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The secret life of vets!
02 Feb 2025
Have you ever wondered what we vets get up to when we get back in our cars and leave your yard?
We thought it might be interesting for you to know how we fill our time when we’re not actually ‘hands-on’ vetting! You’ll notice that many of the actions involve recording facts and figures, and much of this allows us to comply with RCVS Standards which enable us to be an Accredited Practice.
Driving: Our vans and cars are fitted with trackers so that the office team can see which of us is nearest to an emergency. The information gleaned from these devices is very interesting. It’s hard to believe that each of us spends an average of 3.75 hours each day just driving between calls!
Car-related tasks:
- Weekly recording of vehicle fitness (engine oil level/tyre tread depth etc.).
- Regular washing the outside/vacuuming the inside.
- Correct disposal of waste. We are legally bound to dispose of the different components of our rubbish in the correct manner. Most of us have just two bins in our vehicles - one for sharps (needles and scalpel blades), and one for the rest of the waste. Once back at the clinics, we separate the waste into three or four further receptacles: recyclable cardboard and plastic, syringes and drug containers, chemotherapy/cytotoxic waste, and general rubbish.
- Daily restocking items to ensure there is sufficient equipment and medicine in our vehicles for the day ahead. Each item must be checked out of the clinics, and it’s batch number and expiry date recorded. Controlled drugs must also be checked in to the vehicle – handwritten in a special book kept in each van.
- Daily replenishing fridge ice-packs. Our vehicle fridges are necessary to prevent the degradation of some drugs and vaccines, which need to be stored below a certain temperature. Blood samples that we take from your horse are also transported in the fridges. There is an electronic thermometer in each fridge which is constantly recording the internal temperature. Once a week, the thermometer is plugged into a computer and a graph of individual fridge temperatures is produced. Most of our fridges need 2 or 3 fresh ice packs each morning, to keep them at the correct temperature for 24 hrs.
- Recording use of Controlled Drugs in the above-mentioned book as soon as possible after the drug has been administered.
Equipment: Motorised dental equipment in particular, is in near-constant use, and requires frequent cleaning and greasing of moving parts. It must be charged from a mains supply. Our mobile x-ray machines and ultrasound scanners also need charging.
Computer records: Our fantastic software enables us to see the medical histories and documents relating to all our patients on our phones and tablets while we are out on the road.
- Unlike doctors, we don’t write our clinical notes while our patients are in front of us. This can be done on our phones or tablets in our cars in between calls, or back at the clinics using the desktop computers. We must also record the information from phone calls with clients, many of which take place while we are driving. We try to read our colleague’s past notes regarding horses were are due to see, in preparation for our visit.
- Work done might be charged while we are with you and your horse, but there are many instances when this is not appropriate and so it must take place afterwards.
- Requests for prescriptions and medication must be authorized by a vet. If the case is not well-known to us, we must read the clinical notes and ensure the correct product is dispensed at the correct dose.
- It’s becoming more common to be asked to look at videos of your horses sent by email or text. The images must be added to the animal’s history, and our clinical judgement recorded.
- Some conditions are treated with advice and products from external veterinary institutions, for example; sarcoids by Equine Medical Solutions. Photos and clinical notes need to be summarised and submitted using an online form. X-rays may be referred to specialists for their opinion.
Phone calls: We try to promptly return any phone calls requesting advice. We will phone you when blood results come back, and to follow up on the progress of a case. We often call specialists at laboratories or referral hospitals for advice.
Lab work: Many blood samples need to be spun in the centrifuge before being packed for postage. A paper or online submission form is completed to accompany them. We use the microscope to look at samples we have taken, and occasionally we help the nurses and office staff with performing worm egg counts on dung samples.
Paperwork: There’s a form for everything! As well as laboratory submission forms, the completion of insurance forms and vetting forms take up a great deal of time when we are in the office. Sometimes we are required to write covering letters or certificates to verify certain aspects of a clinical condition.
Newsletters/client evenings: Our quarterly newsletter requires a steady supply of written articles, which unlike this one, are usually based on seasonal challenges. Client evenings require a bit more preparation; usually a Powerpoint presentation including lots of photos!
CPD (Continuing Professional Development): It is a requirement of a vet’s ability to practice in the UK as a member of the RCVS, that we carry out at least 35 hrs of learning each year, to ensure our knowledge is up to date and relevant. Each session must be recorded and reflected upon. Many of our vets have additional qualifications in different aspects of equine veterinary care. A certificate takes 2 years of study with exams at the end. Some vets have completed courses to enable them to certify the export of horses, and Alice has become an acupuncture practitioner. The vets hold a fortnightly meeting to share knowledge and discuss housekeeping.
If you have read this far, we hope you enjoyed a little insight into the unseen parts of our vets role!
