Vaccinations

There are so many articles and so many shots! What's the best thing to do? Is it best to do all of them? Equus Magazine has run articles about the effectiveness or lack of proven effectiveness.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bastian Cassidy-Feddern on May 12, 2009 at 12:24pm

I have seen on the shot rooster at the barn some ppl not doing certain ones to cut costs....
Like my kids, I give them all vaccines! There are ppl coming from other countries that are still have virus.
Same as there are horses still contracting virus and unless your horse lives in a bubble I'd get all shots!
We show, so we have all. But that is me...I'm all about prevention if readily available. No cost is too high to prevent illness to my red boy!

Permalink Reply by Shirley on May 12, 2009 at 1:50pm

I used to give my horse everything that the vet recommended. THEN my horse had a bad reaction. He would barely walk or turn his head and he seemed a bit out of it...sort of dazed. We narrowed it down to the Strangles shot. The vet had to come for three days in a row to check him and put him on meds and then I had to continue the meds for a week. I was very frightened what would happen next time if he had a worse reaction which happens often. Since Strangles is very unpleasant but not life threatening I opted not to give it to him. It will cost more in the long run if he ever gets it to treat it but I feel that's the BEST SAFEST thing to do for him. The flu shots are very short lived in effectiveness so I wonder about them ...it's pretty expensive to only be covered for a few weeks. I don't get flu shots for myself cause they concern me. It's very perplexing at times trying to decide what is best....never mind the financial aspect of it. I want the BEST SAFEST care for my guy.

Permalink Reply by Bastian Cassidy-Feddern on May 12, 2009 at 2:44pm

We all want what is the best and safest for our horses...it's a matter of opinion and practice really isn't it.
What do you think Lisa, since you started the topic?????

Permalink Reply by Shirley on May 12, 2009 at 3:55pm

I agree that most people want what is best and safest for their horse. It is a matter of opinion and practice and the facts. What I find difficult is getting clear facts on each vaccination. And even the Vets differ in their over-all concept of the facts with each vaccine. Even vets working out of the same clinic sometimes have different views on things.
So Lisa, what do you think? Do you do your own homework? I do love your ID pic!

Permalink Reply by Lisa Anderson on May 12, 2009 at 4:11pm

I do my homework and I think that's what is getting me confused. I was honestly shocked to see the Equus article because it had test results showing that even then the effectiveness of certain vaccines was uncertain. My vet recommends everything, but, like the earlier comment I likewise don't do flu shots for myself. I'm more concerned with some of the bad effects.
I guess it's comforting to know I'm not alone in sifting through all of this and trying to do what's best for all my kids. Perhaps vets are like us, they would feel terrible if they didn't recommend something and then the person's horse got it.
I'll try to get a few minutes to go back online and find the Equus article and attach it this evening.
However, it's nice out, so I'm riding first:)

Permalink Reply by Sharon B on May 12, 2009 at 9:52pm

I think Rabies and tetnus are a must. I will definately be doing flu this year, with boosters, as I'm breeding my mare - flu can cause abortion in horses. I also do west nile as there have been a number of cases confirmed in horses in the area. The vaccine is not always effective, but WN is almost always fatal in horses. I know a lot of people with large herds don't do anything other than rabies and tetnus because of the cost and have never had problems. I think if you do a lot of shows or clinics which expose your horse to more there's probably a greater need. I was doing some reading as well and it was suggested that staggering multiple vaccinations may reduce chances of vaccine reactions, due to immune system overload. Probably easier for people who's vet isn't quite so far away

Permalink Reply by Eileen on May 12, 2009 at 11:12pm

Years ago, like in the 50's we never ever did the vaccine thing, and everything was find and dandy, never lost a horse nor very seldom had sickness. Then as I got older and wiser?? I figured that since I was covering more territory with my horses I started doing the flu shots, rabies, tetnus and then recently the WN shots since my horse insurance insists on it. I almost lost a horse on year after he contacted the flu,and he had the shots...hmmm...that did not sit well. I then had a bad experience with my one main trail horse...for a few years he was steadily getting worse, something that the vet could not put his finger on. After many months of reading, talking, tests, etc etc..I find out the the Rabbies shots could very well have been his problem. I have now taken the Rabbies shots away from my program. Right now I only vaccinate against WN. I think that we over kill with the shots. It is a personal opinion of course. My horses, my barn, my decision to not vaccinate at this time. So I guess you might say that I am back to square one returning the the 50's

Permalink Reply by Cindy Jeffery on May 12, 2009 at 11:13pm

i agree with Sharon, i only do Rabies and tetanus unless i know there is something going around. The best thing is prevention in keeping a clean barn, buckets, blankets, bits, brushes, etc.anything the horse uses and don't share anything. i also wear coveralls, gloves and disposable covers on my boots from time to time especially handling a new horse on the property which is kept in a designated isolation pen for 2 weeks for observation. I'm glad you started this topic Lisa I was just thinking about what everyone else thought today as well.

