Vaccinating Your Horse

Every year it is important that horse owners vaccinate their horses against major diseases that can be fatal. For many years, the AAEP recommended that horses be vaccinated against rabies, tetanus and Equine Encephalomyelitis, calling them the ‘core vaccines’. With the increasing prevalence of West Nile Virus the AAEP also recommends that WNV vaccine regarded as a core vaccine.

These four vaccines will help to keep your horse from diseases that can be deadly. There is no treatment for rabies and a horse that develops rabies must be destroyed. Vitamin and drug therapies for EE and WNV are not guaranteed to bring about a 100% recovery. Many horses that contract these diseases will have permanent damage to their nervous system. Not only are these diseases difficult to treat and often deadly to horses, but rabies and EE are zoonotic, which means they are transmissible to humans. For this reason it is important to vaccinate against these diseases yearly.

Most people call their veterinarian to have vaccinations administered. These vaccinations are in the form of an inoculation with rabies, EE and tetanus being given as combined shot and WNV given as a single vaccination with boosters given as recommended by your veterinarian. Exactly when and how often to repeat the WNV vaccine is something you should discuss with your veterinarian.

Vaccinating Your Horse Yourself

It is possible to buy the vaccines and administer them yourself in some areas, but most veterinarians would caution against this.

It is essential that the vaccination be stored and handled with care. The vaccine must be fresh and stored at the correct temperature. Proper dosage is essential and you need to be aware of the potential for deadly allergic reactions. Timing is important too. If a vaccine is administered when the horse is already getting sick the vaccination may not be as effective. WNV needs to given at the right time of year to protect your horse during mosquito season.

If any reaction does occur, for any reason, the drug company may not be liable if the vaccine has not been administered by a licensed veterinarian. And of course, needling a horse isn’t always easy. You need to know the correct syringe and needle size, proper dosage, where to inject the vaccine and how to insert the needle correctly. Breaking a needle in a horse’s haunch or neck means you’re going to end up calling the vet anyway, and paying for treatment of an injury in addition to not knowing if the horse got the proper dose or not. You may end up spending more money than you intended and be saddled with the time, worry and trouble it will take to treat the wound.

Reactions to Vaccinations

Whether you vaccinate your horse yourself or have the vet do it, there is the risk, as I mentioned, of a mild to deadly reaction. One horse that I had vaccinated with WNV broke out in dollar sized hives that required another shot to relieve the allergy symptoms. Many people have blamed the WNV vaccine on many different reactions including nervous system damage, colic, hives, diarrhea, fever, edema, founder and shock leading to death. It’s important for your veterinarian to know the exact dosages, contents of the dose, and time and method of vaccination if a reaction does occur.

Having said this however, the possibility of a reaction is slim. It is important to understand that no vaccine for any disease is 100% effective or safe. The possibility of an un-vaccinated horse getting one of these diseases is actually far greater than the possibility of a debilitating or deadly reaction. Seeing a beloved horses suffer needlessly is something no horse owner wants. For tetanus, the only preventative measure is the vaccine and vaccination is the only way to prevent the spread of rabies. The benefits of vaccinating your horse far outweigh any possible risk.