While on the subject of giving their own shots

[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=18pt]Where do you get your vaccines from? I'm thinking of doing them myself except for the rabies because the vet has to give them. I have 3 horses, the vet came already for Honey and that was $110 for all her shots, the vet call, and a shot of selenium. He's coming next week for the other 2. I figure if I can save anything that will be good. Also do you give it to them in the neck or rump? My old vet used to just give them their shots in their rump, it was just easier for everyone.[/SIZE]

Christy

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

I get mine at ValleyVet.com Since you only have 3 it's more cost effective to get the individual vaccs as they are prefilled and come with the needle. Although I get the WNV through the vet and do my own. Saves a farm call and he gives me a pretty good rate per vacc.

I prefer to give in the neck, others like the chest or rump. Just a matter of personal preference. If you are unfamiliar with giving injections yourself ask the vet or one of the techs to give you a primer before you do your own. You just need to be sure to pull back a little on the plunger after attaching the syringe to make sure you haven't hit a vein. I prefer to gently insert the needle in one smooth move rather than dart them. I hate to see them hurt and fear getting the injections so I do it myself. There are many places on the net you can find the best areas mapped out to give the shots.

 

[Cathy_H]

We get ours from Jeffers. Lee gives them in the rump. I saw a drawing somewhere on the net showing the exact areas to give them if you are not sure.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

We've had various vets give them all over. Last year out of three shots he insisted on giving one in each pectoral and then the other in the neck in both Arabs and the mini. Bad idea, they all reacted to the Tetanus for some reason and the mini's chest got so swollen he refused to walk for three days. Ouch!

The theory was that the pectorals would drain easier if something abscessed but that just seems like a bad place to me. This year's vet gave a shot under the curve of the buttock on each side and then the last shot in the neck. He was really good, I was watching and I didn't even see him give the first shots! The horses loved this guy.

: The general agreement these days is that top of the quarters is bad, if it abscesses you are in major trouble. Neck is usually fine but can cause problems eating or drinking if they have a major reaction and don't want to move their necks, lower hindquarters is good too without that risk.

Spyder had a small bump on his left hiney but no soreness and Kody (the mini) seems a little sore but no bumps and is willing to walk around on his own.

I could have given them myself but both horses needed a spring checkup anyway and it's just a habit to have a vet do it. Expensive, but oh well! It's once a year and I've only got the two. Compared to the dentist who's coming on Friday, the shots were cheap.

:

Leia

 

[disneyhorse]

Mine all get their vaccines in the neck except for my mare, who has a bad reaction to the binders in vaccines... she gets soooooo sore at the injection site. If it's on her neck, her entire neck is so stiff she can't pick her head up off the ground for 2-3 days. At least in her rump, she's just very stiff walking around and I figure that's the lesser of two evils

It is definitely cheaper to buy vaccines and administer yourself. We buy a 10 dose vial from www.kvvet.com for about $90 and since I only have a few horses I split with someone else who has many horses. Can do ten for what it costs here to do just one!

Andrea

 

[Jill]

I also get them from Jeffers, usually, but have ordered from other vendors as well for 10+ years and been happy each time. I always order overnight delivery w/ extra icepack.

I would NOT recommend getting from a feed store. It concerns me that they may not store the shots properly or put them in the fridge promptly.

Also we usually do the shots in the rump, but not always. I have had abscesses 1x and very sore neck 2x in 10 years. The rump seems not to cause as many problems. Plus, a horse will still WALK if it's "butt" is sore, but may not eat or drink as much as it should if its neck is sore.

Here is a really good paper I saved awhile back that will give you good information about how and where to vaccinate:

http://www.whinny4me.com/Horse-Info/horse%...%20how%20to.pdf

 

[anita]

Feed Store, Tractor Supply, Farmers Coop

I have 25 horses

Anita

 

[Voodoo]

We get them from Jeffers supply and like Jill I make sure it is overnight delivery w/extra ice. We get the WN from our vet, but he gives us a pretty good deal on it (I love our vet, such a great guy :bgrin ). We have always given our own shots and I prefer the neck or low in the butt like hobbyhorse 23. I have only had minor bumps twice in all the years we have been doing it so I guess we're doing good so far. I also had a vet teach me how to hit the vein, just in case I needed to do it. I have had to vein them several times over the years and it is nice to know how to do it. We used to live 100 miles from the nearest vet (and he wasn't very good :no: ) so we were our own vet on most things for a really long time.