Permalink Reply by Bastian Cassidy-Feddern on May 13, 2009 at 10:44am

Has anyone researched on google scholar or the Kentucky University???
I don't have the time to do it, so if someone does to poke around some more that would be awesome!
I agree with the everyone has their own way and opinion. I generally find it so fustrating the Equine world this, not only in med opts but riding instruction, nutrition, and first aid.

And our barn is clean, but we take your horse off site (shows and clinics) where we don't no who has what and is infected with something that could have been prevented.
If you don't trailer out your horse, or they don't have contact with others off your site then perhaps going min. shots is the way to go.

Again, everyone has their own opinion....welcome to the world of horses! lol

Permalink Reply by Donna Humber on May 13, 2009 at 11:13am

Excellent topic. Cannot overlook the geograhic \ location aspect either. I live on an Island. There is no Rabies at this time, so we don't vaccinate. Tetanus is a given, considering the nature of horses.
Flu & Rhino are typically given here, as either the 6 month or annual. Strangles, some horses in my barn were given them, and some not. I was VERY perturbed about this, because on "vet" day, he did the strangles horses first, and he uses a live vaccine, squirted up the nostril, which as you can visualize, causes a great deal of head flinging & snorting and spraying of the droplets all about. My horse did NOT get innoculated for strangles, but with live innoculate everywhere, I wonder at the practice.
I didn't worry so much until the "feisty" Arab snorted the WHOLE dose into the vets face...and he RAN to the hose and totally hosed off his whole head..and made some remark about "catching strangles". Is this even possible? I did not know there was a shot for strangles, and if so, it seems safer than fooling around with the live stuff.
I also show & trailer out to clinics, so I am picky about using only my own gear, buckets, feed pans etc.
I agree, that prevention is key, and a healthy, well hydrated, well nourished, fit horse is resistant to much, but I have also seen an entire barn succumb to an outbreak of some "new" superbug...distributed by some horse brought over from the mainland without proper isolation.
Here, as well, we have barns that innoculate their horses for botulism. This is relatively new, and came about after several horses died from it. The barns in question feed round, wrapped bales, that as far as I'm concerned, are NOT hay, and NOT for horses. If you have to innoculate to feed your hay...for gods' sake, get better hay! These round bales are everywhere, cheap and easy to find.[ Good quality, baled hay is over $20 a bale, and not always available. We are in the position of trucking in hay from the mainland...thousands of km's and a long ferry ride away. $$$$$ ]
So, to get back on track, I think location is a factor..some viruses are not an issue in some areas. We don't have West Nile ....... YET, but we eventually will. And then I will innoculate for it. sigh.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Anderson on May 14, 2009 at 9:38pm

Hey - Just wanted to say thank you to everyone. This has been a great discussion. At least we're all in the same boat! I tried to find the Equus article on line that showed all the different vaccines but no luck. They did however have several on West Nile and one on Botulism which came up in our discussion.

Here is a link to the articles on Equus if anyone is interested:

http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/vaccinations/

Permalink Reply by Brenda Gordon on June 12, 2009 at 12:36am

I am trying to weigh the risk vs reward for so many shots. I have one horse allergic to any Ft Dodge Vaccine so I won't risk it with her but,
like another person commented, in the old days, the body built its immunities by being exposed to the virus germs.
I moved from Michigan to Indiana and had spent 15+ years with no vaccinations. My Indiana vet told me the old horses I owned had probably been exposed to everything by now, and had built their own immunity. I didn't give them West Nile shots because he thought they didn't need it as senior horses.
I won't give a multiple load shot as I want to know if there is a reaction to one and I also think it is just too much for a body to deal with at one time.
See Dr Dan Moore's site the Natural Horse Vet. He has strong opinions about the heavy metal and other chem in the vaccines. They are dangerous to animals and humans, he doesn't believe in giving vaccines at all.
It really has me conflicted.