The daily check is the record inspectors look at most closely, because it shows whether the animals are actually being looked at. Schedule 2 of the 2018 regulations requires every animal to be checked at least once a day, vulnerable animals more often, with signs of problems recorded and veterinary advice sought. The same schedule asks for the right temperature, light, ventilation and humidity, clean enclosures, suitable food and water with intake monitored, and enrichment. This guide turns those requirements into a practical check for the three categories most pet shops stock.
The species-specific numbers (target temperatures, humidity ranges, water parameters) should come from your own care sheets, your supplier and your vet, and be written into your procedures. The regulations require you to meet the needs of each species; they don’t list figures, and neither does this guide.
What every check has in common
For each enclosure, tank or pen, record:
- Date, time and who checked.
- All animals seen and accounted for. A quick head count against the register catches escapes and missed deaths.
- Appearance and behaviour. Alert, moving normally, breathing normally, no discharge, no injuries, interacting with the group as expected.
- Environment readings you rely on, against the target for the species.
- Food and water. Offered, taken, fresh and clean. Uneaten food removed.
- Cleanliness. Waste removed, substrate and water as they should be.
- Concerns and actions. What you saw, what you did, who you told.
Record “nothing to report” as positively as a problem. A blank line looks like a missed check.
Reptiles
- Temperature gradient. Check the warm end and the cool end, and any basking spot, against the species’ needs. Record both readings; a single number hides a failed heater or a stuck thermostat.
- Heating and lighting equipment. Thermostats, heat mats, bulbs and UV lamps working; UV tubes within their effective life and replaced on schedule.
- Humidity where the species needs it, with misting or water bowls as per the procedure.
- Hides, climbing and basking structures in place and clean.
- Shedding. Retained shed, particularly on toes and eye caps, noted and dealt with.
- Feeding. Live or frozen food offered as scheduled; uneaten live food removed; refusal across several feeds flagged.
- Faeces and urates normal in appearance and frequency.
- Signs for the vet: lethargy out of keeping with the species and temperature, open-mouth breathing, swelling, wounds, mites, weight loss, persistent food refusal.
Amphibians
- Water quality for aquatic and semi-aquatic species: readings for the parameters your procedure specifies, filters running, water changes done on schedule.
- Humidity and ventilation balanced for the species; condensation and stale air both matter.
- Temperature within range, with no direct heat on animals that can’t move away from it.
- Skin condition. Amphibians breathe and absorb water through the skin, so redness, cloudiness, lesions or excess mucus need attention the same day.
- Hygiene. Hands washed and gloves or barrier used between enclosures; amphibians are sensitive to residues on skin.
- Food. Live food appropriately sized and gut-loaded where the procedure says so; uneaten food removed.
- Signs for the vet: bloating, skin changes, loss of righting reflex, refusal to eat, unusual posture.
Small animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, chinchillas, degus)
- Group housing. Compatible groups, no fighting injuries, no animal being kept from food or water by others. Rabbits and guinea pigs are social and shouldn’t be isolated longer than necessary.
- Bedding and substrate dry and clean; soiled areas spot-cleaned daily, full cleans on schedule.
- Food and hay. Hay available for species that need it; pellets and fresh food as per procedure; water bottles working and clean.
- Enrichment. Things to chew, hide in and climb on; exercise provided where welfare depends on it.
- Temperature and ventilation. Small mammals suffer in heat and draughts; check the room, not just the cage.
- Body condition and coat. Weight loss, rough coat, wet chin or rear end, overgrown teeth or nails, and any discharge from eyes or nose.
- Age and sex. Young animals must be weaned before sale and rabbits at least eight weeks old; mixed-sex groups need separating before breeding age.
- Signs for the vet: not eating or passing droppings (urgent in rabbits and guinea pigs), laboured breathing, head tilt, diarrhoea, lumps, lameness.
When something’s wrong
- Isolate the animal if the procedure calls for it, and mark the enclosure so it isn’t sold.
- Record what you saw, when, and what you did, in the daily check and the register’s treatment column.
- Tell the person responsible for the animals that day.
- Call the vet when your health monitoring procedure says so, and record the advice and what you did with it.
Recording it
Paper check sheets per enclosure per day work, and our daily check template gives you one. The weak points are legibility, filing for three years, and noticing a missed check across twenty enclosures and four sites. PetCompli schedules each check against the enclosure, records it on a phone in seconds with the readings and a photo, flags out-of-range values for review, and shows a manager what’s overdue today.
Frequently asked questions
How often must animals in a pet shop be checked?
At least once every day, and more often for animals that are vulnerable, such as new arrivals, the very young, the sick or those in isolation. Signs of problems must be recorded and veterinary advice sought and followed.
Do I need to record temperatures every day?
The regulations require a suitable environment, including temperature, and the statutory guidance expects monitoring against the needs of each species. For reptiles and amphibians that means checking and recording the readings your heating depends on, normally every day.
Sources
This guide explains the law and statutory guidance in plain English for licensed pet businesses. It isn't legal advice: check the current legislation and your own licence conditions, and ask your local authority's licensing team if you're unsure. Last reviewed 14 October 2026.