Table of Contents
Why Veterinary Records Use Abbreviations
Abbreviations keep records fast to write during a busy appointment — a full exam can be documented in a fraction of the time it would take to spell out every finding. But shorthand is only useful if the whole team reads it the same way.
Most of the abbreviations below are widely used across general and specialty practice, but some vary slightly by clinic, region, or credentialing title. When an abbreviation could be ambiguous — or when you're documenting something unusual — write it out in full instead.
Mentation Abbreviations
- BAR— Bright, Alert, Responsive
- QAR— Quiet, Alert, Responsive
- ADR— Ain't Doing Right (informal, non-specific catch-all)
- Obtunded— Reduced level of consciousness, slow to respond
- Stuporous— Responsive only to strong stimuli
- Comatose— Unresponsive to stimuli
History & Presenting Complaint
- HBC— Hit By Car
- V/D— Vomiting / Diarrhea
- PU/PD— Polyuria / Polydipsia (increased urination / increased thirst)
- NKDA— No Known Drug Allergies
- Hx— History
- c/o— Complains of (owner-reported)
- URI— Upper Respiratory Infection
- FB— Foreign Body
Exam Finding Abbreviations
- TPR— Temperature, Pulse, Respiration
- BCS— Body Condition Score
- CRT— Capillary Refill Time
- MM— Mucous Membranes
- WNL— Within Normal Limits
- NSF— No Significant Findings
- dz— Disease
- Dx— Diagnosis
- Tx— Treatment
- Rx— Prescription
- Bx— Biopsy
- LN— Lymph Node(s)
- HR— Heart Rate
- RR— Respiratory Rate
Dosing & Route Abbreviations
- SID— Once daily (semel in die)
- BID— Twice daily (bis in die)
- TID— Three times daily (ter in die)
- QID— Four times daily (quater in die)
- PO— By mouth (per os)
- SQ / SubQ— Subcutaneous
- IM— Intramuscular
- IV— Intravenous
- PRN— As needed (pro re nata)
- mg/kg— Milligrams per kilogram (weight-based dosing)
Other Common Abbreviations
- DVM— Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
- CVT / RVT / LVT— Credentialed veterinary technician (exact title varies by state)
- FS— Spayed female
- MN— Neutered male
- FI / MI— Intact female / intact male
- Sx— Surgery
- Anes— Anesthesia
- C&S— Culture and Sensitivity
- CBC— Complete Blood Count
- Chem— Chemistry panel
- UA— Urinalysis
- rads— Radiographs (X-rays)
- FeLV/FIV— Feline Leukemia Virus / Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
- HW— Heartworm
Copyable Quick-Reference Block
Copy the full list below into a document, or print it for a new hire's orientation packet.
Veterinary Abbreviations Quick Reference
All categories in one copyable block
MENTATION
- BAR — Bright, Alert, Responsive
- QAR — Quiet, Alert, Responsive
- ADR — Ain't Doing Right (informal, non-specific catch-all)
- Obtunded — Reduced level of consciousness, slow to respond
- Stuporous — Responsive only to strong stimuli
- Comatose — Unresponsive to stimuli
HISTORY & PRESENTING COMPLAINT
- HBC — Hit By Car
- V/D — Vomiting / Diarrhea
- PU/PD — Polyuria / Polydipsia (increased urination / increased thirst)
- NKDA — No Known Drug Allergies
- Hx — History
- c/o — Complains of (owner-reported)
- URI — Upper Respiratory Infection
- FB — Foreign Body
EXAM FINDINGS
- TPR — Temperature, Pulse, Respiration
- BCS — Body Condition Score
- CRT — Capillary Refill Time
- MM — Mucous Membranes
- WNL — Within Normal Limits
- NSF — No Significant Findings
- dz — Disease
- Dx — Diagnosis
- Tx — Treatment
- Rx — Prescription
- Bx — Biopsy
- LN — Lymph Node(s)
- HR — Heart Rate
- RR — Respiratory Rate
DOSING & ROUTE
- SID — Once daily (semel in die)
- BID — Twice daily (bis in die)
- TID — Three times daily (ter in die)
- QID — Four times daily (quater in die)
- PO — By mouth (per os)
- SQ / SubQ — Subcutaneous
- IM — Intramuscular
- IV — Intravenous
- PRN — As needed (pro re nata)
- mg/kg — Milligrams per kilogram (weight-based dosing)
OTHER COMMON ABBREVIATIONS
- DVM — Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
- CVT / RVT / LVT — Credentialed veterinary technician (exact title varies by state)
- FS — Spayed female
- MN — Neutered male
- FI / MI — Intact female / intact male
- Sx — Surgery
- Anes — Anesthesia
- C&S — Culture and Sensitivity
- CBC — Complete Blood Count
- Chem — Chemistry panel
- UA — Urinalysis
- rads — Radiographs (X-rays)
- FeLV/FIV — Feline Leukemia Virus / Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
- HW — Heartworm
Frequently Asked Questions
What do BAR, QAR, and ADR mean on a vet record?
BAR means Bright, Alert, Responsive — a normal mentation finding. QAR means Quiet, Alert, Responsive — the patient is alert but subdued compared to baseline. ADR ("Ain't Doing Right") is an informal, non-specific catch-all owners or staff use when something is off but not yet characterized.
What do SID, BID, TID, and QID mean for medication dosing?
These are frequency abbreviations derived from Latin: SID means once daily (semel in die), BID means twice daily (bis in die), TID means three times daily (ter in die), and QID means four times daily (quater in die).
What do PO, SQ, IM, and IV mean?
These describe medication route: PO means by mouth (per os), SQ (or SubQ) means subcutaneous, IM means intramuscular, and IV means intravenous.
What do TPR, BCS, CRT, and MM stand for?
TPR stands for Temperature, Pulse, Respiration — the core vital signs. BCS is Body Condition Score. CRT is Capillary Refill Time. MM stands for Mucous Membranes — all commonly recorded in the objective section of an exam.
Are veterinary abbreviations standardized across every practice?
Most of the abbreviations on this page are widely used and broadly consistent across practices, but exact conventions can still vary by clinic, region, or credentialing title (for example, CVT vs. RVT vs. LVT for a credentialed technician). When in doubt, confirm your practice's convention or write the term out in full.
What do HBC and PU/PD mean in a patient history?
HBC means Hit By Car, typically noted in an emergency presentation history. PU/PD means Polyuria/Polydipsia — increased urination and increased thirst — a symptom pairing often investigated together.
What do MN, FS, MI, and FI mean?
These describe sex and reproductive status: MN is a neutered male, FS is a spayed female, and MI/FI are intact male and intact female, respectively. They are typically recorded as part of the signalment.
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Related Resources
Veterinary Terminology Glossary
Clinical terms organized by body system, plus a cheat sheet.
TPR in Veterinary Medicine
Temperature, pulse, and respiration reference ranges by species.
Veterinary SOAP Note Template
Free copyable SOAP templates for canine and feline visits.
Vet Tech Report Sheet Template
Per-patient tracking card for tech shifts and treatment monitoring.