The equine prepurchase examination

Abstract

JAVMA, Vol 231, No. 10, November 15, 2007 F subjects in veterinary medicine have provoked more discussion than the prepurchase examination of equids, and apparently, few subjects continue to be ignored or treated so lackadaisically. A 10-year retrospective review of the AVMA PLIT records revealed a substantial number of malpractice claims that have been related to the prepurchase examination. The veterinarian conducting the examination is not expected to be Nostradamus with an unerring view of the future; however, the way in which the examination is conducted could affect his or her future. The veterinarian is expected to conduct a thorough and complete examination under circumstances that permit careful inspection and evaluation of the horse at rest and under stress conditions applicable to its intended use. The examination should be done by appointment and should include procedures consistent with accepted standards and the intended use of the horse (eg, unless the intended use is breeding, a rectal examination may not be necessary)—not what the buyer or the buyer’s agent requests or dictates. Once the practitioner defers to the buyer or the buyer’s agent, he or she compromises the findings and the judgment and must be responsible for the consequences, which may include litigation. Many, if not most, of the complaints filed by plaintiffs are attributable to such compromises. Likewise, defense against such claims is compromised from the start. Many factors tend to undermine thorough examinations. The first factor may be the practitioner’s dependence on laboratory tests and imaging technology, including endoscopy and computerized ultrasonographic and radiographic images as well as digitized laryngoscopic photographic images. Although these are valuable diagnostic tools, they are not substitutes for a rigorous physical examination that includes the use of organoleptic senses. Sadly, the rapid advances of diagnostic technology may be taking precedence over the veterinarian’s natural senses. Practitioners should pay attention to their reactive unconscious. If on first impression, it doesn’t look or feel right, it probably isn’t. The second factor is deferring to the wishes of the buyer or his or her agent to the degree that the practitioner yields professional judgment to lay opinion. In an effort to be accommodating, the veterinarian may suppress his or her professional judgment and limit the examination to just those measures requested by the buyer or agent. Regrettably, this often extends into The equine prepurchase examination