Please enter a name for your new saved list

Create
Cancel

Related Product Search

Refine by Search Term

   Search
 

Covetrus is dedicated to serving practitioners of equine medicine in the United States. Whether your practice specializes in pleasure horses, equine athletes, or a mix of both, we have the supplies and services you need to be successful.


 Articles & infographics

equine drift thumbnail

Understanding Antigenic Drift

 

Wellness Exam Profit

Wellness exams as a profit center

West Nile Virus in Horses

West Nile Virus in Horses

 

Change management for equine and large animal practitioners

Change management for equine and large animal practitioners

Equine Herpes Virus

Equine Herpes Virus

   

Featured products

DORMOSEDAN 10MGML INJ 20ML ZOE

Dormosedan Injection, 10mg/mL

Shop Now
 

DOLOREX INJ 10MGML C4 50ML

Dolorex Solution for Injection, 10mg/mL C4

Shop Now
 

ULCERGARD MER 40 PACK SYRINGE

UlcerGard Oral Paste, Distributor Shipped

Shop Now
 

Promotions

Aurora Equine Partner Rebate Program Detailer - Expires 10.31.21

Feb 8, 2021, 09:34 AM by Alexis McDaniel
Download (pdf) 1027 KB

   

Organizing Routine Care for Improved Client Compliance

April 15, 2021

By Chrissie Schneider, DVM, MS, DABVP, Merck Animal Health

We all know the importance of vaccinations and routine care for the health and wellbeing of horses in our care. Driving client compliance prevents disease spread, offers better outcomes for patients and supports the financial health of your practice. But with dozens of clients and hundreds of patients across multiple farms—all with different needs and expectations—it can be a logistical nightmare. Some trainers or barn managers struggle to organize their horses’ routine veterinary care (vaccinations, fecals, deworming, dental floats, Coggins, etc.) and rely on us to remind them when care is needed. It can be difficult to keep everyone’s needs top of mind and care can be missed even in the best veterinary practices.

Automatic reminders can be helpful but can also create confusion when sent to horse owners who are not directly involved in the care of the animal. For example, a horse owner will often get confused if the veterinarian contacts them to schedule an appointment if that horse is with a trainer who manages all aspects of the animal’s care.

In an ideal situation, medical records would be reviewed for each patient prior to examinations and farm calls, but when servicing a farm with 70 horses owned by 60 different clients it’s simply impractical and unrealistic. Yet, not knowing the relevant history of the patient can lead to problems when providing wellness care. One size doesn’t fit all. Care needs to be tailored based on history as well as other factors, such as:

  • a previous vaccine reaction which requires a different vaccination protocol,
  • the situation warrants additional vaccine boosters,
  • differing vaccine needs when a horse is traveling to another geographic area or has been exposed to a disease recently, or
  • a biannual, rather than annual, dental exam or float is needed.

Consolidate data for optimal outcomes

I have found the simplest and most effective tactic for maximizing client compliance in wellness care, including vaccinations, is a customized spreadsheet for each farm. In it, I include all the horses at a particular facility and display their relevant information in a concise way. Everything is stored clearly and in one place (instead of pulling up each individual horse’s medical record one at a time). The spreadsheet holds high-level patient information and service dates.

  • Date of last Coggins test
  • Spring/fall vaccines
  • Additional vaccines (e.g., botulism, strangles, Flu Avert® I.N.)
  • Dental exam/float
  • Fecal test results and date
  • Date of last deworming and product used
  • Endocrine monitoring (insulin, ACTH)
  • Microchip placement or number of existing microchip
  • Sheath cleaning for geldings and stallions
  • Relevant notes (e.g., Banamine® (flunixin meglumine) prior to vaccination, split vaccines, horse is needle shy, etc.)

This document must be updated consistently to remain accurate and useful. Depending on veterinarian preferences or staffing, the form can be updated by the veterinarian, the assistant or technician, office staff or even the farm manager.

Click here for an example template.

When used and updated regularly, the benefits of this organization system are numerous.

  • The practice saves time as all horses’ information is easily accessible in one place.
  • There are no missed vaccine boosters, meaning fewer sick horses and reduced disease transmission.
  • There is increased compliance with recommended follow-up care (e.g., biannual dental care, fecal testing, endocrine monitoring).
  • Client relationships improve as personalized, detailed care is highly valued and appreciated.
  • Return trips significantly decrease for care that “fell through the cracks.”
  • The number of calls for “emergency Coggins” or “emergency vaccinations” significantly decrease.
  • And, most importantly, each horse gets the care they need.

In short, while keeping clients on top of vaccination compliance and routine care is a challenge, that care is necessary to reduce disease spread and keep horses healthy. When you take matters into your own hands with a tailored organization system and preemptive approach, it’s a win-win for your patients, practice and clients. Prevention, after all, is the best medicine.

Chrissie Schneider, DVM, MS, DABVP (Equine), is a Senior Equine Professional Services Veterinarian at Merck Animal Health.

Copyright © 2021 Intervet Inc., d/b/a Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.

 

Load more comments
Thank you for the comment! Your comment must be approved first
avatar

  • After the warm summer months have passed, clients’ thoughts often turn from infectious diseases to other matters. As they shift their focus to securing hay and ensuring that they have enough water trough heaters, vaccinations may be the farthest thing from your clients’ mind. Unfortunately, cooler temperatures may not eliminate the threat of infectious disease. Depending on your geographic location and your patients’ individual risk factors, vaccine boosters in September or October can play an important role in protecting your equine patients.

    Read More

   

Set Practice Type

If you have a Equine practice, please set your preferences below.

Set Practice Type

 

New Product Guides Available

Check out our new Animal Health Product Guides which are packed with products and promotions to help your bottom line.

View Now
covetrus_glyph_rgb w-TM-01

Careers

Are you looking for a place to let your talents shine? At Covetrus, we help our practitioner customers better serve their patients and take pride in providing the best customer experience possible. Search our open positions to see our available opportunities.

Learn More

Newsletter

Stay current with what’s going on with Covetrus, subscribe to receive our newsletter and email communications. Subscribers will receive the latest information in practice management, sales and marketing, animal health, and more.

Sign Up