US veterinarian Doug Thal has developed a new smartphone app to help horse owners with equine health matters.
The aim of the app is not to replace the owner's veterinarian, but rather to improve the quality of communication between horse owner and vet, for the benefit of the horse, he says.
Dr. Thal believes that horses receive the best care from well-educated owners that have a strong relationship with their veterinarian. “In fact, good communication with your veterinarian at the onset of equine healthcare problems will likely give you more options, cost you less in the long run, and enable you to do the best by your horse“.
Horse owners are increasingly turning to the internet for information about horse health, he says. Sometimes they do so instead of calling the veterinarian. Too often this approach results in inappropriate or delayed treatment, and may eventually cost more.
Dr Thal, an equine veterinarian for 20 years, states that the Horse Side Vet Guide™ (HSVG) provides easy access to essential equine healthcare information, powered by a constantly growing knowledge base. “The idea that a horse owner could make an observation and immediately access credible information about that observation- literally “horse side” – is the driving concept behind this product”.
All the text records in HSVG are downloaded to the phone, and so are available at any time, even without access to the internet. Videos, providing short demonstrations of skills that might be needed in an emergency, as well as anatomy images and tables of normal values, are also stored in the quick reference section. However, in order to keep the size of the app reasonable, access to many other videos, media, and outside resources do require an internet connection.
Horse Side Vet Guide is currently available for iPhone and costs $4.99. An Android version is being developed.
Further details are available from: http://horsesidevetguide.com/
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