The home veterinary kit

In short

• The kit is for first aid, care and support, not for treatment. The vet makes the diagnosis and chooses the medicine.
• Antibiotics, most wormers, painkillers, hormones and vaccines are prescription-only or given by the vet. No antibiotics on your own.
• The thermometer is the most important thing in the kit. Temperature is the first thing the vet will ask you.
• Every medicine given to an animal that produces milk, eggs or meat has a withdrawal period. Write it down and keep to it.
• Check expiry dates twice a year, and take old medicines and needles back to the vet or pharmacy.
• The vet's number must hang by the shed, for nights and weekends too.

What's inside

Chapters

1. What a home kit is for
2. The basic kit for every holding
3. What you may use freely and what is vet only
4. Extras for each species
5. Normal values and how to measure them
6. Storage, expiry dates and disposal
7. Withdrawal periods, records and off-label use
8. The natural part of the kit
9. How to organise the kit
10. Common mistakes
11. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Kit inventory with expiry dates
• Normal values to hang up
• Other normal signs
• Treatment record with withdrawal periods
• Kit and prevention calendar
• Kit cost calculator
• Contacts and when to call the vet at once