Animal health products should be protected from changes in temperature, sunlight, dust, moisture, animals, and insects. A clean, organized refrigerator makes an ideal drug storage unit. An example of products affected by incorrect storage temperature are teat dips containing the disinfectant chlorhexidine. These may irritate skin if used after freezing and thawing has occurred. Vaccines containing modified live organisms will have markedly reduced effectiveness if stored at room temperature.
Most antibiotics are heat sensitive.
Check product labels for information on acceptable storage temperature. Product decomposition may result from exposure to light. These should be kept in a light-proof storage unit. This will further reduce the potential for error in product selection. Label shelves to maintain an organized storage unit.