Large Animal Veterinary Practice Safety and Handling Checklist
Large animal veterinary work carries severe injury risk from kicks, crushes, and falls. This safety checklist ensures proper handling protocols, personal protective equipment, and emergency response capabilities for equine and livestock veterinary visits.
- Industry: Veterinary
- Frequency: Weekly / Pre-Farm-Call
- Estimated Time: 20-25 minutes
- Role: Large Animal Veterinarian / Practice Manager
- Total Items: 36
Farm Call Vehicle and Equipment
Verify farm call vehicle is stocked and safe.
- Farm call vehicle pre-trip inspection completed?
- Drug stock adequate including chemical restraint agents?
- Euthanasia drugs available with appropriate delivery equipment?
- Emergency kit stocked including IV fluids, catheters, and crash drugs?
- Cell phone charged and client contact information current?
- GPS or route planned for unfamiliar farm locations?
Animal Handling Safety
Verify safe animal handling protocols are followed.
- Experienced farm handler present to assist with restraint?
- Escape route identified before approaching animal?
- No ropes or lead lines creating tripping hazards?
- Chemical restraint available and dose calculated if high-risk animal?
- Xylazine/detomidine reversal agent (atipamezole/yohimbine) available?
- Positioning relative to animal minimizes kick and crush risk?
Personal Protective Equipment
Verify appropriate PPE for large animal work.
- Steel-toed or composite safety boots worn?
- Hard hat available for equine procedures with crush risk?
- Examination gloves worn for all mucosal and bodily fluid contact?
- Eye protection for procedures with splash risk?
- Coveralls or disposable overalls for farm biosecurity?
- Boot covers or dedicated farm footwear to prevent disease spread?
Farm Biosecurity Protocols
Follow biosecurity protocols to prevent disease spread.
- Farm disease status (reportable disease outbreaks) checked before visit?
- Clean-dirty zone protocol followed - equipment decontaminated between farms?
- Footwear decontaminated between farms to prevent FMD, HPAI spread?
- Shared equipment (twitches, halters) disinfected between animals?
- Reportable disease suspicion protocol understood (USDA, state vet)?
- Zoonotic disease precautions (Q fever, brucellosis, leptospirosis) observed?
Controlled Drug Field Management
Verify controlled drugs are securely managed in the field.
- Controlled drugs in locked drug box in vehicle?
- Field controlled drug log current with all uses documented?
- Partial vial waste documented with witness where possible?
- Vehicle locked when unattended to prevent drug theft?
- Sharps container in vehicle for used needles?
- Drug reconciliation completed at end of farm call day?
Emergency Response Preparedness
Verify emergency response capabilities for field situations.
- Solo work protocol: check-in schedule established with clinic?
- GPS coordinates or farm address for 911 dispatch documented?
- Personal first aid kit in vehicle?
- Animal-related injury reporting protocol understood?
- Clinic and personal emergency contacts documented in phone?
- Any animal-related injuries or near misses documented on return?
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Why Use This Large Animal Veterinary Practice Safety and Handling Checklist?
This large animal veterinary practice safety and handling checklist helps veterinary teams maintain compliance and operational excellence. Designed for large animal veterinarian / practice manager professionals, this checklist covers 36 critical inspection points across 6 sections. Recommended frequency: weekly / pre-farm-call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Large Animal Veterinary Practice Safety and Handling Checklist cover?
This checklist covers 36 inspection items across 6 sections: Farm Call Vehicle and Equipment, Animal Handling Safety, Personal Protective Equipment, Farm Biosecurity Protocols, Controlled Drug Field Management, Emergency Response Preparedness. It is designed for veterinary operations and compliance.
How often should this checklist be completed?
This checklist should be completed weekly / pre-farm-call. Each completion takes approximately 20-25 minutes.
Who should use this Large Animal Veterinary Practice Safety and Handling Checklist?
This checklist is designed for Large Animal Veterinarian / Practice Manager professionals in the veterinary industry. It can be used for self-assessments, team audits, and regulatory compliance documentation.
Can I download this checklist as a PDF?
Yes, this checklist is available as a free PDF download. You can also use it digitally in the POPProbe mobile app for real-time data capture, photo documentation, and automatic reporting.