Vaccinations for Foals

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carlenehorse

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When do you give your foals their first vaccination shot? When do you give the booster vaccine if any of you do? What vaccine do you give and do you get it at the vets? I have seen them at the feed stores and was wondering if anyone has ever purchased theirs at the feed stores. Thanks for the help.

Carlene
 
Hi, Carlene --

Here is a chart that will help you with the foal vaccination schedule (most things you need to do 2x over a period of weeks -- see the chart):

http://www.equusite.com/articles/breed/bre...alVaccine.shtml

Of what is on this chart, I personally do not vaccinate for botulism or strangles. You can probably get a combo shot that would give the foal almost all of what it needs in one shot. If I'm thinking right, you can pick a combo one that will have all of what I'd give (flu, rhino, tetanus, and eastern / western enceph) then just need to give the rabies separate.

Also, I would not purchase from the feed store. I do not trust the feedstores to properly handle and store the shots.

Usually, I order my vaccines from Jeffers and pay a little extra for an insulated cooler and icepacks.

http://www.jeffersequine.com/ssc/

ONE really important thing I feel given you are vaccinating a foal who's never had shots before is to have some epinephrine on hand. You probably will not ever need it, but it's possible for horses to have an alergic reaction to shots (it's never happened to me, but it COULD), and if you have that on hand, it can save your foal's life. It's very inexpensive and you can order it along with your shots from Jeffers.

Jill
 
If the mare is fully vaccinated I would read as much as you can before vaccinating any foal.

You run a severe risk that it is not in the interests of vaccine companies and Vets to tell you about of preventing any immunity form building up.

This can severely compromise the foals immunity levels.

The truly correct way to go about it is to blood test the foal to find out where it's immunity levels are for each disease and go form there.

Although ideas risks vary form area to area, it is for example, now not recommended that we, (here) vaccinate a foal before one year old (in this particular case for tetanus) and, if possible to wait until 18 months.

I speak from bitter experience. :no:
 
Jane / Rabbit brings to my mind something I think about every time I'm vaccinating my horses, year in and year out, for the same exact thing. In my head, I feel they have built up immunity to the things I keep vaccinating for (and I think it's hard on their systems to needlessly vaccinate), but in my heart, I'm scared not to vaccinate. With me, if one of them got sick because I didn't vaccinate, the guilt would be killer but I really feel they probably don't need it every year. Just scared not to do it and always worry about vaccinating the foals in particular.
 
My stallion died in spite of full vaccination.

My money would have been far better spent making sure his immunity levels were correct!!!
 
Jill and Jane thank you so much for responding. I know exactly how both of you feel. I give the mares their vaccine shots 30 days prior to foaling. I think it will be easier to get the foal's blood check. What test do I ask them to run.

Jill I also agree with you, I would be crushed if they got sick because of something I didn't do.

My little pinto filly was sold the day she was born so you get even more worried than normal about her well being. Not that I don't worry about my other foals but once someone has made a deposit to purchase the foal I get parnoid.

I hope I am not the only one who does this. LOL

Thanks again Carlene
 
A mare vacinated a month before foaling should have the proper levels of immunity to pass on to the foal until weaning. There is one theory that you have a window at 3 months to vaccinate that the foal will make it's own immunity but you need to do a series of 3 vaccinations anyway. I wait until 1-2 weeks after weaning to get the passive immunity from the mare gone and then do a series of 2 vaccinations. I use the 5 way, west nile and strep/strangles intranasal(the im shots give a nasty reaction).

I have heard vets say don't vaccinate for strep/strangles but I have seen this go through 2 different stables, had horses die and it takes a good 6 months to get a horse back from the disease to the level before exposure. It isn't worth not vaccinating for and I have horses going to shows and don't want to bring that back to the herd. I want my horses well protected for the respiratory infections.
 
WE AGREE WITH "RABBITSFIZZ" WE DO NOT VACCINATE FOALS UNTIL THEY ARE AT LEAST 1 YR. OLD AND WE DO NOT HAVE PROBLEMS WITH SICK FOALS!!!! WE HAVE SEEN HORSES COME HOME FROM THE SHOWS THAT HAVE BEEN VACCINATED FOR EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN AND A FEW DAYS LATER THEY ARE SICK WHILES OURS (RIGHT ACROSS THE ALLY) ARE AS HEALTHY AS ANY ONE WOULD WANT.

IN FACT WE SOLD A GELDING LAST YEAR THAT WAS 5 YR. OLD AND SHOWN ALMOST EVERY YEAR AND WAS NEVER VACCINTAED FOR ANYTHING. LET THEM BUILD UP THEIR OWN IMMUNITIES!!!
 
If I sell a foal then I will give it its 4-way before it leaves if the buyer wishes. Otherwise if I am keeping the foal I wait until the following spring to give it. Then 6 weeks later it gets a booster.
 
My mares receive their booster as close to 4/6 weeks before foaling as i can and i don't vaccinate my foals until 6 months of age. But like Ashley if the buyer insists then i vaccinate them before they leave. I too worry about over vaccinating my horses.
 
Thanks for all the replies I appreciate it. I will check with my vet to be sure but I appreciate your responses.

Carlene
 
[SIZE=14pt]Add me to the "wait till they are yearlings" bandwagon. IMOH I think we push vaccines WAY too much on young stock. A foal born to a fulling vaccinated mare will get all they need from the colostrum. I have had foals since 2002 and have not yet (knocking on my wooden head) had a sick foal.[/SIZE]

April
 

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