Your First AI Prompts as a Vet

A prompt is the instruction you give an AI. The difference between a generic, hallucinated answer and a clinically usable one is almost always in the prompt. In this lesson you will learn a simple framework you can memorize between appointments, plus eight ready-to-paste prompts you can use in your next shift.

What You'll Learn

• The VET-PRO framework for any veterinary prompt
• Eight copy-paste prompts for common in-clinic tasks
• How to iterate on an "almost right" AI answer
• Three habits that separate experienced veterinary prompters from beginners

The VET-PRO Framework

For every prompt you write, walk through these six pieces:

• V — Veterinary context. Species, signalment, your practice setting (small animal, equine, mixed, exotic, ER).
• E — Expertise. The kind of clinician you want the AI to act as.
• T — Task. The specific thing you need produced.
• P — Patient parameters, de-identified. Body weight, BCS, signalment, relevant history.
• R — Restrictions. Reading level, length, language, format.
• O — Output format. Bullets, SOAP, table, email, handout.

Compare a generic prompt — "Tell me about meloxicam for dogs" — versus the same prompt with VET-PRO:

"(V) I'm a small-animal GP veterinarian, mixed-breed dog. (E) Act as a veterinary clinical pharmacologist. (T) Write client counseling points for a new prescription of meloxicam oral suspension. (P) Patient is a 7-year-old MN Labrador, 32 kg, BCS 6/9, mild OA, normal CBC and chemistry, no GI history. (R) 5th-grade reading level, English. (O) Output 5 bullet points, plus 3 'call us right away if...' warning signs."

Same model, dramatically more usable answer.

Eight Prompts You Can Use Today

Copy these, swap the bracketed pieces with your specifics (de-identified — see the privacy lesson next), paste into ChatGPT or Claude.

1. Discharge instructions

"Act as a small-animal vet. Write discharge instructions for a [procedure or condition]. Patient is a [species, age, sex, weight, breed]. Cover: home care, medications and how to give them, restrictions, when the next recheck is, and 4 'call us if...' warning signs. 5th-grade reading level, English, 1 page maximum, suitable for a stressed pet owner."

2. SOAP note from bullet points

"Format these exam findings into a SOAP note for the patient record. [Paste your bullets]. Include problem list and plan. Use standard veterinary abbreviations."

3. Differential ranking

"Act as a board-certified veterinary internist. Patient: [signalment, weight, presenting complaint, key exam and lab findings]. Give me a ranked differential list with the top 5 differentials, and for each one suggest the next diagnostic step that would most efficiently rule it in or out."

4. Drug-class comparison handout

"Compare [drug A] and [drug B] for treating [condition] in [species]. One-table format with columns: mechanism, dosing, side effects, monitoring, approximate cost. Write a 4-bullet summary at the end at 6th-grade reading level for the client."

5. Email to a referring vet

"Draft an email to a referring veterinarian summarizing this internal-medicine workup. [Paste bullet findings]. Professional collegial tone, signed by 'Dr [Last Name], DVM, [clinic]'. Include diagnostics performed, working diagnosis, treatment plan, and follow-up timeline."

6. Plain-language test result explanation

"Translate this CBC and chemistry panel into plain English for a worried pet owner. [Paste de-identified results]. 5th-grade reading level, name only the values that are abnormal, explain what each abnormal value can mean in 1 sentence, and end with 'here's what your vet recommends next' as a 2-bullet plan: [your plan]."

7. Condolence message after euthanasia

"Write a brief, warm condolence message to a client whose 14-year-old cat [Pet Name] passed today after a long battle with chronic kidney disease. Sincere, personal, not religious, suitable to be hand-written on a card. Around 60 words."

8. Vaccine catch-up plan

"Patient is a [species, age, weight, lifestyle]. Vaccination history: [list with dates]. Build a catch-up vaccine schedule for the next 6 months following AAHA / AAFP / WSAVA core guidelines. Output as a table: vaccine, due date, route, notes for the client."

Iterating on an Almost-Right Answer

When the first answer is 80 percent right, do not start over. Stay in the same conversation and ask:

• "Shorten that to 4 bullets."
• "Lower the reading level to 4th grade."
• "Add a bullet about gastroprotectant timing."
• "Translate that into Spanish, keeping the same warmth."
• "Now reformat as a table."
• "Make it sound less corporate, more like how a vet would actually talk."

The conversational nature of these tools is the entire point. Treat the AI like a junior associate — give feedback, get a revision.

Three Habits of Experienced Veterinary Prompters

1. They de-identify everything. No client names, no pet names that double as the patient's medical-record number, no addresses, no phone numbers. Use "Patient" or a generic name.

2. They specify the species first, every time. A 50 mg dose of carprofen means different things across species. Stating "this is a dog" or "this is a cat" up front prevents the AI from drifting into a generic, possibly mammal-incorrect answer. AI does not magically know you are not asking about humans unless you say so.

3. They verify any number against Plumb's. Drug doses, fluid rates, CRI calculations, anesthesia drug volumes — never trust the chatbot's math. Use the AI to draft, your formulary or calculator to verify.

Key Takeaways

• VET-PRO — Veterinary context, Expertise, Task, Patient parameters, Restrictions, Output format
• Eight high-leverage prompts handle 80 percent of your daily writing
• Iterate in the same conversation rather than starting over
• Always specify species and weight; always de-identify; always verify drug numbers