Vaccinaton schedules

[LAminiatures]

I have been reading about vaccinations with expecting mares and also stallions gelding and fillies.

I have always read on LB that giving vaccinations a month before the foal is due is what most do.

I read that some folks and some vets now believe it isn't necessary to give these vaccinations until after the foal arrives.

Yearly vaccines should split up a month apart? Not the boosters.

Please share your thoughts. I am curious to what everyone thinks.

 

[stormy]

This is a very complicated topic and I am sure you will get lots of differant answers. Best thing to do is have a serious chat with your vet about what will work best for your situation.

Personally I do not vaccinate close to foaling. Vaccination is a stress and though 90% of the time will cause no issues can cause a reaction/fever and possibly (though very small percent) aborts. I do give tetanus antitoxin and antibiotic to the foal within a few hours of birth. I vaccinate my herd around June/July. Mosquito born diseases are most prevelant in the late summer months around here so want to have their immune systems primed and ready to respond to any exposures.

Show horse of course are vaccinated earlier, preference is to give Flu internasal, Rhino then Tetanus/EEE/WEE then Strangles internasal with a break of at least 10 days between each. Giving too many vaccines at once can overwhelm the immune system and yield less protection to each antigen. For showing horses I also booster Flu and Rhino during the summer.

Again, this is my schedule designed after conversations with my veterinarian. I do not recommend it to others in differant regions without similar conversations with your veterinarian.

 

[LAminiatures]

I am wondering as well. I have always vaccinated my horses early spring and only had the vet back to do boosters for west nile. Recently reading books and other forums it seems others have a different system/plan for getting vaccines done. It's hard to say what is best for the animals.

Thank you everyone for sharing your experience and thoughts on this thread.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Here is the URL for the AAEP vaccination recommendations.

http://www.vin.com/WebLink.plx?URL=http://www.aaep.org/vaccination_guidelines.htm

Tetanus Antitoxin is rarely necessary for newborn foals and most Vets give TAT only when an older horse has been injured and the vaccination status is known to have not been done as using TAT in a previously vaccinated horse can be deadly.

Dr Taylor

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

The thought process for giving vaccines about a month before foaling is to get the mare's antibody levels at peak levels before foaling. That way, once she foals, her colostrum will impart that immunity to the foal. If the vaccines are wearing off, she won't be able to give the foal protection from those diseases. Vaccinating AT birth (for the mare) will not impart anything to the foal. Unlike humans, the foal can only accept antibodies for a very short time.

It is a stressor. But its also been protocol for decades with very good results.