Re: vaccinations

[CMKSAGEHIL <CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-03-04 16:14:53 EST, paus@micoks.net writes:

<<  I
 called the horse vet out for a chiro adjustment on STar today and he said
 he recommends not giving flu adn rhino shots because they do cause a lot of
 reactions and he said he can't justify their expense for the amount of
 protection they offer.
 
 What do you think Heidi?? >>

Hi, Chris--

Flu and rhino both give relatively short-lived immunity, so one must weigh the
options.  If you are confident that you will be exposed to healthy, mostly
vaccinated horses, and if you have a horse that reacts to the vaccine, then it
is probably not worth it to vaccinate.  We have one horse like this that we
are riding, and we also use the strategy of using individual vaccines rather
than combined ones.  I would definitely keep up on tetanus annually, and would
also give sleeping sickness in the summer, but you can weigh the flu and rhino
with the risks.

It is ALWAYS a good idea to give ANY vaccine at a time when the horse is
undergoing minimal stress and is not expected to have to do anything
competitive or important for at least 2 to 3 weeks post-vaccination.

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)