Buying livestock? What to ask about an animal’s health history

An animal’s health history helps you decide whether to buy it, and what it will need once it is yours. Here is what to ask, and how much weight to give the answers.

Questions to ask the seller

• Which vaccinations has the animal had, and when?
• Has it been treated for anything recently? With what, and when?
• Is it still within a withdrawal period, meaning its meat or milk should not yet be sold?
• When was it last dewormed or dipped?
• Has it given birth, or is it pregnant? (For breeding stock.)
• Where has it been kept, and has the herd had any disease problems?

Ask to see records, not only answers

A spoken answer is easy to give and hard to check. Written records with dates, products and batch numbers are better. Records that show who entered them, and records confirmed by a vet, are better still.

Know what kind of record you are looking at

Kind of record	What it tells you
Entered by the farmer	What the owner says was done. Useful, but not independently checked.
Entered by a professional	Recorded by a vet or animal-health professional working with the farmer.
Confirmed by a vet	A vet confirmed the record. Ask which vet, and contact them if it matters.
Official documents	Veterinary certificates and movement permits issued under your country’s rules. These are separate from any farm record.

What records cannot tell you

A health history shows what was recorded. It does not prove that an animal is free of disease, and it does not replace the official documents your country may require for sale or movement. Check those requirements with your local veterinary office, and have the animal examined if you are unsure.

Checking a VaxiTrace passport

If the seller uses VaxiTrace, ask for the animal’s passport code or QR. You can check it free, without an account, and see the recorded vaccinations and treatments, which records a vet checked, any withdrawal period the owner recorded, and a warning if the animal has been reported stolen or missing. Check a passport.

This guide is about keeping records. It is not veterinary advice. For treatments, doses and vaccination schedules, follow your vet and the product label, and check your country’s official requirements.