 

[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=18pt]Thanks everyone. I've given shots before. I was just wondering were you preferred to do them. Smarty doesn't like them in his neck, but the other ones don't really care. I figures the single dose would be cheapest. I get all the catalogs so I can check prices.[/SIZE]

Thanks again,

Christy

 

[Miniv]

It's good to price compare......We tend to go with either Valley Vet or Jeffers.

We prefer to give the shot in the butt muscle. But sometimes a horse is a little too jumpy, so in that situation, we give in the neck.

MA

 

[Abby]

Isn't the single dose syringe for a full size horse? How many minis can you get from one syringe?

Lee

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Vaccine dosages are the same for minis or full size horses.

 

[shminifancier]

Yes you don't do smaller amounts of vaccines to minis only dewormer stuff. I give all my shots including rabies and WNV and I use the rump.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Agreed. My vet reminded me just this week that studies have shown that no matter the size of the horse, it takes the same amount of vaccine to build up the antibodies.

But for Pete's sake don't use that idea on dewormer or painkillers or anything else! :new_shocked: The theory only applies to vaccines. The others are indeed done by body weight.

Leia

 

[bobby dazzler]

Hi. Poor bob has an infection after getting gelded and the vet has shown bth my husband and I how to give him his shots of penaccillin - sorry about the spelling. The vet suggested either the neck or the rump - in the muscle - and before injecting, need to make sure no blood is coming out - which would mean you have hit a vein. If you inject into a vein, apparently they have a huge reaction - so that is a no no. If you hit a vein, you just take the syringe out and try another spot. The vet kinda punched Bob in the neck and on the third time, he plunged the needle in - then he screwed on the medicine vial - once he had checked no blood was visible - i.e the vein. The needle is huge - my husband has been really brave and given him two injections so far - and is very pale and shaky while doing it. I dont know if we could ever do it ourselves for normal routine stuff - i.e, annual needles - we are bth woosy. Would rather foot the bill - only have two minis so that is an easier decision to make obviusly.

 

[shminifancier]

Well on the up shot of given shots yourself. That if a person ever has to give Shots to Themselves then you have lots of practice.

Case in point over a year ago I started on the Rheumatoid Arthritis medicine Enbrel Now I am going to Humira,Which is also given 2 times a week via injection. Now at the start the Nurse had me practice on an orange, and she saw how I handled needles and such and when I "stuck" that orange, she said "I see you have no problem with given shots" and I told her that for years I have been given shots of one kind or another to horses.

So if God forbid any of you develop something that you need to take shots for this could be good practice.

Well at least the needles are much smaller 1/2 inch long and 27ga. So in my fat belly muscle most of the time I don't even feel a thing

: So just a thought for what might happen in years to come that is all......

 

[Sandee]

I have been to a "day with the vet" type of clinic where we were shown how to wrap a leg, how to "judge" good hay, give shots (into an orange), etc.

When my filly needed the booster shots (which have to be in a certain time period of the original) but no one else needed the vet and the vet was very busy with foalings etc., I was able to give the boosters myself. I told them the "orange" experience and the gals in the vet office just smiled. I was nervous to the point that I shaved the spots where I wanted to inject so I didn't have to guess if the needle got in far enough. The first poke was a bit timid and it didn't penetrate far enough but I got it the second time and the second shot was easier.

I guess when it comes down to saving money or getting "guts" enough to do it myself - saving $$ wins!

By the way I purchased the correct dose already drawn in the vial (top of the needle ?) and the needles from the vets office and saved $12 on the 2 shots plus a $39 "farm call".