Have decided to do our own vaccines

[garyo]

We had our vet vaccinate some of the horses that were going places first thing this year but have deided to do the rest ourselves. The catalog and label info for 5 way vaccines state to give a 1ml. dose then 3-5 weeks later give another 1 ml dose then revaccinate at one year. Our adult horses have always been vaccinated every six months. The vet has never come back in a month to give them a booster. What vaccines do you give (specifically interested in the southeastern US), on what schedule and do you buy the preloaded syringes or the vial. I am leaning towards the vile since the needles on the preloadeds seem big for minis and I'm thinking I would end up replacing them anyway with a smaller guage needle?

Ruth

 

[Carolyn R]

I can't answer what shots to give for your area, but I do give the foals (starting at about 5-6 months) 5way shots 1 time a month for three consecutive months, then annually there after. I also give rabies and west nile. That is the basic series of shots where I am from.

What I wanted to let you know about is the previnile shot. Typically the west nile shot is given in spring so it protects the horse during peak mosquito season, some areas require revaccinating every 3-4 months to protect the horse in high risk areas. Previnile is a once a year shot that protects for a full year. It is a few dollars more per shot, but well worth it.

I use a 20 gauge 1 inch needle on my minis. It has always worked fine. The needles are never attatche dto the preloaded syringes, I swap them out and keep the larger needles to draw up oral meds when needed (or to give meds via a cath line if needed, when a dreaded situation occurs

.

Previnile comes in single dose vials, two vials per dose (one wet, one dry, draw up the liquid, squirt it into the dry vial, shake, redraw and vaccinate) all other vaccines I buy by the vial and draw them up myself. Just remember if you order rabies (rab vac 3) it is 2cc per dose, so you only get 5 doses per vial.

 

[wildoak]

If you have mature horses who have been vaccinated regularly, you shouldn't have to do the booster - that should be for youngsters/horses being vaccinated for the first time, at least what I give works that way.

I generally buy the 10 dose vial, saves a little money and as you said I can use a smaller needle.

Jan