Okuzeka
Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Talking to Owners

Discharge

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/verbCommon term

In veterinary medicine, discharge means: To let a hospitalised animal go home with its owner, usually with instructions and medicines. As a noun, discharge also means fluid coming out of the body, for example from the eyes or nose.

In Turkish: taburcu etmek, taburcu, akıntı

How it is used

Vets or nurses hold a discharge appointment and give discharge instructions about medicines, rest, feeding and the wound. In clinical notes, discharge also describes nasal, ocular or vaginal discharge.

Example sentences

  1. We plan to discharge him tomorrow afternoon if he keeps eating.

  2. The cat has a thick green discharge from both eyes.

Common collocations

  • discharge a patient
  • discharge instructions
  • discharge appointment
  • nasal discharge
  • ocular discharge
  • hospitaliseTo admit an animal to the clinic so that it stays for treatment, monitoring or care, for example on a drip. US spelling: hospitalize.
  • estimateA written or spoken statement of the likely cost of treatment, given to the owner before the work is done.
  • come roundTo wake up and become conscious again after an anaesthetic or after fainting. American English prefers come around or wake up.
  • clientThe owner or keeper who brings an animal to the vet, agrees to treatment and pays the bill. In veterinary work the animal is the patient and the person is the client.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Talking to Owners

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.