Assessment of Surgical Record-Keeping Practices in Veterinary Clinics in Kano State

Comprehensive surgical record-keeping is essential for clinical continuity of care, medicolegal accountability, professional development, and research in veterinary practice. This study assesses the quality, completeness, and consistency of surgical records maintained at registered veterinary clinics and hospitals in Kano State, North West Nigeria. A retrospective review of 310 surgical case records drawn from 18 veterinary facilities was conducted between February and October 2023, supplemented by structured interviews with 26 practitioners. Records were evaluated against a 15-item completeness checklist encompassing patient signalment, diagnosis, surgical procedure details, anesthetic protocol, intraoperative findings, complications, and follow-up outcomes. Average record completeness score was 57.3 out of 100, with private single-practitioner clinics scoring significantly lower than institutional veterinary hospitals. Anesthetic monitoring data and intraoperative complication documentation were absent in 68% and 74% of records respectively. Only 12% of facilities maintained dedicated surgical logbooks separate from general clinical records. Electronic record-keeping systems were in use at only 3 of the 18 surveyed facilities. Incomplete records were associated with reduced ability to identify surgical complication patterns and impaired medicolegal protection for practitioners. The study strongly recommends mandating standardized surgical record formats in Nigerian veterinary professional regulations, promoting the adoption of electronic clinical management systems in Kano State veterinary facilities, and integrating professional documentation training into postgraduate veterinary curricula. Keywords: surgical records, veterinary practice, documentation, Kano State, clinical governance.