Nurse-led neutering consultations: delegation and informed consent

Abstract

The age at which the neutering of dogs should be performed is widely debated, with criteria such as the stage of seasons (eg, before or after); breed and adult size; and behavioural aspects all influencing decision making. These criteria need to be taken into consideration alongside the environment in which the animal lives and any other animals around the individual in question; for example, an individual dog kept within a household will have different neutering criteria than a non-owned, free-roaming dog. Neutering recommendations need to move away from a blanket approach for all dogs to a more contextualised, patient-centric approach, incorporating the animal and owner's narrative. In the majority of veterinary practices, registered veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses are often delegated the task of discussing neutering with pet owners, and to perform the surgical admission for the procedure. This article looks at the elements of neutering that veterinary surgeons delegating these tasks must be aware of (noting that they still hold responsibility of the task under the Veterinary Surgeon's Act 1966).