Foster Training
Chapter 1

Lesson 1: Paperwork and Medical Logs

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Lesson Objectives By the end of this lesson, fosters will: Understand why we track what we track. Know how to use the medical and daily logs

  • Recognize red flags that require escalation

  • Feel empowered (not afraid) to report concerns

Core rationale

  • If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.

  • Medical patterns are invisible without logs.

  • Accurate paperwork protects:

    • the animal

    • the foster

    • the rescue

    • the veterinarian

Core Philosophy

  • Observation beats assumption

  • Patterns matter more than moments

  • Early reporting prevents emergencies

  • Paperwork is part of fostering. Click the link for the log featured in this lesson. Be sure to open in a new tab.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PNySqwtd9R2YRO5OzkI2U8uv1uqR4KLogkWSRDCClm8/edit?usp=sharing

Lesson Outline

1. Why We Track

  • Weight trends matter more than single numbers

  • Appetite changes often precede illness

  • Stool changes are one of the earliest warning signs

  • Vets diagnose patterns, not vibes

2. How to Use the Logs

  • Daily weight tracking

  • Stool consistency tracking (numeric scale)

  • Appetite tracking (what + how much)

  • Notes on behavior, energy, hydration, and symptoms

  • Short notes are fine

  • Consistency matters more than perfect wording

  • One line per day is enough if done daily

Key:

“You don’t need to diagnose — just observe and record.”

3. Thresholds for Escalation

Clear, concrete triggers for contacting the rescue team:

Escalate if:

  • Weight loss or plateau in young kittens

  • Diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours

  • Lethargy, hiding, or sudden behavior change

  • Not eating or eating significantly less

  • Vomiting

  • Any ‘something feels off’ instinct

4. Permission Statement

This is critical for new fosters.

  • You are not expected to know everything

  • Asking questions is a strength

  • Early reporting saves lives

  • Silence is the only mistake

Rolling Intake Medication Synchronization Decision Tree

For Co-Housed Foster Animals

START

A foster brings a new animal into a home with existing foster animals.

STEP 1: Are there animals already in the home?

☐ NO

→ Treat new intake per standard intake protocol
→ Assign Day 0 for that animal
→ End

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 2

STEP 2: Are animals co-housed or sharing resources?

(litter boxes, bowls, airspace, hands, surfaces)

☐ NO (fully separated)

→ Treat new intake independently
→ No synchronization required
→ End

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 3

STEP 3: Are the existing animals currently on an intake medication schedule?

☐ NO

→ Go to Step 4

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 5

STEP 4: Existing Animals NOT on Intake Meds

Assumption:
Shared space = shared exposure.

Action:

  • All animals (existing + new) start intake meds together

  • Assign one shared Day 0

  • Use one unified schedule

  • Track animals individually, treat as a group

📌 Key rule:

Do not stagger intake meds in shared housing.

→ End

STEP 5: Existing Animals ARE on Intake Meds

5A. Are they in the active treatment window?

(before any post-treatment countdown begins)

☑ YES

  • New intake joins immediately

  • Receives intake meds the same day

  • Schedule continues uninterrupted

  • No clock reset

📌 Key rule:

New intake joins the train. The train does not stop.

→ End

5B. Are they in the post-treatment waiting / observation period?

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 6

STEP 6: Post-Treatment Period + New Intake

At this stage, co-housing breaks containment.

Required action:

  • Reset the intake schedule

  • All animals (existing + new) return to intake meds

  • Assign a new Day 0 for the entire group

  • Start countdown the day after the new treatment

📌 Key rule:

You cannot preserve a clean window once a new untreated animal enters shared space.

→ End

STEP 7: Special Situations

Different ages / weights

  • Dose individually

  • Schedule stays unified

One animal symptomatic, others not

  • Treat all exposed animals

  • Symptoms drive urgency, not membership

“Temporary” co-housing

(overnight, playtime, shared supplies)

  • Considered exposure

  • Follow the same tree

Partial separation

(crate rotation, baby gates, shared air)

  • Considered shared exposure

  • Follow the same tree

NON-NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLES

  • Shared space = shared schedule

  • Intake meds are group-based

  • Rolling intake resets clocks

  • Staggering causes failure loops

  • This is a system decision, not a foster judgment

What This Prevents

  • Endless retreatment

  • ‘Mystery’ reinfections

  • Foster frustration

  • Medical burnout

  • Blame cycles

Coccidia Treatment Synchronization Decision Tree

Rolling Intake – Shared Foster Space

START

A foster brings a new kitten into a home with existing foster kittens.

STEP 1: Are there kittens already in the home?

☐ NO

→ Treat new kitten per standard intake protocol
→ Start Day 0 for that kitten
→ End

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 2

STEP 2: Are the existing kittens currently on a coccidia treatment schedule?

☐ NO (not currently being treated)

→ Go to Step 3

☑ YES (mid-treatment or between rounds)

→ Go to Step 4

STEP 3: Existing kittens NOT currently on treatment

Assumption:
Exposure is already shared the moment kittens co-house.

Action:

  • All kittens (new + existing) start treatment together

  • Designate the same Day 0 for everyone

  • Use one shared treatment calendar

📌 Key rule:

You do not treat the new kitten separately.

Logging:

  • Note “rolling intake – synchronized start”

  • Track weights individually, treatment collectively

→ End

STEP 4: Existing kittens ARE currently on treatment

This is the most common failure point — so this step is strict.

4A. Is the existing group within the first treatment window?

(early phase, before the post-treatment countdown begins)

☑ YES

  • Add the new kitten immediately

  • New kitten receives treatment same day

  • All kittens remain on the same schedule

  • No clock reset

📌 Key rule:

New kitten joins the train — the train does not stop.

→ End

4B. Is the existing group already in the post-treatment waiting period?

(countdown days already started)

☑ YES

→ Go to Step 5

STEP 5: Post-Treatment Countdown + New Intake

At this point, shared space = shared exposure.

Required action:

  • Reset the schedule

  • All kittens (existing + new) are placed back on treatment

  • A new Day 0 is assigned for the entire group

📌 Key rule:

You cannot “protect” treated kittens once a new untreated kitten is added.

Logging:

  • Note “reset due to rolling intake”

  • Start new countdown the day after the new treatment

→ End

STEP 6: Special Situations

Different ages / weights

  • Dose individually

  • Schedule remains unified

One kitten symptomatic, others not

  • Treat all exposed kittens

  • Symptoms determine urgency, not membership

Single kitten added briefly (“just overnight”)

  • Still considered exposure

  • Follow same decision tree

NON-NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLES

  • Coccidia management is group-based, not individual

  • Shared litter = shared organism

  • Rolling intake resets clocks

  • Desynchronization causes reinfection loops

  • This is a systems issue, not a foster failure

(Important)

“If kittens share space, they share parasites — so they share a schedule.”

What This Prevents

  • Endless retreatment

  • “Why won’t this clear?”

  • Foster frustration

  • Blame spirals

  • Medical burnout