Vaccines online?

[suen]

Vet has already vaccinated my mnis this year with Prestige V+ rabies so my horses are good. WAs wondering what others have to pay for their vaccinations? To vaccinate my four was $275. Was wondering how this price was compared to other parts of the U. S. And.... those of you who order online and vaccinate theirselves, have you had any problems with the vaccines or with teh horses themselves getting sick after vaccinating>

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Ouch, that's a LOT. If we get the Prestige at our tack store it's like $30 a shot. We've never had a reaction that I can think of.

 

[amysue]

I only have my vet do the rabies vaccine as its illegal for me to administer it myself in Connecticut. I order my vaccines in bulk and do my own animals as it saves a fortune. I have never had a bad reaction but I am very careful to have enough handlers for the skittish horses to ensure I don't hit a vessel and I go easy on the old horses by only doing the basics (flu, tet, rhino) as I believe they can have reactions when they are aged. I order from big dee as they always seem to have the cheapest price between jeffers, kv and valley vet.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Amysue--are flu and rhino considered part of 'the basics' vaccine wise, back East, and not Eastern and Western encephalitis(or is it,encephalomyelitis?) Just asking because out here in the SW, Eastern, Western, and sometimes Venezuelan enceph, are always considered part of basic needed equine vacs. Tetanus seems to be pretty universal; I have also begun having the vet give rabies(as we also are one of the states where you can't give your own rabies vacs)...and West Nile, though I prefer to give that separately, not as part of a 'multi'.I no longer give rhino or flu routinely; will if I plan on taking any of them 'out' where they might be stalled away from home...at least a couple of weeks ahead of any such sojourn. Have also read that PHF is recommended for your part of the country, not so much out here.

 

[paintponylvr]

Our vet charges $12/Rabies Vaccinations. We can't give it in NC.

I'm not sure what the other fees are - I give my own shots. Recently, I've done a lot of research on vaccines and have changed my own "protocols". I still base it on what our vets (I now call around to several and see what they recommend for our area) say. I'm beginning to ? West Nile - though right now I'm still giving it. Several vets I've been speaking with have said it doesn't prevent or help much with the length of time of a WN infection... Tetanus - why are we giving it 3x yearly??? (or 4x the years that we give the mix during a series of bad hurricanes or like last year when we had all the flooding and standing water) I give the foals their first shots - a mix of E & W Encephalitis, WN & Tetanus + their boosters. You can get the Encephalitis vaccines w/o Tetanus and WOW is it less expensive! Right now - there isn't any Venezuelan Encephalitis around - so no need?? I haven't given that one since 2002 - when it was last recommended by our vet at that time. My main vet here in Lillington recommends that they stay on it all the time.

After speaking with my current vet and other vets in the area(s) I've lived here in NC since 1997, I've not done vaccinations for PHF, EPM (the possum one?) and generally don't do Strangles either. I have had several ponies I've leased out given these by the families leasing them - 2 have ended up getting really sick (one was an older mare and was given a HUGE batch of vaccines! The vet at their boarding facility decided that what I'd noted on the paperwork wasn't good enough - even though I worked for an Equine vet at the time and leased the 5 acres our ponies were on from the Equine Vet). The leasee paid for the care and it was expensive.

Except for the 4 show ponies that I've had out on the road, I no longer give Flu/Rhino either. I currently don't usually bring in a lot of outside ponies and if I bring in the occasional mare or boarder they can be completely separated from mine. If I understand all the instructions, Flu/rhino have to be given every 90 days to be effective. That adds up in a hurry if you have a herd over 10 horses (we are currently at 26 head).

With our larger ponies and full size horses, I was giving Rhino K at 5, 7 & 9 months of pregnancy. BUT with the Shetlands, I think I'm seeing a correlation with giving the vaccines w/ losing foals. Seems like a pregnancy slipped w/i 14 days of giving the vaccine OR a foal was born with complications HOWEVER this IS NOT confirmed... The foals' bodies that I sent to State (NCSU) for necropsy usually showed various possible problems. Just seems strange that it often happened ONLY on the ones I had actually vaccinated! And there were times, for some reason, when I didn't get every one of the mares vaccinated... Those were the ones who had absolutely no problems. I have been with 2 different vets at farms that had "abortion storms" and YES, IT IS SCARY! One farm was found to have a serious Rota-virus in it's soil. The mares (and then the foals' after birth) were vaccinated for that and w/i 2 years there were NO abortions at that farm (I can't remember if they removed the top soil and replaced it - may have). The other farm - I'm not sure I ever knew what was causing the abortions. But I remember hunting many fetus(s) and treating lots of mares, having to disinfect our boots, scrub exposed skin and change our clothing before getting back into the vets' mobile unit truck. That farm was always gone to last in the day - even for an emergency (

).

Since 2011, I've started having a lot of reactions to Rabies vaccinations. I've now had the vet back out after all of the last 5 visits - to treat abscess(s) and start several on antibiotics. I've also had to hot and cold pack and specially feed/water quite a number (who couldn't raise/lower their heads therefore wouldn't eat or drink on their own). Two other vets said I need to start insisting that they be given the RV in the butt muscles instead of in the neck - this helps to prevent this issue (not the fever if they develop that in reaction). Our original vet here in NC gives all ponies their vaccines in the rump.

