west nile

[Dynamic8999]

I was wondering who gives west nile to broodmares and who doesn't? Why or why not do you give? My vet and I are always debating this and I wanted other mini people's opinion.

 

[Songcatcher]

ABSOLUTELY YES!!! There is no need in using a vet (or human doctor) if you are not going to take his advice. My vet says if you are not too fond of your horse and don't care if you lose them, don't bother to vaccinate for West Nile. I want to keep mine.

 

[Black Magic]

Have you ever seen a full size TB with West Nile? You won't forget it... I promise. Some people wait until the flies are around, and it's just too late to worry. Personally, I make sure, BEFORE it can become an issue, our horses are vacinated. It's such a small expense to protect a beloved horse, I don't know why people wait.

God Bless,

Lynn W

 

[Reble]

No :new_shocked:

Not for me, to new out there, and to much contraversy on how many and when to give it.

I did give the west nile shot, when it first came out, than problems started coming up.

Some of my mini friends have had aborting foals after giving shots. I have read about deformity.

Just my opinion. :no:

 

[txminipinto]

Ah, here's my soap box. Yes, if you want to keep your mare then I highly suggest you vaccinate for it. Those of us who have seen it will never not vaccinate. The whole thing about aborted or deformed fetuses linked to the WNV vaccine is very inaccurate. Texas A&M did a field study and found no correlation to the vaccine and increased abortions or deformatities. Did you know that 25% of all pregnancies will end in abortion? It's nature's way of preventing problems like deformatities. And when a farm suffers several foal losses I have to ask did they vaccinate for Rhino? And if they did, did they do it at 5,7,9 months gestation? I'm appalled at the number of owners who do not vaccinate for Rhino, a known abortion causer!

I would rather lose a foal than a valuable mare I've put a lot of time and money in to. You can always rebreed.

 

[bitsy]

NO, we gave it one year, took my conception rate from 90% to less than 50%. Will never do it again.

My vet and I have discussed this, she can't honestly say that she knows the effects on minis. Like most things no trials have ever been done on the little guys. If you only have a horse or two and aren't breeding I'd definately give it.

 

[chandab]

I'm not currently breeding minis, they are too young, but all 11 of our horses have been vaccinated for West Nile (7 full-size horses, 4 minis). I have used the Ft Dodge vaccine since it came available in my area; the last two years I've used the combo shot. Worst reaction I've had so far was last year in my APHA mare; she got a small swelling at the injection site (no problem this year). This year, even with having to try more than once to vaccinate one of my yearling mini fillies (she jumped around terribly, so the needle came back out before I could press the plunger), I have had no reactions.

My regular vet treated a case of WN a couple years ago, just 50 miles from here; so I'll continue to safe guard my horses by vaccinating.

 

[HJF]

Have you ever seen a full size TB with West Nile? You won't forget it... I promise. Some people wait until the flies are around, and it's just too late to worry. Personally, I make sure, BEFORE it can become an issue, our horses are vacinated. It's such a small expense to protect a beloved horse, I don't know why people wait.

God Bless,

Lynn W

OMG :new_shocked: I live down the road from Churchill Downs (Ky Derby

: ) and it was really scary. They were putting those Thoroughbreds down right and left before people really started vaccinating. I would definately give the vaccine.

 

[eagles ring farm]

we have vaccinated all our horses since the second year the vaccine was out we passed on it the first year

have not had any problems.

its not worth taking a chance

Lori

 

[Minimor]

Ours will all be getting theirs this weekend; it hurts to shell out $1000+ for the vaccines, but we've had a horse sick with it & I never want to see that again. Heck, I had it & I can tell you I wouldn't wish that on anyone, horse or human!

 

[Karma Creek Minis]

Yes our horses get the WN vaccine, I am not taking the chance as we have a rather large pond area about 50 yards away that goes untreated, you can hear the ducks and frogs and such but Id rather be safe then sorry near the breeding grounds for the mosquitos. Since we dont own the land the pond is on, I cant put anything in it.

:

 

[sfmini]

No question, YES! Having lost two minis to it, you bet. We have vaccinated all ages with no problem, pregnant, open, young, old.

As my vet said, it is a killed vaccine, not gonna do what was blamed. I would guess the low conception rate would have happened anyway but your call. I do not EVER, EVER, EVER want to go through that again. :no:

 

[Mona]

Yes, I do.

 

[Becky]

Yes, I do give it. However, I do give it, as well as most vaccines, during the time my mares are open (after foaling, before rebreeding) as much as possible. I use the Merial Recombitek vaccine and have had very little reaction to it.

 

[Aubrey715]

Yes we give it. We haven't had any serious problems giving it. But i do know people that don't give it because all of their mares aborted after giving it. It is just something we can't take a chance on. We give it to all 60 of our horses, it gets expensive but its worth it. Aubrey

 

[wildoak]

Yes, I've given it for several years, no reactions that I am aware of. Am behind this year - mares have had it as part of their pre-foaling protocol but everyone else is due. It's a big hit with 30 horses, but one I think is worthwhile.

Jan

 

[Margo_C-T]

Yes, absolutely, I give it. This will be my fourth or fifth year to do so; I used the Merial last year, and will again this year. I have never had any horse have a reaction.

It should be remembered that a mare in her first trimester of pregnancy probably should not receive ANY vaccination, of any substance. Also, I personally don't give the West Nile vaccine at the same time as their other vaccination, but wait at LEAST a week, and preferably two, in between.

 

[CharmedMinis]

Yup I give it too, I also use the Merial Recombitek and this is my 3rd year using it, never even had a sore neck from it.

Preggo mares get it a month before they are due, or at 300 days gestation. The only reason I give it during pregnancy is so that the foals have some immunity for West Nile when they are young. It does make me nervous giving it close to foaling, but any vaccine makes me nervous close to foaling. But I'd rather not have a sick foal with no immunity from it's Mother.

 

[MyBarakah]

Hi!

I give the combo shot that has the WNV in it. This is the 2nd year to give it.... And the horses got regular WNV before. I've not really had any reaction other than the one mini mare really threw a fit and jumped around so she had a little swelling where the shot was given... But I don't relate the shot to the swelling... more her moving around... it went away with in 2 days....

I know some don't like to give the WNV because they think that West Nile has been around now and horses are just naturally immuned to it and thinks its a waist of money.....

I personally would never take that chance! I don't have allot of minis, and each one of my minis are extremly valuable to me! So I would never take the chance/risk of not vaccinating them for it!

Why would you?

 

[Relic]

We started last year and did them early then boosters the cost was high just over 2 thou and then l was afraid some of the mares would abort that were in foal for this year but none here did which l'm grateful for. There has been some debate about the shots with different vets in my area one vet says he'll sell them it's profit to his clinic for people to give them for peace of mind but doesn't on a personal level believe they are fool proof. This year we start again last week of this month against my own personal feelings but l was out voted 2 to 1.