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[RC] EHV-1 A Must Read On Vaccinating Part 3 of 4 Revised - Don HustonThe answer to that question, in the short term, is an emphatic no. It is the short term that we are concerned about after potential exposure. We have discussed how vaccination causes a short term dip in the immunity in general. This dip in immunity is, logically but unfortunately, especially pronounced for the disease we are vaccinating against! Thus, if your horse has had potential exposure to EHV1 (also known as Equine Herpes or Rhinopneumonitis) and is potentially incubating the virus, vaccinating him will actually increase the odds that he develops clinical signs. In the case of the neurological form of EHV1, this is a potentially fatal decision. For most other diseases, the ramifications are not so dire. Sickness is usually just an unfortunate event that horses and humans will generally recover from. Nature is, after all, on our side. The experience of vaccinating and aiding the appearance of clinical disease was brought clear to me as when I worked as a farm veterinarian. I would inevitably see an increase in the number of runny noses, coughs and fevers following the herd administration of a round of flu/rhino vaccine given to young foals. Unfortunately, at that time I could not put the facts together correctly and, instead, reacted to the situation by stubbornly continuing to vaccinate horses at a younger and younger age. Needless to say, this did not solve the problem. The correct response was probably to develop as hardy a group of foals as possible in a large farm situation. This would include allowing them opportunity for reasonable exercise (note: I did not say unlimited exercise unless Darwinian survival is what you are after. Most owners will have a very hard time with that explanation. I tried it once and will never go there again), decrease relative and absolute over-crowding in all paddocks and pastures, decrease dust and heat exposure and pay attention to correct nutrition. Correct nutrition includes both the creep feed for the foals as well as for the dam throughout her pregnancy. Also important is the benefit of quarantine of new arrivals from young stock for 21 days. This will cut down on preventable exposure. I know that vaccination is easier to institute than this list. Institution of all of these measures on a farm at the same time is seldom practical in my practice area. What remains true is that vaccination, in-of-itself is not sufficiently effective and can, in fact, be counter productive. Does this mean we are not to vaccinate our livestock? Of course not, It does mean that you, as the horse owning public and ultimate consumer, can easily understand the more rational use of vaccines. Use the best quality vaccine possible, use them sparingly but at appropriate times, group vaccines as little as possible, separate their administration by 10 days, do not vaccinate 21 days before or after vanning horses. Perhaps most importantly, do not vaccinate in the face of possible exposure to a disease. What then is the best response to possible exposure to a contagious disease? The response would be the same whether the disease is influenza, Strangles or, as in the current situation, EHV1. The rational approach is to bolster the immune response. Decrease stress as much as possible, increase the quality and quantity of high quality nutritional support and begin immune stimulants as quickly as possible. The immune stimulants that we use are generally of two types, the oral supplements and the injectable medication designed for intra-venous administration. These two forms of administration can and should be combined. For oral support, we use Transfer Factor (Life Data Labs) and Platinum Performance (Platinum Products). We follow label administration directions. For IV use, Eq-stim and Zylexis (Pfizer) are the two choices. Zylexis has been tested specifically against viruses prior to its recent release on the open market. If there is a concern about exposure to EHV1, use the Zylexis and the oral supplements as discussed. . The administration schedule for both Eq-stim and Zylexis is similar. It is listed to give a total of 3 injections, day 1, day 4 and day 7. At the least, separate their administrations by 48 hours. A single shot helps, 2 shots are better than 1 and three better than 2. A situation may change dramatically in a short time period and not necessitate the expense, time and potential complications of IV shots. Stay informed and get the most current and accurate information from your veterinarian.
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