Doing your own vaccines

[mydaddysjag]

We have switched to a new vet recently, and I was talking to her about vaccines. She was telling me that if the owners are comfortable, she tries to encourage them to do basic annual vaccines, and her do rabies and coggins in the spring. She works out of a large practice, and said in this economy, she feels that if owners are able to do their own vaccines, that thats money that can be put away for something like an emergency vet bill. She did recommend that I switched my 4way type shots to spring, with just a rhino booster in the fall if Im still showing 6 months after my spring shots.

Since my horses were previously on a schedule where they got WNV, Rabies, and Coggins in spring, and a 4 way in fall, her recommendation was to just do tetanus this fall, then in spring for show horses she recommended EWT, WNV, Flu/Rhino, Strangle and rabies at least 4 weeks prior to the first show.

I was wondering what vaccines you give to weanlings, show horses, senior horses, and just horses that dont leave the farm, and if there are any certain brands you prefer. What gauge and length of needle do you prefer?

 

[Joanne]

We use Intervet Presige V (E+ W encephilitis, flu 1+2, Tetanus), WNV in the spring.

3 cc syringe with a 22 guage needle.

 

[frostedpineminis]

I agree on her saying that you should give the tetanus in fall and all the others in the spring, We always say at the clinic that west nile only covers for about 6 months and also that it is best to give your vaccines close to when you need them so that they are working at their best. If you are showing then I would give everybody the same vaccine because you never know what your horses, buckets and other items will bring back with them. I dont give rhino unless horses are leaving or are pregnant, we also dont give rabies in canada for the most part. We use a 20G by 1 1/2 inch needle

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I like Intervet brand, my minis have had less reactions at the injection site compared to Fort Dodge, I use Prestige V (Tetanus/EEE/WEE/Flu/Rhino).

 

[Minimor]

We give all our vaccines in the spring, EWT, WNV. We generally do not vaccinate for flu or rhino--those generally need to be boosted every 2 months to be effective unless you can get Calvenza (I think that is the one that is good for an extended period of time?) The vet clinics here generally don't have a great variety of vaccines available and I don't think Calvenza is one we can get. Pregnant mares do get Pneumabort-K at 5, 7 & 9 months. I do give the vaccines myself and use 20 x 1.5" needles.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

You definitely want to do vaccines in the spring. The three way (EEE/WEE mostly) is only good for six months. We call it an annual vaccine because in 95% of the country, 6mo of protection is all you need. In Florida and the like you will often see people give that vaccine twice a year for this reason.

I too avoid Fort Dodge unless necessary. There are a few vaccines FD puts out that are the only ones in that catagory. Otherwise, I use mostly Intervet.

I use 20gx1.5 for all my vaccines.

For flu/rhino, I give Recombitek rFlu annually (I think I'm switching to the IN version every 6mo next year) and Rhinomune every three months. Rhino, most flu's, and WN vaccines are only good for 2-3 months. There are a few WN that last longer, and those are the ones I use (Recombitek and Previnile if its back on the market this year).

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

We have switched to a new vet recently, and I was talking to her about vaccines. She was telling me that if the owners are comfortable, she tries to encourage them to do basic annual vaccines, and her do rabies and coggins in the spring. She works out of a large practice, and said in this economy, she feels that if owners are able to do their own vaccines, that thats money that can be put away for something like an emergency vet bill. She did recommend that I switched my 4way type shots to spring, with just a rhino booster in the fall if Im still showing 6 months after my spring shots.

Since my horses were previously on a schedule where they got WNV, Rabies, and Coggins in spring, and a 4 way in fall, her recommendation was to just do tetanus this fall, then in spring for show horses she recommended EWT, WNV, Flu/Rhino, Strangle and rabies at least 4 weeks prior to the first show.

I was wondering what vaccines you give to weanlings, show horses, senior horses, and just horses that dont leave the farm, and if there are any certain brands you prefer. What gauge and length of needle do you prefer?

You have good and reasonable questions and I think the responses you've gotten vary as they will depending on personal preference.

My disappointment is that the Vet that gave you this suggestion should have been instrumental in having these questions answered for you and frankly I wish she would have answered these questions even before you considered them. Now after you've gotten a reasonable set of responses I would encourage you to discuss what your plan will be in the future and she can have input that will be more specific to region, area, farm, and husbandry issues for your horses. If you have not already, I would also include a deworming schedule.

Dr Taylor

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

In my experience the questions come several hours after the initial chance to ask them

 

[Matt73]

20G 3/4" needle. I just do a 4-Way in the Spring (flu, tetanus, EEE, WEE). Mare(s) are given pre-foaling vaccinations (which coincide with that Spring vaccine

) 4 weeks prior to foaling. Weanlings are vaccinated between 4-6 months with a 4-way (and a booster a month later, of course) after weaning. I use the Fluvac Innovator 4 from Fort Dodge. In 8+ years of doing my own I've never had a reaction of any sort (lumps, soreness, fever etc.). It could be my awesome needle giving skills

 

[mydaddysjag]

You have good and reasonable questions and I think the responses you've gotten vary as they will depending on personal preference.

My disappointment is that the Vet that gave you this suggestion should have been instrumental in having these questions answered for you and frankly I wish she would have answered these questions even before you considered them. Now after you've gotten a reasonable set of responses I would encourage you to discuss what your plan will be in the future and she can have input that will be more specific to region, area, farm, and husbandry issues for your horses. If you have not already, I would also include a deworming schedule.

