High risk waivers are additional paperwork you have owner’s sign that indicates you’ve shared increased risks with them for their pet. The owner will either accept or decline the risks.
These can be verbal high risk waivers or emailed high risk waivers.
With hundreds of surgeries weekly, some patients may present increased anesthetic and surgical risks. Common issues requiring a high-risk waiver include being:
- overweight or underweight
- brachycephalic breed syndrome
- Respiratory infections, heart murmurs, and more.
Clinics typically call or email owners for verbal or written consent for a high-risk waiver, informing them of the higher surgical risks.
In Clinic HQ, the high-risk waiver is for concerns found during the physical exam on the appointment day and cannot be sent before. An exam must be done before requesting a waiver, as some conditions may only be detected during the exam. Known pre-existing conditions require a manual waiver, and conditions like brachycephalic breeds may be added to the spay/neuter consent form.
HQ automates the process of collecting high-risk waivers via workflows for verbal or email consent. The ASPCA Spay Neuter Alliance uses verbal waivers, and your clinic may choose to follow this model or use a variation with a witness. The following sections will guide you through these workflows.
Canceling a High Risk Waiver
If a waiver was accidentally created, use the Action button in PF or update the exam. From either, you will see the option to cancel the waiver.
Our high risk waivers can be downloaded here.
