Information Technology in Veterinary Science

1. College of Agricultural Information Technology
Anand Agricultural University
Anand-388110
Seminar Topic:
Information Technology in Veterinary Science
Submitted By
Dhruti Prajapati
Reg.No:06-0142-2013
5th
Semester
Guided By
Prof. K.P.Patel

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Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................. 2
2. Veterinary Informatics ............................................................................................................. 2
2.1 Geo-Informatics Technologies in Animal Disease Surveillance...............................................3
2.2 Information Technology in Disease Diagnosis .......................................................................3
2.3 Artificial Intelligent in Health Management...........................................................................4
2.4 Information Technology in Instrumentation...........................................................................4
2.5 Information Technology in Data Analysis..............................................................................4
3 Veterinary Hospital Management Software: ............................................................................ 5
3.1 Advantages of Using Veterinary Hospital Management Software............................................5
3.2 Features of Veterinary Hospital Management Software ..........................................................6
4 Telemedicine............................................................................................................................. 9
5 Dairy Herd Management Software........................................................................................... 9
5.1 Advantages of Herd Management Software:........................................................................10
5.2 Limitations of adoption of Herd Management Software in India............................................11
6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 12
7 References .............................................................................................................................. 13

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1. Introduction
Information Technology has a wide range of application in many areas. Everyday people
use information technology in new ways. Veterinary Science is a branch of science which is mainly
concern with animal health. Livestock wealth is very precious for a developing country like
India. In India, animal husbandry is no longer a subsidiary to agriculture or a backyard
vocation. Animal husbandry has metamorphosed into an industry and the latest reports suggest
that the contribution of animal husbandry sector to the GDP of the nation is substantially higher.
The developments in Information Technology over the past few decades are tremendous and offer
great potential in improving animal health through various measures like effective disease
forecasting, rapid and accurate disease diagnosis, modern therapeutic measures etc. So there are
lots many application of Information Technology. Some of them is listed below.
1) Veterinary Informatics
2) Veterinary Hospital Management Software
3) Telemedicine
4) Information Technology in disease monitoring and Surveillance
5) E-Resources for veterinaries: An emerging Trend
6) Information Technology in the improvement of Veterinary Education
7) Dairy Herd Management Software
Some of these are explained below.
2. Veterinary Informatics
Veterinary Informatics is the discipline concerned with the application of
information science, engineering, and computer technology to support veterinary teaching,
research and practice. Veterinary informatics and the larger field of medical informatics is often
called health care informatics or biomedical informatics and forms part of the wider domain of e-
health. Applications of Information Technology in different aspects of animal health are listed
below.

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2.1 Geo-Informatics Technologies in Animal Disease Surveillance
Early identification of an infectious disease outbreak is an important first step towards
implementing effective disease interventions and reducing resulting mortality and morbidity.
Both geographical and seasonal distributions of many infectious diseases are linked to climate,
therefore the possibility of using seasonal climate forecasts as predictive indicators in disease
early warning systems (EWS) has long been a focus of interest. Geographic Information System
(GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) are the three commonly
used veterinary geo-informatics technologies employed in this information era for rapid
worldwide communication of data for management of animal diseases.
Geographic Information System is a computerized database management system for
capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analyzing and displaying data related to
location. Global Positioning System is a data collection technology whereas GIS is a data
analysis technology. This geo-referenced information is nothing more than “where things are,”
such as latitude and longitude coordinates. Today, GIS is being utilized for disease monitoring
in the United States of America. The USDA’s Veterinary Services utilizes the benefits of
comprehensive and integrated monitoring and surveillance to demonstrate where a particular
disease does or does not occur.
2.2 Information Technology in Disease Diagnosis
Disease diagnosis is required for two specific reasons. The first, being the direct impact to the
human health and second being an economic impact. Animals are a source of infectious disease
in humans. Example of this include anthrax and rabies disease in Human. Animal Husbandry
has converted into industry and the latest report suggest that the contribution of animal
husbandry sector to the GDP of the nation is substantially higher. Serious economic impact
would be expected if animal disease were introduced or suspected. There are many instruments
which is used for the disease diagnosis are listed below.
 Image Intensifier TV System(IITV)

