It was also proposed that pet owners be asked to bring in a portion of the patient ' s usual food with them to the admission appointment, so the practice could offer the patient a small meal before being discharged home.
Response to proposed changes
With the evidence showing a high percentage of patients with GI issues after neutering, and research identifying that chicken may not be the ideal postoperative diet, the proposed changes were approved and put in place in early 2024.
Implementing these changes involved communication with all practice staff, to ensure they knew the new guidelines, and updating the practice ' s postoperative information sheets for owners, to communicate the new feeding advice.
Evaluation of changes
The author collected the data from the neutering surgeries performed at the practice in the 6 months following the implementation of the changes, to evaluate the impact of the changes [ 3 ]. The data analysis identified a 59.15 % reduction in the number of patients returning with postoperative diarrhoea.
Interestingly, most of the patients that returned with diarrhoea had not been fed their normal diet entirely. This was either because the client forgot to bring some of the patient ' s normal food to the admission appointment, or the patient ' s normal food was fed in the practice but the client offered the patient an alternative diet at home. Although the change from the normal diet of these patients was slight, it still seemed to have a significant impact.
It should also be noted that, regardless of the diet fed to patients, some cases of postoperative diarrhoea can be expected, as some patients may react to the anaesthetic or to stress associated with hospitalisation or the procedure itself.
Impact of the audit
In recognition of its impact on patient safety, the audit was submitted to the Linnaeus Halo Patient Safety Awards, and the author and her team were delighted to be selected as one of three award recipients. The audit was also highly commended in the RCVS Knowledge Awards 2025 [ 4 ].
Following this achievement, the audit was expanded to other practices within the Linnaeus group, with the aim of exploring wider participation and evaluating whether the interventions implemented in the author ' s practice could yield comparable benefits in other settings.
Conclusions
Clinical audits are valuable, irrespective of the presence of issues, as they can detect minor deficiencies or serve to commend staff in instances where protocols are appropriately followed. The findings of this audit show that even modest alterations to protocols can significantly improve animal welfare. By implementing a basic dietary modification, this practice has minimised patient discomfort and reduced unnecessary costs for clients by preventing the need for additional interventions and medications. The practice will maintain ongoing annual audits to verify that standards are sustained and to identify any opportunities for further improvement.
Confirmation of consent
Permission has been granted by the practice to share the information discussed in this article.
Acknowledgements
The author thanks her practice and the wider Linnaeus group for their support in the clinical audit process.
REFERENCES
1 Olivry T, Pucheu-Haston CM, Mayer U, Bergvall K, Bexley J. Identification of major and minor chicken allergens in dogs. Veterinary Dermatology. 2022; 33( 1): 46 – e16. Available from: https:// doi. org / 10.1111 / vde. 13029.
2 Purina. Changing dog food: how to switch dog food. 2025. Available from: https:// www. purina. com / articles / dog / feeding / guides / changing-dog-food-guide [ Accessed 26 September 2025 ].
3 RCVS Knowledge. The Clinical Audit Walkthrough. 2019. Available from: https:// knowledge. rcvs. org. uk / document-library / theclinical-audit-walkthrough / [ Accessed 26 September 2025 ].
4 RCVS Knowledge. RCVS Knowledge Awards. 2025. Available from: https:// knowledge. rcvs. org. uk / awards / rcvs-knowledge-awards / award-winners /# hc25 [ Accessed 26 September 2025 ].
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