What Is With People???

[rcfarm]

I believe its your choice, but I myself do vaccinate. I have seen horses have to be put down for rabies. seen the sleeping sickness and tetnus. All this growing up and in our big horses.

I also vaccinate my mares with rhino, and shots 1 month before due dates. Having seen my QH abort at 278 days, I believe in the precaution. She did not have the rhino shots.

I do have a mare that gets sore after shots. I now give in buttock area, and treat it with dmso.

I wish I did not have to put her thru the soreness, but call me selfish I want her around for a long time.Good Lord willing

 

[Sue_C.]

yes horses are very much at risk to being exposed to tetanus but then again so do we as horse owners working with them in their environment and yet we do not get vaccinated yearly for it I have honestly always wondered why and I am sure there is a logical reason

The human vacine is not the same as the equine one. Humans are covered for 10 years, horses are not.

Vet was just here and gave my horses their EEE/Tet combo shot. It is the first time I have given my horses the EEE, so had the vet do it. Once I know they seem safe with it, from now on I will do it myself, as I do all the others.

I myself get the flu shots every year...last year I also had the H1N1, with no affects...why I would think of not protecting my horse, I cannot imagine. It is far cheaper both emotionally and financially to give the shots than treat ONE horse for any of the diseases the shots can keep them safe from.

 

[~Lisa~]

Sue.. I knew it was somethign like that but wonder why they cant make the horse one last longer or does it really and we just do not know????

I am not anti vaccine by any means. My children were vaccinated and we all get the flu shot as well as this year the H1N1 shot and after getting pneumonia this year I will need to add that to the list. I have an auto immune disease so it is not an option for me.

 

[Matt73]

I have a bit of an issue with people that don't vaccinate their children. Polio, and especially Smallpox, were almost completely eradicated because of vaccines. You really are playing with fire if you don't vaccinate your kids and animals that go out into the world (but you can also bring many things home to your horses on your clothes from other farms ie. strangles). One of the reasons the planet has over 6 billion people on it (something I find absolutely insane...but that's another topic altogether) is because of the use of vaccines. We would probably have at least 1/2 that number (or less) were many vaccines not discovered. People don't see it, so they forget; it wasn't long ago that Smallpox killed millions annually:

"Smallpox is believed to have emerged in human populations about 10,000 BC.[2] The disease killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans per year during the closing years of the 18th century (including five monarchs),[6] and was responsible for a third of all blindness.[3][7] Of all those infected, 20–60%—and over 80% of infected children—died from the disease.[8]

During the 20th century, it is estimated that smallpox was responsible for 300–500 million deaths.[9][10][11] In the early 1950s an estimated 50 million cases of smallpox occurred in the world each year.[12] As recently as 1967, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 15 million people contracted the disease and that two million died in that year.[12] After successful vaccination campaigns throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the WHO certified the eradication of smallpox in December 1979.[12] To this day, smallpox is the only human infectious disease to have been eradicated.[13]" (from Wikipedia)

Again, to not vaccinate is ignorant and akin to playing Russian Roulette.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I personally feel we are told by vets to over vaccinate our horses an example is tetanus.. yes horses are very much at risk to being exposed to tetanus but then again so do we as horse owners working with them in their environment and yet we do not get vaccinated yearly for it I have honestly always wondered why and I am sure there is a logical reason...

I asked about that this year for the same reason- if people only have to get it every ten years, why on earth do horses get it yearly?

My vet said horses are much more susceptible to tetanus and do not react as effectively to the vaccine as humans do, so they need to be protected more frequently.

We have our cats on the every-three-years schedule where we can and the dog will be the same once she's through her initial first-year shots but the horses still get most of what's available. The elderly full-sized gelding who never leaves the property gets WNV, rabies and tetanus because those can all come to him, and I think he gets Rhino too just because it's in combo with the others. The minis who do go out get those and everything else as well. I don't deworm regularly though, as per my vet I submit fecal samples for testing and only deworm if there's a problem. My boys are all on dirt paddocks here and the elderly horse reacts to wormers these days so I only do preventative deworming after the minis have gone to shows and grazed where other horses have pooped. All are healthy and happy, no pot bellies or unthriftiness.

Those who say that modern horseowners don't know how nasty diseases such as rabies and tetanus and polio are, are right. I've never seen such things and tend to treat them as horror stories from "the way things used to be." I hate shots, and I hate making my horses sore and miserable by turning them into pincushions. I spare them what I can but there is no question that some of those diseases are active in this area and I am not going to lose an animal I love to something preventible. I vaccinate. Hate it, but vaccinate!