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 Ultrasound
 Computerized Tomography(CT)
 Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)
 Nuclear Scintigraphy
 Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA)
 Laparoscopy
2.3 Artificial Intelligent in Health Management
By using Information Technology expert system can be develop for making decision by
focusing relevant knowledge on the problems facing the physician. In medicine several
important experimental expert systems have been developed. For example: INTERNIST -
Diagnosis in internal medicine, PIP - Renal disease, VM - Ventilator Management, PUFF -
Pulmonary function and ATTENDING - Anesthetic Management.
2.4 Information Technology in Instrumentation
Another important area of contribution of Information Technology is in the instrumentation
side. The modern molecular methods of diagnosis require sophisticated electronic
equipments. It is impossible for a researcher to have sufficient knowledge in electronics to
handle these equipments To simplify this, all the modern equipments like ELISA reader,
HPLC, RIA, UV Spectrophotometer, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Flowcytometer,
freeze drier, ultra low freezer, PCR machine etc., are now controlled by microcomputers and
user-friendly software are provided to operate them. With this software, even a beginner can
start handling these equipments with minimal training.
2.5 Information Technology in Data Analysis
Analysis of data is another important area in animal health. The data collected from outbreaks
over a period of time has to be analyzed statistically to develop models and forecast future
incidences of the disease. Manual analysis is error-prone, besides being time consuming.

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Apart from what has been mentioned above, Information Technology contributes
significantly in a number of other areas and is bound to play an important role in improving
animal health, thereby benefitting a majority of our population which are dependent on
agriculture and allied activities.
3 Veterinary Hospital Management Software:
In veterinary medicine, hospital management software is designed for all types of practices,
ranging from small, single-vet ones to large ones with multiple locations and vets, and covers a
wide range of hospital administration and management processes. Specific areas of application
include scheduling of appointments, registration of cases including client and patient data, case
history and electronic medical records, health care reports, reminders, inventory controls, reports
and accounting.
3.1 Advantages of Using Veterinary Hospital Management Software
 Appointments and scheduling of doctors helps prevent wastage of doctors’ and clients’
time.
 Enables detailed recording of owner and patient information with search feature.
 Digital data in the form of photos can be stored to aid identification of patients.
 Patient history can be accessed instantly without the need for manually searching through
old records.
 Electronic medical record can be transmitted instantly for a second opinion.
 Reminders can be set to warn about upcoming scheduled tasks like vaccination etc.
 Inventory control modules help maintain optimum levels of drugs and other supplies and
track their utilization.
 Instant generation of standard and customizable reports in tabular or graphical form can
produce useful data for monitoring the performance of the hospital and its improvement.
 Financial modules help keep track of the fees collected for various procedures and the
expenses under various heads.

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3.2 Features of Veterinary Hospital Management Software
Some of the modules which are commonly found in most veterinary hospital management
software are:
Appointment Scheduling: An important part of the patient registration/ front desk, the
appointment scheduler enhances the ability to respond quickly to client inquiries, whether
over the phone or in person, makes a lasting impression as to the efficiency of the hospital.
The Appointment Scheduler is fully customizable to suit the needs of the hospital; the
appointment intervals can be defined, and appointments color coded to quickly group all
surgeries together, identify new clients, or wellness visits. With a separate column for each
veterinarian or consulting room, it is easy to see how the day is shaping up for the entire
hospital at one glance. Appointments can also be booked for resources such as the surgery
room or radiology equipment. The Appointment Scheduler can be configured to show which
veterinarians are on duty and when, making it easy for staff to quickly make an appointment
for a client who has a preferred veterinarian.
Client Screen: Every item of data that needs to be recorded about the animal owner can be
stored and viewed in the Client screen. As well as listing their address, contact details and
their patients, a wide range of configurable fields are available to record additional
information such as the client's preferred veterinarian. The next appointments for all a client's
animals can be traced with just one click. A financial record showing how much the client
owes and when they last paid is also just one click away. It also enables fast printing of
individual, personally addressed letters, account statements, forms, and more.
Patient Screen: A record for each Patient is created covering everything from weight to the
microchip number; from treatment warnings to current diet; photos of the patient and
upcoming appointments. A summary of the Patient’s clinical history identifying major
problems is displayed in a scrollable window and details of current prescriptions can be
quickly accessed. The species of the patient will determine which fields are displayed - there
are fields that are appropriate for a dog, but should not be displayed when you are treating a

