Vaccination time again

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Here's a question.......that may get booted to the back porch! :-o

In this society that we've trained to be so litigious ("I'm not responsible, it's __________'s fault"), has anyone ever experienced/heard of a case where not vaccinating resulted in a civil lawsuit?

I'm not thinking about closed herds and farms, but those that show and participate in community service events. If an outbreak of something that could be vaccinated against occurred, and investigation led to an owner vaccinated or non-vaccinated animal, could that person be held responsible for damages/losses/vet fees??

[Running to hide from rotten tomatoes being flung!!]

 

[Scottishlass]

Normally I read and learn on the forum. I felt I would post my thoughts on this one.

From the owners side, I worry I may be over vaccinating my minis. I also know that if I didn't and they came down with say, West Nile. I would be kicking myself till my last breath. So I have chosen to error on the side of caution and I follow my vets advise as that is what I hire them for. I have trusted my vet for over 20 years with my horses and I have yet to be led wrong. I have lost one horse to PHF and he was up to date on shots. The is just the spin of the wheel with PHF.

I do not give them myself as #1 I have the vet here each year and we do shots, worming and check teeth for dental needs. So I know each year where I am with each horse. #2 by having the vet give them, if or when there is a reaction they are here already and can deal with it, or the call back is free as it is billed to the vaccine manufacturer. At least that is how my vet works it.

I also use this time to discuss feed, healthy, weight, breeding or any other issues for each mini.

Added note, our vet is very pro nature and what horses were designed or created to be, ie: ( moving grazers) so I feel that he would be very open to no shots if that is what he felt was truly best for the horse. Just my thoughts

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I vaccinate my horses myself, except for rabies which the vet has to do. I did get Sunny and Sammie done last year for rabies, but Sunny had a reaction, so I didn't do it this year. All the youngstock was done in Jan.

Coggins are $30 and rabies $10 or $15... I get my vaccs at the local tack stores or TSC, a 5-way is like $22.

Same for the dogs, I use the local vaccination clinics held here all the time for rabies and heartworm.

 

[Marty]

The first year Fort Dodge came up with the WNV the vet came and gave it to all my horses, miniature and quarter horses that year. Within 2-4 hours, every horse on the place was down and I mean laying down. My place looked like a graveyard. The vet came right back and oh man, what a mess I had. My horses were so sick and lethargic, some were swelled up too. One colt was so bad he was near death and the vet took him back and put him in her hospital Long story short in that case, it was lucky for me that was the only shot the vet gave that day and it was administered by a vet or I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on. My horses were terribly sick for days on end and there were many visits back and forth by the vet. They were in touch with Fort Dodge and that company was in big trouble with me and a whole lot of other horse owners and they had to make amends with me or go to court I have paper work on this a mile long. Fort Dodge has been sited repeatedly for contamination and dirty lab practices. Matter of fact, my dog vet uses Fort Dodge vaccines so I don't take my dog there at vaccination time and go with another vet for that. Since then, I have never given a WNV ever again and I certainly never would purchase anything made by that company. I understand there are other companies that make that shot and have a lot of the problems ironed out but I still won't give it. Years earlier, before I had minis, the same thing happened to me and all my quarter horses and two ponies with the rabies vaccine. Not once, but twice, given by the vet. So in my humble opinion, those are two very dangerous and hard shots and I'd rather take my chances than ever give either West Nile or Rabies again.

I do give my own shots which is Encevac TC 4 with havlogen and I have always been confident with that. .However last year I did have a reaction for the first time in two of my minis which never happened before and and my old quarter horse. They swelled up at the injection site for a few days, were sore and didn't eat.