your schedule doesn't allow that, ask your vet which times would work — and write them at the top of the chart.
My pet spits out pills. What do I write?
Write it down every time, along with what you tried: a pill pocket, a bit of food, a different time. If it keeps happening, your vet or pharmacy may be able to offer a liquid, a flavoured form or a different schedule.
Can the same chart cover two pets?
Better not. Use one chart per pet, with its name at the top; it is the simplest protection against giving one pet's medication to the other.
How long should I keep old charts?
Keep them at least until the next recheck, and longer for long-term medication. A stack of filled charts is a complete history of what your pet has taken, which is useful if you change vets or see a specialist.
The same log, on your iPhone
Petwellio reminds you at each dose time, lets you mark “Given” from the lock screen, counts the pills left in the pack, and shows your vet how many doses were missed.
This page is general information for pet owners, not veterinary advice. Your own vet knows your pet and its history; follow what they tell you, and call them whenever you're worried.