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cat or a horse. These fields can automatically be updated when you bill an item. So if a client
purchases a deworming agent from, it will be updated automatically without having to be
entered manually - saving time and also ensuring consistency each time. An Attachments
function is available where documents relating to the individual Patient are stored. The Print
option for this screen provides for the printing of patient histories, information handouts,
forms, letters and certificates. Each patient can have an unlimited number of reminders and
warnings. A history of all correspondence regarding the patient is immediately available for
review and/or re-printing.
Visit Screen: The Visit screen is divided to accommodate both clinical notes and the drugs
and professional fees charged all in the one record. Extensive clinical notes can be recorded
either as free text or in a more structured layout to suit each veterinarian’s. Various features
like addition of summary words to improve consistency and make it easy to find patients with
particular conditions, comprehensive ‘type-ahead’ dictionaries etc. are also available. Clinical
histories can be enhanced with diagrams, laboratory results, digital images, x-rays, charts,
sound-clips and Attachments.
Electronic Medical Record: This records everything that is found in paper based medical file
and much more including - Contact details; Account balance and financial history; Patient
species, breed, color, etc.; Key healthcare indicators; Reminders; Complete list of all past
visits including Summary Words, Date & Time, Attending veterinarian, Medical notes in
SOAP, HEAP, or free form, Weight & Temperature, Fees charged, Medication and doses
prescribed, Charts, X-rays, Referral Letters, Forms, Photos
Financial Screen: The Financial screen presents details of each transaction – charges and
payments. The data is presented in ‘bank statement’ format that shows the running balance of
the account. Payments - cash, credit card or cheque, are individually recorded to facilitate the
balancing of the cash draw and banking deposits. Optional receipts or invoices can be printed
by reception staff as payments are taken. Direct access to a Client’s payment terms, bank
details and any outstanding invoices is available from this screen. Within the system set-up
multiple Account Types can be created for different types of clients who can be billed at
different rates.

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Reminders: Using the available templates, Reminders can be set-up for any Drug, Vaccine
or Professional Fee in and customised as required. Reminders can be sent as mail-merged
letters, postcards, faxes, emails or SMS text messages and their production needs only a click
of the mouse. If required, lists of Reminders can be printed out for when a telephone call is
likely to be a more effective way of communication.
Inventory Control: In the current legislative climate where full accountability of drug
movements and batch numbers is very important, hospital management software delivers a
comprehensive stock control system. The system allows the creation of stock locations with
full transfer routines between them as required. Each item in the inventory can be subject to
Stock Control where order trigger levels can be set that take account of seasonal variations
and ideal stock levels. Orders can be generated either automatically or manually to the
distributor, with receipt generation. Modern software supports the use of barcode readers and
wholesaler electronic ordering, electronic delivery advices, automatic price updating, batch
number audits, stock-taking adjustments and valuations.
Reports: The technical and business reporting functions are very comprehensive. Standard
and routine reports can be generated at the click of a mouse and most include graphical
indicators of the data concerned. Customizable reports with various permutations of covering
Clients, Patients, Products, Services & Date ranges can also be prepared.
Figure: Veterinary Hospital Management Softwares
Various commercially available veterinary hospital management software is available in
developed countries. Some of the well-known ones are Qvet, VeterinaryGate Advanced, Bastet
Win, Animal Hospital Management System, RxWorks, IntraVet etc. Most of these cost $ 250-700

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and do not provide technical support in India. Further, they are mostly designed to work in
accordance with US Government rules and tax laws; therefore, many of their reports are not
directly applicable to Indian conditions. So we can develop this type of software for the India.
4 Telemedicine
Telemedicine is a rapidly developing application of clinical medicine wherein medical information
is transferred via telephone, the Internet or other networks for the purpose of consulting, and
sometimes remote medical procedures or examinations. Telemedicine may be as simple as two
health professionals discussing a case over the telephone, or as complex as using satellite
technology and video-conferencing equipment to conduct a real-time consultation between
medical specialists in two different countries. Telemedicine generally refers to the use of
communications and information technologies for the delivery of clinical care
Figure: Telemedicine
5 Dairy Herd Management Software
Dairying in India has traditionally been the preserve of landless agricultural labourers and small
and marginal farmers, who have maintained very small herd sizes. However, of late, with
increasing consumer awareness regarding milk quality, there has been a marked increase in the
number of large, well-organized dairy farms which cater to predominantly urban markets. For a
larger scale of dairying this type of software are beneficial. In most developed countries, livestock
management software is an integral part of the farm, without which it would be almost impossible

