Equine ulcer treatment: cost vs efficacy

QM 504 Big Data and Analytics · Walsh College · Fall 2024

Equine ulcer treatment: cost vs efficacy

Which gastric ulcer treatment gives a horse the most healing per dollar? A small study dataset assembled from cited veterinary sources compares omeprazole, ranitidine and sucralfate on cost, duration and efficacy.

ExcelPythonpandasCost-efficacy analysisData visualization

Live demo

Filter the records to compare treatments, then use the planner to see which options fit a severity and budget.

1 · Compare treatments

Cost per efficacy point = course cost ÷ efficacy (%). Lower is better value.

2 · Treatment planner

Expected efficacy is the average efficacy recorded for that treatment in the dataset. Because each treatment was only recorded at one severity, an option marked "not recorded at this severity" has no data behind it for your horse's case. This is a study exercise, not veterinary advice.

Results

Descriptive views of all 8 records.

Efficacy vs treatment duration

Larger dots mean several horses share the same duration and efficacy.

Course cost: first draft vs updated file

How it works

  1. Built a first draft table of 5 horses with treatment, dose, duration, cost, efficacy and side effects.
  2. Revised it into an 8-record dataset, replacing the cost figures and citing a veterinary source (University of Illinois, Merck Veterinary Manual, Mad Barn) on every row.
  3. Grouped records by treatment and severity to compare average cost, duration and efficacy.
  4. Derived value metrics: cost per efficacy point and cost per treatment day.
  5. Visualised cost against efficacy and duration, and noted that the tiny, severity-linked sample only supports descriptive conclusions.

Data

  • Updated_Equine_Ulcer_Treatment_Data.xlsx (main dataset):
  • Horse_Ulcer_Treatment_Data.xlsx (first draft):
  • Sources cited in the dataset:

All records from the updated file (dosage values as recorded):