Leia

P.S.- I had all my childhood shots and keep up on my tetanus vaccine but have had nothing but misery from flu shots so exercised my right to decline both that and the H1N1 shot this year. I also was never given smallpox or polio vaccines as far as I know. Don't know why. My parents had them.

 

[Ann knight]

I think we are all doing what we feel is best . Immunity is not something that goes away , if your immune system has been stimulated by a vaccine or the disease your body produces a response that will happen each time that disease is presented , it doesn't need to be boostered every year . We don't get vaccinated every year .Your body would never be challenged with 3/5/7 diseases at the same time that our horses ( and other animals ) get in combo vaccines . Vaccines should never be given to sick animals . Rabies vaccines have some of the worst reactions and should be given alone ...how often idoes that happen ? I wish I could get folks to understand that good Health is more than yearly vaccinations ( which I don't give) and that food, exercise , metal stimulation all contribute to our animals health . ....Ann

 

[Genie]

I think we are all doing what we feel is best . Immunity is not something that goes away , if your immune system has been stimulated by a vaccine or the disease your body produces a response that will happen each time that disease is presented , it doesn't need to be boostered every year . We don't get vaccinated every year .Your body would never be challenged with 3/5/7 diseases at the same time that our horses ( and other animals ) get in combo vaccines . Vaccines should never be given to sick animals . Rabies vaccines have some of the worst reactions and should be given alone ...how often idoes that happen ? I wish I could get folks to understand that good Health is more than yearly vaccinations ( which I don't give) and that food, exercise , mental stimulation all contribute to our animals health . ....Ann

I am glad you responded and I have to agree.

Our vet promotes Tetanus and rabies but no other shots, and we have had a healthy barn for 20 years.

 

[Margaret]

I agree with Ann.

Just because someone doesent choose to vaccinate does not mean that they are making the wrong choice.

Vaccine damage happens with animals as well as children, so there are risks to be weighed either way.

Once you know the story on both sides of the coin you are in a better position the make a informed decision for your situtation.

 

[Sue_C.]

Just a bit of reading for those who don't think we have a need for vaccines.

Infectious diseases news brief

 

[michele80906]

I would like to read this but the link didn't work for me. Michele, Colorado

Just a bit of reading for those who don't think we have a need for vaccines.

Infectious diseases news brief

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I'm one of those that don't vaccinate if they don't leave the property. I will vaccinate my show horses, my broodmares, and foals. I tend to vaccinate for everything except WNV, Strangles, and Rabies.

I think the WNV and the Rhino shot is the more controversial shots there are. I don't give my mares the Rhino shots 3 times to prevent abortion as I have heard so many times over that it has caused abortion in broodmares. I do vaccinate them tho before they foal and never had problems. Also the WNV shot, now that one I heard it can affect the males sperm, cause birth defects ext... But that is when it first came out and I haven't heard much about it sense.

Now I plan on moving to strange territory. I will probably honestly vaccinate for everything cause they have never been there before and I will not take the chance. Except probably won't do WNV sense it will be a colder time of year but will sure do it next year just to be sure.

I also wonder do we tend to over vaccinate as well.

 

[Sue_C.]

I would like to read this but the link didn't work for me. Michele, Colorado

Just a bit of reading for those who don't think we have a need for vaccines.

Infectious diseases news brief

Now that IS weird...I will try to see what happened...their server might have gone down?

 

[Zora]

We only vaccinate for rabies as it's unfortunately law. It has nothing to with vet costs, but many years of studying vaccines affects.

 

[Sue_C.]

Cannot get it to work, even though I can call it up. Weird...

Here are a few quotes from it anyways...

All regions, with the exception of one, have achieved the United Nations goal of reducing measles mortality by 90 per cent from 2000 to 2010, two years ahead of target. Vaccinating nearly 700 million children against measles, through large-scale immunization campaigns and increased routine immunization coverage, has prevented an estimated 4.3 million measles deaths in less than a decade. The Measles Initiative is tackling a funding gap of $59 million for 2010; if unaddressed, this resource gap could allow for a resurgence of measles deaths. Immunization experts fear the combined effect of decreased political and financial commitment could result in an estimated 1.7 million measles-related deaths between 2010-13, with more than half a million deaths in 2013 alone, compared to 164 000 in 2008. Measles is among the world's most contagious diseases and one of the leading causes of death among children worldwide. An estimated 400 children die from measles every day. Even healthy and well-nourished children, if unvaccinated, are at risk of the disease and its severe health complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, and encephalitis (a dangerous infection of the brain causing inflammation).

