Free template

Veterinary surgical consent form

A consent form the owner can actually read: what is being done, the risks you name out loud, what you may need to decide while they are not there, and the resuscitation question asked before the day, not on it.

Get early access, $99/mo See the client page
Free
no account, no email, nothing stored
In-browser
your text never leaves this page
Print or PDF
save it from your browser's print dialog
Why this document

The two hardest parts of surgical consent are the ones people rush: the sentence about anaesthetic risk, and the resuscitation question. Both are much easier to handle the day before, in writing, than in a corridor at eight in the morning.

This template is a structure, not a legal instrument. Consent requirements are set by your regulator and your insurer, and they differ by country. Have your version checked once by whoever advises you; after that, reuse it.

Build it below, print it, and put it in the folder next to the estimate. Or use it as the wording for the plan you send as a link.

Build it now

Consent to anaesthesia and surgery

Everything happens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and there is no email to give.

Fill in the form

No download button on purpose: press print and choose “Save as PDF” as the destination. That is how every browser makes a PDF, and nothing you typed leaves this page.

Cedar Street Veterinary Clinic

18 Cedar Street, (555) 014-2288

Consent to anaesthesia and surgery

For
Dana Whitfield
Patient
Milo, Labrador, 6 y, 24 kg
Patient and procedure

I am the owner of Milo, Labrador, 6 y, 24 kg, or authorised to act for the owner, and I consent to removal of a lump on the left flank (mass excision) under general anaesthesia at Cedar Street Veterinary Clinic.

Anaesthetic and surgical risk

I understand that anaesthesia and surgery carry risk, including uncommon but serious complications, and that no outcome can be guaranteed even when every reasonable precaution is taken. The veterinary team has offered to answer my questions about those risks.

Decisions during the procedure

I understand the team may find something that was not expected. I can be reached on (555) 720-4410, answered all day. If the team cannot reach me, I authorise them to carry out any procedure they judge immediately necessary for the welfare of my animal.

Resuscitation

In the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest, I ask the team to attempt resuscitation.

Before the appointment

No food after 10 pm the night before. Water is fine until admission. Please arrive at 8:00 am and allow fifteen minutes.

Costs

I have received a written estimate, I understand it is an estimate and not a fixed quote, and I understand that I will be contacted before any treatment beyond what I have approved.

Signature of owner or authorised agent: ______________________________ Date: ______________

How to make it a good one

  • Name the procedure in plain words as well as clinical ones. "Removal of a lump on the left flank (mass excision)" is read; "excisional biopsy" is signed without being read.

  • Say who to call and on which number during the procedure. Then check the number is a phone the owner will actually answer.

  • Ask the resuscitation question explicitly and before the day. It is the one nobody wants to raise at admission.

  • Give the owner a copy. A consent form the client cannot produce afterwards is a weak record.

  • Record the fasting instructions on the same page. It is the single most common reason a surgery gets cancelled on the morning.

FAQ

Questions clinics ask.

Is this form legally valid?

It is a template, not legal advice, and consent requirements are set by your regulator and your insurer. Use it as a structure and have your own version checked once by whoever advises you.

Can this be signed electronically?

Yes, and that is exactly what VetApprove does with the estimate: a simple electronic signature with a timestamp, IP address, device and the hash of the accepted content. We make no claim of certification or qualified signature status.

Should consent and the estimate be one document?

Many clinics send them together, because the owner is making one decision. VetApprove puts the consent wording on the same page as the priced plan and the deposit.

Do I need a new form for each procedure?

You need the procedure named accurately on each one. Keeping the rest of the wording identical is what makes it fast. Change the top, keep the body.

Other free templates

Early access

Ten clinics. Then we close the door for a while.

We are onboarding the first cohort by hand, one clinic at a time, to get the templates right for your species and procedures. Tell us where you are and we'll send the payment link and a 15-minute slot.

No newsletter, no resale. We answer within one business day.