Keeping and administering veterinary medication to a horse : good practices

Storage of medication should be secure so as to avoid being used or tampered with by unqualified persons. The goal is to protect human and horse health, as some medicines can present a danger when used incorrectly.

They should therefore be stored in a dedicated location, seperate from human medication, and access should be controlled. In riding schools, it is mandatory to store them under lock and key.

Optimal preservation of veterinary medication is essential to maintain the quality and to avoid:

• A decrease of their effectiveness
• The appearance of unwanted side-effects, or even toxicity for horses

A certain number of parameters can influence the quality of a medicine:

In order to ensure optimal preservation of medicines it is essential to store them in suitable conditions.

What temperature ?

Medicines should be stored away from sources of excessive heat and cold.

Some medicines require storage in a refrigerator (between 2°C and 8°C). This is the case for vaccines and serums and some injectable solutions for example. It is noted on the label and the information leaflet. When in doubt, ask your treating vet. In the refigerator, the bottles should not be kept against the sides of the refrigerator, (possibility of freezing), nor stored in the door (higher temperatures).

In extreme heat, the bottles should not be out of the refrigerator for any length of time : it is advisable to fill the seringe and put the bottle back in the refrigerator immediately.

Other medicines may be stored at room temperature : in this case there is no specific note on the label or in the leaflet. However, in no case should medicines be exposed to temperatures above 25°C/30°C.

In a clean storage place

To keep medicines away from light, dust and damp, they should be stored in a clean storage place (e.g. a cupboard equipped with doors) and be kept in their original packaging (e.g. bottle kept in its carton).

How long can medicines be kept for ?

When the medicine has not been opened, it can be kept until its use by date if the conditions it is kept in are suitable.

Once it has been opened, it should be used within 28 days following opening, unless the label says differently. It is therefore important to note on the bottle the date when it was opened.

Disposal of outdated medication and equipment for administration

Care products and medication past the use by date can be a risk for humans, animals and the environment. They are classified according to the risk they represent and should be sorted before disposal via the proper waste circuit. It is therefore important to manage veterinary product disposal properly.

As a horse owner, you may be in the position of administering medication prescribed by the vet yourself.

During the veterinary examination

Some medicines can come in different galenic forms (injectable solutions, oral powder…).  It is important to discuss the treatment with your vet, so as to give the treatment in the form most suited to the horse’s living conditions, his behaviour, and the experience of the person administering the medication. This will enable the treatment to be correctly followed (treatment adapted to the prescription and to the way the carer uses it).

It is also essential to have understood every item on the prescription:  

• Posology : dosage of medication to be administered
• Method of administration (e.g. injecting an unsuitable medicine into a vein can be fatal)
• Frequency of administration : (e.g. once a day)
• Length of time over which the treatment should be continued

It is also important to have an estimation of the animal’s weight for the dosage, so as to avoid overdosing (which could have negative side-effects) or on the contrary underdosing, (less effective):

• For adult horses (> 3 years old) : the estimation can be made from the height at the withers, and the heartgirth. There is a simulation tool here.
• A foal’s weight can be estimated using a measuring tape.

Before administering medication

It is essential to follow the instructions on the prescription very carefully in order to guarantee the effectiveness of the treatment and innocousness.

Which horse can you administer medication to ?

With regard to medication requiring a prescription, it can only be administered to the horse mentioned on the prescription. It is prohibited and even dangerous to administer the said medicine to another equine, without a new prescription from your vet.

Administering medication systemically

The active ingredient(s) of the medicine then transit via the bloodstream to reach their target location.

Administering medication orally

Prior to administering a paste or a diluted powder by means of a seringe, the horses mouth should be emptied, and rinsed out with water, to avoid the horse spitting it out. The product should be administered progressively near the base of the horse’s tongue.

When medication in the form of a powder is administered mixed into the horse’s feed, it is advisable to dampen it so that the horse does not blow it away. It is then important to make sure the horse is eating correctly, if not either change the administration method (directly in the mouth via a seringe) or improve palatability of the feed (sugary feed).

To avoid other horses accidentally ingesting the medicine, even in very small doses, and thus avoiding accidental doping, it is recommended:

• To avoid giving the powder directly in built-in mangers, which can be difficult to clean out, instead feed the horse in a bucket.
• Use a different bucket for each horse, or clean it out thoroughly between horses.
• Isolate the horse from the others in the same group at feed time.

arenteral administration of medication : injections

Injections in horses are mainly intramuscular (IM) or intraveinous (IV). The main advantage compared to administering orally, is a lower  risk of cross-contamination between horses. They also permit better dosing. They do however require a basic lnowledge of the horse’s anatomy.

Administering medication locally

This method of adminstration is only used for certain specific ailments. The risk of side-effects are lesser than a systemic approach, as the medicine is directly in contact with the target location. There are different methods of administration:

• Cutaneous administration, used mainly for any dermatological ailments : gels, creams, shampoos, solutions to be applied directly to the skin in the form of sprays or pour-on solutions.
• Administration to the eye (cream or eye-drops) used to treat ophthalmic disorders (e.g. ulcers, uveitis).

• The pulmonary route eanbles you to administer medication in the form of aerosols (in the case of asthma for example)

When you notice any side-effects o, your horse,  following the administration of veterinary medicaton, or if you suspect the treatment is not effective, or an environmental issue, it is important to declare it:

• Either to your trearing vet
• Or directly on the online declaration portal of the National Veterinary Medication page

The purpose being to quickly detect any adverse effects, whether already known or not, in order to take adequate measures : adding a cautionary note or even removing the marketing authorization for the said medication.

Likewise, if you notice any side-effects on human beings after being exposed to veterinary medication, you should also declare it :

• Either to your trearing doctor
• Or directly on the Minstry of health’s online portal for the declaration of unwanted sanitary occurrences

• Articles L. 5146-1 and  L. 5146-2 of the Public health Code
• Articles L. 205-1 and  L.231-2 of the Rural and Fishing code
• Decree dated 5th June 2000 relating to the farm register
• Decree dated  22nd July 2015 relating to good practices for usage of drugs containing one or several antibiotic substances in veterinary medicine