Animal Medicine Record

What this sheet is for

Keep a medicines book that answers the two questions that actually get asked: what went into which animals, and when they are clear.

Who it is for

Livestock keepers of every size, from a few sheep to a commercial unit, and anyone in a farm assurance scheme.

How to use it

1. Copy the medicine name, batch, expiry and withdrawal period from the label every time.
2. Work out the date the withdrawal ends and write that date down — it is what somebody reading this in a hurry needs.
3. Identify the animals treated well enough that another person could pick them out.
4. Keep the record for as long as your own rules require, which is often years.

What is on the sheet

The layout is fixed at a size that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the A4 and Letter files are visually identical and print at full size on either. Rows are set at a height that an adult can actually write a date and a few words into with a pen — most printable tables are built in a word processor and never tested with one.

Questions

Why is there no list of medicines or doses?

Because printing one would be dangerous. Doses, routes and withdrawal periods differ between products, formulations and countries, they change, and a wrong figure here could put meat or milk into the food chain. The label and your vet are the only sources for those.

Is keeping this a legal requirement?

In many countries, yes — often on a prescribed form and for a specified number of years, with inspection powers attached. What applies to you depends on where you are and what you keep. Check with your own authority; this sheet does not tell you.