The refurbished equipment conversation in large animal medicine is further along than most realize. In our 2026 survey, 37% of large animal practitioners said they're interested in refurbished units. Another 29% would consider leasing. 14% would share pumps with other practices. So 80% are open to acquiring equipment some way other than buying new.
If you’re among them, you probably want answers to the same questions they’re asking. Show me the certification. Show me the service record. Show me the warranty.
This blog answers all three.
This blog covers data from the large animal section of our 2026 Veterinary IV Pump Survey. The full report includes findings on equipment durability, fluid therapy trends, and acquisition preferences from 49 large animal practitioners, plus data from 114 companion animal practices.
Here's what our survey found
We asked large animal practitioners about their interest in alternative equipment acquisition models.
Acquisition model | % interested |
Interested in refurbished units | 37% |
Would consider leasing/rental programs | 29% |
Would share pumps with other practices | 14% |
Only want new equipment | 12% |
Not interested in pumps at all | 8% |
One equine practitioner in Aiken, SC said
"If someone can show me a pump that's been professionally serviced and certified to work correctly, I don't care that it's not brand new. I drive a truck with 200,000 miles on it. Reliable is the point that matters most to me."
From a practitioner in Scottsdale, AZ -
"I've been burned by used medical equipment that wasn't properly serviced. But if there was a refurbisher with a real warranty and a track record, I'd reconsider."
The concept has already won. What remains is proving that a specific refurbisher and a specific pump will hold up.
Image courtesy of Envato
Why the trust bar is higher in large animal medicine
Elsewhere in the survey, 33% of large animal practitioners named cost as the single thing that would increase their pump use, and another 27% said more portable and rugged units. A practitioner in North Platte, NE said
"...give me a pump that I can bolt to a stall wall, kick over, drag through mud, and still have it work."
A pump that fails in a barn 90 minutes from the practice ends the treatment. Large animal vets can't afford equipment they half trust, which is exactly why used has a bad reputation. Used means someone else's problem sold as-is. Refurbished, done right, means the opposite. The difference comes down to three things you can verify.
1. What ISO 13485:2016 certification actually means
ISO 13485:2016 is the international quality management standard for medical device manufacturing and servicing. Certification means an independent auditor has verified that a facility follows documented, repeatable processes for every unit it touches.
In practice, that covers…
Documented procedures for inspection, repair, and testing, so every pump goes through the same process regardless of who works on it.
Traceability, meaning the facility can tell you what was done to your specific unit and when.
Corrective action requirements, so recurring failures get investigated and fixed at the process level.
Regular third-party audits to keep the certification.
AIV's facility in Harmans, Maryland holds this certification, and AIV is FDA-registered as a medical device manufacturer. A seller flipping used pumps out of a warehouse has neither.
2. What a proper refurbishment covers
Every patient-ready refurbished pump from AIV goes through a documented inspection and refurbishment process before it ships:
Internal cleaning and exterior disinfection.
Replacement of worn components, including batteries where needed.
Calibration to the original manufacturer's specifications.
Flow rate accuracy verification.
Alarm and occlusion detection testing.
Full functionality testing before the unit is cleared for sale.
The result is a pump that performs to spec, with a service record behind it, at 30 to 50% below the cost of new.
3. What the warranty covers
Every refurbished pump from AIV carries a 1-year warranty covering the unit in normal clinical use. If it fails, AIV repairs or replaces it.
That warranty exists because the refurbishment process makes it affordable to offer. A seller who won't warranty a used pump is telling you what they think of their own work.
Repairs carry their own coverage. AIV's depot repair service runs a 3 to 5 business day typical turnaround with a 6-month warranty on the repair. For a rural practice hours from the nearest service tech, mail-in depot repair solves a problem that on-site service never will.
Your old pumps have trade-in value
AIV also buys back old and obsolete infusion pumps. If you have units sitting on a shelf because the manufacturer stopped supporting them or a repair quote didn't make sense, they can offset the cost of refurbished replacements. AIV supports many pump models for years past the manufacturer's end-of-life date, so the brand your team already knows can stay in service.
Image courtesy of Envato
Takeaways
Three things to do based on the data.
80% of large animal practitioners are open to alternatives to buying new. Only 12% insist on new equipment, and even some of those would reconsider with proper certification and warranty.
Verify the refurbisher, not the concept. Ask for ISO 13485:2016 certification, a documented inspection process, and a written warranty. A legitimate operation has all three ready to show you.
Price your old pumps before you shelve them. Buyback programs turn dead equipment into a discount on units that work.
Sources
AIV Vet 2026 Veterinary IV Pump Survey (large animal section, 49 practitioners).