Initially launched in August of this year for the iPhone, HSVG is designed to help caretakers of horses (and other equines) make better health-care decisions for their horses. In just four months, HSVG has been downloaded in more than 26 countries, and it has been ranked as a Top 25 reference app in iTunes in 12 countries.
“I am so excited to announce the release of the Android version of Horse Side Vet Guide,” said Doug Thal, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, a lifelong horseman, veterinarian and creator of HSVG. “Our goal from the beginning has been to put this information in as many horse people’s hands as possible. Given the number of Android phone and tablet users in the world, this release is a really big deal.”
Horse Side Vet Guide isall about what you actually see, not what you assume you see. It is about making you the best observer you can be, and then guiding you as to what to do next.
The app is powered by an extensive and constantly-growing knowledge base on everything from common problems to rare diseases: lists of horse owner observations, skills, how-to videos, veterinary diagnostics, diagnoses, treatments, and so much more- all available to you “Horse-Side.”
Here is what HSVG can do for you:
Assist In any situation in which you notice a problem with a horse, you can input the words that describe your perception of the problem. HSVG shows you relevant observations, provides a summary of the observation, and lists what other observations to look for. It tells the user how concerned they should be, the factors that determine how urgent the situation is, what to do until the veterinarian arrives, and much, much more. Starting with your observation, HSVG gets you oriented and educated.
Develop Skills HSVG can teach you and your students and staff how to become competent partners in the health care of the horse. Users will always have access to 115 carefully selected skills on their phones. This is done through the use of short, concise descriptions, photos, diagrams and videos. 20 high quality “Quick Reference” videos, dozens of anatomical drawings, and the whole database itself is resident on the phone without an Internet connection.
HSVG improves communication between users and their local veterinarian. The “My Vets” feature puts important vet contact information at your fingertips and encourages the dialog.
Customize the Content: Use the “notes” feature in which you can attach your own personalized notes to any individual record within the database. This allows you to customize the database with information from other sources, especially content provided by veterinarians and other reliable sources.
Share Functionality – You can quickly and easily share (through e-mail, Twitter and Facebook) a topic from within HSVG.
Quick Reference features 20 high quality videos demonstrating key examination and treatment skills. Also included is a group of anatomical drawings created especially for horse owners and equine professionals. Dr. Thal created these images, and then a professional artist cleaned them up and formatted them.
Quiz Take the quiz to get a sense of what you know. In the future there will be more quizzes.
Horse Side Vet Guideis not structured as a simple decision tree that takes you down a singular path based on your input. It is not a substitute for your local equine veterinarian. It does not, and cannot, anticipate and address all of the subtle variations and unique circumstances associated with your horse’s health. That is your veterinarian’s job.
“We are delighted at the response that Horse Side Vet Guide has received to date,” Thal said. “The app is receiving rave reviews from equestrians and is now receiving the support of veterinarians who are recognizing its benefit in increasing the quality of communication between you and your veterinarian–for the benefit of your horse.”
The Android app is now available in the Google Play Store for $4.99.
The app can be downloaded for Android at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horsevetguide.android and for iPhone’s at https://itunes.apple.com/app/id663353024. For additional information visit www.horsesidevetguide.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/horsesidevetguide and http://twitter.com/horsesidevet.
