Equine Veterinarians' and Health Care Professionals' Concerns Related to the Implementation of the National Equine Identification System

Abstract

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is an animal tracking database created to contain the spread of contagious foreign animal diseases. Currently, no studies address the perceived support of the equine veterinary field for NAIS. The objectives of this study were to determine equine veterinarians' level of familiarity with NAIS, perceived effectiveness of NAIS, use of equine microchipping, and extent of disaster planning. A 26-question online survey (Zoomerang zPro, MarketTools, Inc., San Francisco, CA) was designed and administered to a sample (n = 139) drawn from the American Association of Equine Practitioners. SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) was used to analyze data. Results showed that only 19.4% of practicing veterinarians were “very familiar” with NAIS. Nearly half (49.3%) of the respondents were neutral regarding their opinion of NAIS. However, 55.6% thought that NAIS would efficiently stop the spread of a contagious animal disease. More than 52% reported that they were currently microchipping horses. After microchipping, 66.7% did not verify premises' identification numbers or record information about the horse, and 80.2% did not complete the paperwork to contact the State Department of Agriculture. Approximately 75.2% of respondents reported that they had experienced a contagious disease outbreak. Most (81.6%) veterinarian respondents did not have a plan to deal with clients' horses during a disaster. There is a need for communication and information for veterinarians regarding NAIS, premises registration, emergency planning guidelines, data to collect after microchipping, and how to provide information to clients.