Along with high-tech monitoring equipment and medical charts that are passed along to the doctors on the next shift, there is a far more informal way that members of the Foster Hospital staff communicate with each other about patients. They rely on white boards that hang outside each pet’s cage. These signs serve a variety of purposes, from noting that a cat is a rescue who needs a home to indicating that the cage contains a “handle- with-care” cat.
“An animal who is fearful may be difficult to treat,” says John Berg, DVM, surgery specialist. “We don’t want employees getting injured,” so a sign on the cage might read ‘Caution.’ The staff knows how to be gentle with frightened pets. The cage signs prevent any surprises.”
