Under the Animal Welfare Act, dealers, exhibitors, and 

research facilities must observe all animals daily to assess 

their health and well-being. This ensures prompt detection 

of disease or injuries and abnormal behavior, helping to 

improve outcomes and save time and money. For example, 

an animal that has a small laceration may only require 

minimal treatment. The same laceration observed several 

days later may be infected and require more extensive and 

expensive treatment with a higher risk to the animal’s health 

and well-being.

Daily observations can be done by the attending 

veterinarian or someone else—the veterinarian’s staff, 

the facility’s staff, or the licensee or registrant—if there 

is a mechanism in place to convey timely and accurate 

information to the attending veterinarian. 

Consistency Is Key

If you are the licensee or registrant, talk to your attending 

veterinarian to develop a method for conducting daily 

observations. Consider using tools like checklists to ensure 

all observations are consistent and effective. Maintain a list 

of what needs to be done regularly, such as facility repairs, 

nail clipping/grooming, giving medications, and other tasks. 

Use this “to-do list” for planning, care, and maintenance 

in addition to daily observations. Train your staff to 

follow the facility’s protocol for conducting observations, 

documenting observations, and communicating with the 

attending veterinarian. 

Tips for Effective Daily Observation

1. Focus. Make observing and assessing an animal’s 

health and well-being a single and separate task. Don’t 

combine it with other tasks or chores, or you could miss 

something important. 

2. Watch. Carefully observe the behavior of each animal, 

each body part of the animal, and any feces or discharge 

for abnormalities. 

3. Support. Take video and photographs of all abnormal 

or questionable observations. Keep a record of all 

contacts with the attending veterinarian, including 

animal identification; date; description of the problem; 

method used to contact the attending veterinarian 

(phone, text, email, visit); and the attending 

veterinarian’s advice. Log daily observations in a 

notebook, binder, spreadsheet, or database. 

Daily Observation Guidelines

When conducting daily observations, assess each animal’s 

physical appearance, behavior, and environment. Consider 

handling the animal if safe to do so. If the animal is under 

veterinary care, assess the effectiveness of treatment. 

Below are questions to ask during daily observations.

Physical Appearance

 Is the haircoat normal? Is it glossy or dull? Are there 

signs of hair loss? 

 Is the animal under- or over-weight? Can you see 

the ribs? Include weekly weight checks in the 

observation program. 

 Is the animal scratching itself? Do you see scabbing, 

lumps, bumps, or parasites? 

 Are their nails, claws, or hooves the proper length? 

Do you see any wounds or abnormalities? 

 Do you see any calluses on their joints? Any signs of 

mobility problems or lameness?

 Are the eyes clear? Is there discharge or excessive 

winking or blinking? 

 Are the ears and nose clean? Is there any discharge 

or buildup? 

 Are the mouth, teeth, and gums clean? Is there visible 

buildup (tartar), bleeding, or injuries? 

Daily Observation

Animal Care Tech Note
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-welfare APHIS 41-35-082 ▪ Revised January 2022

Behavior

 Is the animal acting and moving normally? Is its 

gait normal? 

 Is the animal lethargic or acting sick, stressed, 

or bored? 

 Does the animal’s behavior change when you 

move closer or farther away? For example, does 

the animal act normally when you are close, but then 

limps, appears injured, or acts differently when you 

walk away?

 Is the animal huddling or shivering due to cold? Is it 

panting or laying stretched out due to heat? 

 Does it appear to be eating and drinking? Is it eating 

and drinking enough? 

 Is the animal’s elimination habit abnormal, such as 

loose or irregular stool, vomit, and/or regurgitated 

food or water? 

Environment

 Is the animal’s environment and/or enclosure safe? 

 Are environmental controls (temperature, humidity, 

shelter from elements) adequate for the species and 

the season? 

Animals Under Veterinary Care

 Is the animal’s health improving, about the same, or 

getting worse with treatment? 

 If the animal’s condition is getting worse, or the animal 

has completed treatment and not improved, is it time to 

call the veterinarian with an update?

 Are you documenting your observations and treatment 

plan? 

For More Information

USDA APHIS Animal Care 

2150 Centre Avenue, Building B

Mailstop #3W11

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117

(970) 494-7478 

animalcare@usda.gov