It’s about that time again……Have your horse’s had their shots yet?

By: Cassandra Wilmot

CCE Equine

Spring is in the air and we all know what that means. It’s time to administer your horse’s

annual vaccinations. Following an annual protocol will assure your horse a healthy life

in which they are protected from many potentially costly, if not fatal, diseases. There are

many vaccines available but may not be necessary to administer. It is important to look

at your geographical location because it can factor in when determining which vaccines

are the best to give. A vaccine is an injection that stimulates an immune response against

a specific disease.

If a horse that is going to be traveling off the property, vaccinations place a protective

barrier between the horse and a whole list of problems.. The exposure to different

animals and environments increases a horse’s chances of contracting and spreading

disease. Generally, only two farm visits are required to ensure your investment is safe.

Rabies, Rhinopneumonitis, Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis and Tetanus are

administered during the first veterinary visit and West Nile, Potomac Horse Fever, and

Strangles are given at the second visit. Your veterinarian can also recommend other

vaccines and tests if needed.

In addition, a Coggins test must be done for every horse being transported off the farm

property. A Coggins test is a blood sample taken to check for the virus causing Equine

Infections Anemia (EIA). EIA is a serious and often fatal disease that is spread by blood

sucking flies. Some horses with this disease don’t show any signs but can act as a

reservoir for other flies to bite and spread the virus to many other horses. Signs of this

disease include fever, depression, weight loss, anemia and dependent edema (stocking

up).

Generally, equine disease transmission is either airborne or through blood transfer.

Mosquitoes, flies, and ticks are the usual culprits. However, other animals such as bats,

raccoons, opossums, and even humans can transfer diseases. Don’t be “pennywise” in

thinking that vaccines are a waste of time and money. The cost of vaccinations is nothing

compared to what it will cost should your horse contract one of these diseases. Like the

saying goes “it’s always better to be safe than sorry”.