 

[Zora]

Wow, what a hot issue!

For me, it has nothing to do with $. If I were having my children now I would NOT vaccinate them either. I think it is a great big crock foisted on us by the pharmacuetical companaies. Cleanliness is a better preventive than a vaccination. And you don't get side effects from that. The only horse I've personally heard of that got tetanus lived in a filthy lot filled with debris. The only human I've known to get tetanus got a wound, didn't keep it clean and got gangrene, then got tetanus and died.

Someday it may be found that the huge increase in colic, founder and autoimmune disorders may be triggered by excessive vaccinations. And who makes money off those?

Maybe it's true--it IS all about $.

There is a new rattlesnake vaccine out. Having had horses bitten by rattlesnakes, I can see there is more chance of that happening to my horses than being bitten by a rabid raccoon. But I'm not going to vaccinate for rattlesnakes either.

So please do not label all folks who don't vaccinate as cheapskates, ignoramuses, or irresponsible. Some of us have made an informed, calculated decision about the issue.

After all, our horses have no say in the matter either way.

That's great!!!!! Very well said! I'm glad I've never had a vaccine.

 

[Margaret]

Many people who choose not to vaccinate are doing so out of informed decision making.

Many educating sites are available if someone is intrested in knowing more about vaccines and their affects on the immune system. Here is only one well documented report.

http://www.alternative-doctor.com/vaccination/phillips.html

 

[shadowpaints]

im one of those people that feel we way over vaccinate our animals and children. we have a vaccination scheduale, yes, but its not every year, and its approved by our vet.

my children on the other hand, BOTH had a severe reaction to their 6 month shots, the oldest was the worst, she was in the hospital for 4 days, and suffered brain damage.. the youngest wasnt so bad but required a over nite stay in the hospital. they will never hae another shot if i can help it. and their dr agrees.

if i have another baby ever, i would be severly afraid of shots.. we now know that it wasnt just a coinencedenc (sorry bad spelling)

we are lucky enough to have a vet that doesnt push every vaccine out there...

this has been a great thread and an awesome oppertunity to read everyones opinions!

 

[Jetiki]

I have a mare that gets reactions to shots, none of her foals have. The last time she had a rabies shot she got a lump on her neck the size of a grapefruit i brought her in the house put her in the shower and using the hose thing to get warm/hot water on it to make it go away. She also got heat in her feet, I'm not sure I'll give her rabies again. here's the current vaccine chart from the AAEP.

http://www.aaep.org/images/files/Adultvaccinationtablerevised108.pdf

Karen

 

[georgiegirl]

I have a mare that gets reactions to shots, none of her foals have. The last time she had a rabies shot she got a lump on her neck the size of a grapefruit i brought her in the house put her in the shower and using the hose thing to get warm/hot water on it to make it go away. She also got heat in her feet, I'm not sure I'll give her rabies again. here's the current vaccine chart from the AAEP.

http://www.aaep.org/images/files/Adultvaccinationtablerevised108.pdf

Karen

Who is aaep? I think everyone who has followed this thread needs to look at this chart and read it carefully. Very interesting.

 

[Shortpig]

Older person here, I had the polio vaccine, and the small pox vaccine. The measles I got from a friends sister when I was 18yo. Totally thanked her for that one. I was one really sick puppy. But I lived thru it with no issues caused by it. I also had a good case of the mumps but only on one side. Can't remember exactly who but someone in our family died from Scarlet Fever also. Years and years ago my mother told me about it.

My daughter got every vaccine available when she was young. I will honestly say that when a families children got the chicken pox I thru my daughter in the bath tub with them intentionally so she would get it and get over it. She did and she did.

I do not vaccinate every year. I do however vaccinate when a horse is leaving my property to go to a strange place or area. Which by the way doesn't happen very often. They all received the WNV vaccine when it came out for a few years then I stopped. I am considering giving it to them this year because they are predicting a much wetter summer and this will create major breeding grounds in our area for those ugly vicious critters. But then also when I die from WNV I'm concerned who will take care of my horses who have been vaccinated. Where is my vaccine for it?

I have always kept up on wormer with my horses as I actually saw the intestines of a horse that was so ridden with strongyles and such that it made me sick to my stomach.

I do agree with those who vaccinate for those things that can come to our horses at any time. Tetanus is a biggy. Just the slightest cut can cause tetanus before we know what hit them.

I do however believe that a portion of the yearly vaccinations have more to do with profit than the concern for us and our fur kids. Just my opinion but I stick to it.