Dr Taylor

Dr. Taylor,

The vet did tell me what she recommends for my horses in my area, and told me a range of needle sizes that she felt were safe, but said that within those sizes, its the personal preference of the person giving the vaccine. I asked here to see what others personal preferences were. She also said that all vaccination brands on the market are relatively safe, but there is a chance of a reaction with any vaccine. Again, brand is personal preference. We do have a rotational deworming schedule that she is comfortable with, she said my current deworming schedule was ideal for my area, setup, and horses I own. I do have a weanling foal coming home in the next few weeks and I will have to discuss his worming schedule with her, but my plans are to put him on the same schedule as my other horses, and do FEC once a month to check his worm load. I feel worming as least as possible, but still when necessary is the healthiest for them.

 

[wpsellwood]

20G 3/4" needle. I just do a 4-Way in the Spring (flu, tetanus, EEE, WEE). Mare(s) are given pre-foaling vaccinations (which coincide with that Spring vaccine

) 4 weeks prior to foaling. Weanlings are vaccinated between 4-6 months with a 4-way (and a booster a month later, of course) after weaning. I use the Fluvac Innovator 4 from Fort Dodge. In 8+ years of doing my own I've never had a reaction of any sort (lumps, soreness, fever etc.). It could be my awesome needle giving skills

Ha ha Matt you are tooooo funny!

 

[Shari]

Have been giving my horse's their own vaccines...lets just say a very long time.

Right now they just get.. Intervet Presige V (E+ W encephilitis, flu 1+2, Tetanus), WNV in feb/march.

You can get the single doses and the needle you need is included.

I do keep epinephrine on hand just in case.

For the first time ever, they were given a Rabies shots by the Vet, since they are heading for VA today.

 

[Tab]

Your vet is a keeper! I think her recommendations are great and applicable to our area. Geoff Tucker, DVM has an excellent series on youtube about vaccines.

Here is his channel Horzvet on Youtube

The vaccine series is underneath his Horse Management playlist.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

If you get the Jeffers Equine catalog their is a chart of recommended vaccinations you can give during each season and I think could be very helpful. I tried to find it on their site but for some reason they don't have the chart online. I personally use the Intervet vaccines.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

All vaccines are NOT equal

There is a huge difference in technology, efficacy, etc between brands. One manufacturer may have the best of one type, but another might have a better one of another. Do your research and choose what you feel is best for your horses. If you desire symplicity, you can always get the stuff they have at TSC (Fort Dodge) and do all six vaccines in one needle (NOT what I would ever do!).

 

[Ashley]

I havent given any vacs in about 3 years. My horses dont go anywhere, nothing comes in and there is no other horses with in miles.

That said when I did give them the only ones that didnt get them are my really really old horses. I gave the 4 way. A few years I did strangles on my show horses but since they ended up catching it one year anyway I stopped.

 

[Matt73]

I havent given any vacs in about 3 years. My horses dont go anywhere, nothing comes in and there is no other horses with in miles.

That said when I did give them the only ones that didnt get them are my really really old horses. I gave the 4 way. A few years I did strangles on my show horses but since they ended up catching it one year anyway I stopped.

A horse can get tetanus on your property. The EEE and WEE are mosquito-borne illnesses. The 4-way is the basic and I really believe that all horses should have that. Have you seen a horse with tetanus? It's usually fatal in horses and, furthermore, they are very susceptible to it

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Rabies is another that doesn't need any horses or travel to die from

And its REALLY cheap!! There is no reason not to protect your animals. Ever seen a horse die from something like that?

 

[Margo_C-T]

I have given my own vaccinations since the mid-70s.

I have come around to giving a 4 way(E-W, tetanus, flu; prefer Intervet or Boehringer, but have used all brands at one time or another!) Have given WN for years until this year; with the prolonged drought and my particular location,there was hardly a mosquito for miles...I saw two this whole summer/fall! Will pick it up again next year.

Didn't include Rhino because I have no young stock, no broodmares, no horses at ALL went to any sort of horsey 'gathering' this year; I also happen to personally believe that rhino(Pneumabort K, specifically), in a multiple vaccine, is the one most likely to cause reactions/abcesses...just my gut feeling based on my own observations. Were I to take horses out to a show, etc., then I would do flu/rhino at least two weeks ahead of that event, and booster at 2/3 mos. later if doing any more 'traveling away' from home.

Don't give strangles for similar reasons, but would if I felt the situation warranted it. In over 60 years of 'horse-keeping', I have never given rabies vaccine to horses; would if it seemed warranted. (Of course, in NM, I would be required to have that administered by a vet.)

I use 3 cc.syringes, 1", 21 or 22 Ga. needles. Individual doses of vaccines are packaged w/ 20 Ga, 1 1/2" needles, but I don't like those needles for minis, so have a LOAD of them sitting around here! I did use them for my 'bigs'.

I used to be able to buy/use 10 dose vials, but since I have fewer horses,I now need to purchase individual doses.Like Shari, I keep always keep epinephrine on hand, too.

I seldom deworm anymore. Between the heat, the drought, and the fact that I clean pens twice daily,bagging the manure, and have it hauled off weekly...and have clean 'pasture' because on the RARE occasions when I can let them out, they stay no more than an hour, so don't poop 'outside'(and if they do, I go pick that up, too!), I have minimal likelihood of infestation. Horses are in good weight and hair coat, healthy, and happy!

I applaud your vet for such a common sense, considerate approach! For those who CAN give their own vaccinations,

it makes very good sense, IMO! It's what I realized I needed to do years ago!!

Margo

 

[Sue_C.]

I use 3 cc.syringes, 1", 21 or 22 Ga. needles. Individual doses of vaccines are packaged w/ 20 Ga, 1 1/2" needles, but I don't like those needles for minis, so have a LOAD of them sitting around here! I did use them for my 'bigs'.

Me too, when I read all the posts saying folks were using those H-U-G-E 1 1/2 needles, I cringed.

:shocked