Milestone grid you can trim
0–6h: recovery depth, standing, tiny water trials. 6–24h: meal volume, emesis, first void/stool. Days 2–3: mobility, dressing look, temp if assigned. Pre-suture: licking, appetite ≥80% baseline.
Each milestone: objective sign + home action + whether to page the clinic—skip un-auditable “fine.”
Incisions and drains: useful photos
Same lighting, distance, and angle daily; timestamp vs dressing changes. Describe exudate color and coin-sized spread, not “a little.”
Log cone or suit integrity; two hours off-head sometimes matters more than mild pinkness.
Pain and behavior on a budget
Cats: hiding, reduced grooming, withdrawal from touch. Dogs: pacing plus stair refusal—flag it. Skip numeric pain scales if unreliable; note withheld favorite interactions.
Note analgesic observation windows—eating or sleeping uptick 45–60 minutes post dose.
Food and elimination drivers of callbacks
Resume meals per staged orders—water, then soggy kibble, escalate only after success. Tag “escalate” after two refused meals or tense ballooned abdomen.
Constipation or diarrhea both happen—last stool time and texture beat anxiety prose for phone triage.
Boundaries
Orthopedic vs abdominal vs ophthalmic rules differ; follow written discharge instructions. Off-script emergencies go straight to ER.
Avoid publishing identifiable people or full unauthorized records; protect private logs.
Recheck and taper plans belong to your clinician; timelines assist communication only.