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to manage the large number of animals efficiently. However, in India, almost all organized farms
in the Government and private sector depend on the traditional method of record keeping viz.
registers. While the reliability of this system cannot be denied, the traditional data recording
system has many limitations which greatly restrict their application on large dairy farms, especially
in today’s world where efficiency of production is the most important goal of any professional
livestock manager.
5.1 Advantages of Herd Management Software:
Ease of entering data: The manager needs to enter all information into one console instead
of searching for the relevant page to enter data into register.
Error Checking: In a large herd, it is quite likely that the person who writes the records
does not see the cattle on a daily basis. This makes the system more prone to human error
in the form of erroneous figures/dates, illegible/confusing handwriting, entering data on
the wrong history sheet etc. Herd management software can be programmed to warn the
operator regarding entry of erroneous data. eg. The program can refuse to record drying off
of a cow which is not milking, or calving in a heifer which has not been served.
Allow comparisons: The manager can compare performance of two individuals, two
groups of animals, or the same animal/group over different time periods of time to assess
superior performance of individuals/groups and managerial measures which can increase
productivity.
Reminders: Herd management software can remind the farm manager every morning about
the scheduled activities for the day like vaccination, deworming, ectoparasiticide
application, insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, routine maintenance etc.
Alarms: Traditional record keeping systems do not warn the farm manager about potential
events that can be detected by abnormal changes in some of the parameters. eg. Software
can be programmed to sound an alarm when there is abnormal decrease in daily milk
production of any cow, which can be on account of estrus or disease.
Generate Reports: Herd management software can generate daily, monthly or annual
reports, or reports for a specific time-period automatically according to user requirement.

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Ease of Analysis: Data generated by herd management software can be easily converted to
MS-Excel, MS-Access or any other database format and subjected to statistical analysis for
evaluating various factors influencing performance.
Integration with newer technologies: Herd management software is an essential
requirement in case the farm manager wishes to implement newer technologies like Radio
Frequency Identification Devices (RFID), advanced machine milking etc. in order to
improve farm efficiency.
5.2 Limitations of adoption of Herd Management Software in India
Lack of indigenous software: Absence of commercially available software with technical
support, local terminology & availability in regional languages is the single foremost factor
which has prevented the large-scale usage of herd management software in India.
Negligent attitude towards productivity: There is a very casual attitude toward efficiency
of production, especially in the agricultural sector. In most dairy farms, the only parameter
in which the owner is interested is the total milk yield produced by the herd every day;
individual records are rarely maintained. Given such a situation, motivating the farm
owners to take up computerized farm recording would be a major challenge.
Infrastructure requirements: A dust-free room and stable power with adequate backup are
essential requirements. These should not be such a major encumbrance in any large-scale dairy
farm.
In India, efforts have been initiated to design herd management software at the CIRB,
Hissar and at TANUVAS, Chennai. A private dairy farm, Chitale Dairy, located near Pune,
has successfully implemented the DeLaval ALPRO system and reported a 15% increase in
total milk production after the use of computerized record-keeping and RFID tags for
buffaloes.
Figure: DeLaval ALPRO system

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6 Conclusion
Today Information Technology is used everywhere. It also has a wide application in Veterinary
Science. In developed countries there are widely utilization of these technologies for the
betterment of animal, people as well as country. In India recently these technologies are not
widely adopted, but in upcoming years India will also adopt these technologies.

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7 References
https://sites.google.com/site/viveklpm/information-technology-in-veterinary-science
http://www.delaval.nl/-/Kennisbank/Melkveemanagement/ALPRO---een-professionele-herd-
management-tool/
http://www.capterra.com/veterinary-software/
http://www.utpjournals.com/jvme/tocs/304/326.pdf
http://veterinaria.com.pt/media//DIR_27001/VCP2-1-e1.pdf
http://www.unc.edu/~cncraig/comp101/project1/