My vet just sent out a new flyer and it says that along with the boosters for the foals that are "normal" - they need to have 3 RV w/i the first 18 months of their lives! I've NEVER had that before and I almost went into shock. I haven't had the chance to question a couple of other vets on this yet... Also, if from unprotected mares or certain areas, that the EPM and Botulism vaccines are "required" (not recommended?). And spring vaccines should be given in February - not April or May in our area. Hmmm, food for thought - I've always given vaccines in March, April or May and if doing 2x in one year then go 6 months from the last date. RV are done when Coggins is drawn. Here, I usually have a current coggins on every equine on our place (yearly). I break up appointments - the vet is scheduled to come out at least once per quarter year. I've had emergencies in between regular vet visits that I've had the vet to our farm and/or hauled out for.

[SIZE=22pt]Foals Born to Vaccinated Mares:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18pt]4 Months[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=18pt]EEE / WEE, WNV, Tetanus Toxoid[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18pt]5 Months[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=18pt]EEE / WEE, WNV, Tetanus Toxoid[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18pt]6 Months[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=18pt]EEE / WEE, WNV, Tetanus Toxoid, Rabies[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18pt]8 Months[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=18pt]Flu, Rhino, Rabies[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18pt]9 Months[/SIZE]​

Flu, Rhino

[SIZE=18pt]11 Months[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=18pt]Flu, Rhino, Rabies[/SIZE]

W/ my own research - this is the first year that all ponies over 5 years of age will not be getting the RV. Dogs can go 3 years (if maintained currently) - I've read that some DVMs are saying that a horse can go 7 (& 10 for Tetanus unless receiving an injury at which point you'd give a booster)...

Vaccines are both very personal and very standard. You can call or email more than one equine vet and not just in your area. BUT it's best to start with a program recommended by your own vet, then go from there. It's not hard to give your own vaccines for the ones that you legally can give (when WN first became available - it was only available to vets. You can now get it via catalog but NO feed stores in our area carry it either as a mix or single). Good records are "life savers"... and I learned the hard way that just storing them on the computer is a good way to lose them all!

 

[paintponylvr]

Here's some comparisons. I didn't do the shipping calculations. I have no idea where you are vs where these companies are...

Valley Vet -

EWT - 1 dose w/ syringe/needle $9.49. 10 dose vial - 77.79.

WNEWT - 1 dose w/ syringe/needle $30.95. 10 dose vial - 252.95.

Don't see just EW...

Big Dee's -

EWT - 1 dose w/ syringe/needle $9.50. 10 dose vial - 76.95

WNEWT - 1 dose w/ syringe/needle $29.95. 10 dose vial - 249.95

Don't see just EW ...

Heartland Vet -

EWT - 1 dose w/ syringe/needle $10.95. 10 dose vial - 92.00

WNEWT - 1 dose w/ syringe/needle $31.95. 10 dose vial - 254.00

I keep different syringes and needles in stock here (in my kitchen). God forbid, I ever get "raided" - I'd probably go to jail!! I don't advertise that I give my own vaccines to the general public. I use a 2 ltr bottle for my "sharps" and when it's full, I pass it to my vet who takes care of it from there.

There are many other companies that carry various vaccines. There are also different makers that make it... and that sometimes makes a difference in price and "carrier". I usually do a chart and then check to see which companies are closest to me - faster/easier shipping times especially since it was *101* today in the shade here. Also, sometimes you can go with a company that has a sale going on - I saved $50/vial last year on product that was going out of date. I used it the day after it arrived - no problems and that $150 was applied to a different purchase!

I don't usually like the Recombitek vaccines - you have to mix them. I usually end up wasting some! Or squirting myself in the face while mixing the vials (I did come down w/ flu symptoms & a fever - think I can effectively say I was vaxxed for WNEWT!!). BUT sometimes you can get really GREAT deals on those, too... You just want to be sure of the shipping quality AND the company you order from.

I know that my current vet isn't really happy with me purchasing my own vaccines - says most companies aren't reliable enough. Well, that in turn, makes me wonder about the ones she's ordering from!! She also will not let me get Banamine, liquid Ivermectin or a few other products from her (I do get them from other vets).

 

[suen]

Well, looks like I will be ordering my vaccines next year! Its expensive enough with just buying good hay anymore....its gone up triple in the last two years.... Going to order the vaccines for my dogs online this year and give them ourselves.

 

[Miniv]

We've bought Prestige V by the vial, plus needles and syringes in bulk by catalog for years. Have never had a bad reaction to Prestige V.

We also use the liquid Ivermectin... 1 ml/cc per 100 lbs. Oh, and our vet sells us liquid Banamine by the bottle too. You can administer that orally (same dose as the wormer) and it goes into their system almost as fast as intra-muscular without the risk of having swelling at the shot site.

 

[sfmini]

I vaccinate all of our horses. We had stopped the WNV, lost a beautiful Arabian mare to it last fall and that is when we discovered that our assumption that it had died down because we weren't hearing about it was not true and a beautiful young mare is dead. We vaccinated the entire barn, and will be keeping up with that.

Learned a lot about Rhino too, it can be in the environment and in carrier horses so horses don't have to come from outside to bring it in.

 

[amysue]

Most of our horses get a five or six way flu, tetanus, ehv, eastern western and Venezuela enceph as well as rabies. We do wnv only because it has been detected in horses in our area. It is significantly cheaper for me to order ten dose vials and administer it myself. I have had clients with old horses have reactions to six way shots and at the recommendation of a vet did better with a flu, tet rhino shot.

 

[horsenut50]

I use a 6 way and WNV and buy from Jeffer's. Much cheaper than the vet. If you don't know how to give vaccines though, have a vet show you how. You can accidently shoot it in a vein and kill your horse.

 

[Marty]

I order mine from Jeffers. Its about $13.00 or so.

I think a lot of it is a racket but I do it just in case its not.