From penicillin to pink eye vaccines, the health of your animals depends on your care of them as well as your care of their medications. Here are some crucial tips for medication management in the barn.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Aim to keep all barn medications in the same area and make sure it’s clean, dry, rodent-proof and temperature controlled. Some medications — such as injectable penicillin and vaccines — must be kept refrigerated; others — such as injectable oxytetracycline — should be kept out of direct sunlight. For medications that need to be cold, keep your refrigerator in working order. This includes being aware of freeze spots that sometimes appear the back, where items might get frosty; inadvertent freezing can degrade medications, yielding them ineffective over time.