Whether through email or fax, nearly all equine vet clinics and diagnostic laboratories will submit Coggins test results without having you come back into the clinic. More than this standard convenience, online health certificates and Coggins test reporting means you’ll have the necessary travel documentation on your mobile device. For large-scale equine and livestock producers, for horse owners with frequent travel plans, and for veterinarians who are looking to provide better client resources, you shouldn’t overlook the benefits of online health certificates.
USDA Veterinary Services Process Streamlining (VSPS)
Managed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), this is the first system you should know about. Veterinarians and vet technicians like this system because it eliminates the need to order, store, and replenish the paper version of the form (Form VS 10-11). Vets don’t have to worry about leaving these forms behind when making farm calls or running out of forms altogether. In turn, horse owners experience fewer headaches and delays from their veterinary care services.
Many veterinary professionals may have questions about exactly how to create an online Coggins form for laboratory testing. Here is a handy PDF guide from APHIS with step-by-step instructions for creating and submitting through the VSPS system.
Lab technicians also enjoy the reliability and efficiency that comes with electronic form processing. Authorized state and federal employees can, then, view these electronic Coggins records. This makes it relatively easy for horse owners and their veterinarians to comply with this regulatory testing when selling an equine animal or during interstate travel.
You can find even more information about the features of the VSPS system through the USDA APHIS website.
GlobalVetLink
GVL is a web-based software service provider dedicated to connecting veterinarians, animal owners and producers, diagnostic laboratories, animal health companies, feed distributors and state animal health officials. This is a software company with secure online accounts and mobile app service to support digital recordkeeping and reporting services for animal health information. This includes Coggins test results, digital health certificates, veterinary prescriptions, and other important data about your animal(s).
You can download these files any time you have a data connection, but the app also allows you to store these files directly on your phone or mobile device as needed. Simply put, GVL adds an extra level of service and convenience to a wide range of veterinary services. Horse owners and managers who have been responsible for transporting horses across state lines and dealing with regulatory authorities in other states know that online reporting and electronic recordkeeping isn’t just technology for technology’s sake. It really does make traveling with horses and other livestock less stressful.
Learn more about the features and benefits GlobalVetLink can offer veterinarians as well as animal owners. You can also watch this video to understand how the system works.
How to Find a Veterinary Diagnostic Lab with Online Coggins Processing
You can use our database of cheapest and fastest veterinary diagnostic labs to find local laboratories that are likely to offer online Coggins reporting. GlobalVetLink also has a directory of diagnostic labs in the US and in Canada that work with their online platform. When looking at websites and brochures, one easy way to spot laboratories that work both VSPS and GVL online systems is to look for this label:
Other Online Reporting Systems for Veterinarians
A few vet clinics have their own secure online reporting system, often in addition to these popular and widely used solutions. Some states have their own in-state electronic reporting systems. In Minnesota, for example, the Board of Animal Health currently accepts five different electronic reporting systems for their state’s Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI).