Core Vaccines

***This blog was originally written in January of 2020, and as of today, March 24th, 2020, times have changed significantly.  With Covid-19 causing the issues that it is, we feel it necessary to add the following statement.

Governor Polis on 3/20/2020, in Colorado Executive order 2020 009, made veterinarians part of the list of essential workforce to continue with “necessary procedures.”  For the safety and welfare of horses, the Mobile Veterinary Services vaccination schedule will continue as planned.  If delayed 3 or more months, depending on conditions, our horses will become susceptible to deadly diseases.  

As always, at MVS, we strive for clear client communication.  We will keep everyone informed to the best of our abilities as to the orders placed on us as veterinarians.  Please feel free to call with individual questions that you may have. ***

There is a long list of vaccines available to give our horses.  Owners and even veterinarians can get bogged down in the details, and that’s just based on the vaccines available. 

Then we start to talk about schedules for each group of horses.  Groups like Adult horses vaccinated in the past, Adult horses with no known or no history of vaccines, Foals (of vaccinated mares), Foals (of unvaccinated mares), oh yeah, and the broodmares!  Whew, I think that covers the horse population!!!

Really quickly a discussion of “just vaccines,” gets complicated.  Mobile Veterinary Services will always fall back on, “talk with your veterinarian to make a plan for YOUR herd and their individual needs.”  Here, we would like to discuss “core vaccines.”

What is a core vaccine? 

As defined by the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners) a core vaccine “protects against diseases that are endemic to a region, are virulent/highly contagious, pose a risk of severe disease, those having potential public health significance, and/ or are required by law.  Core vaccines have clearly demonstrable efficacy and safety, with a high enough level of patient benefit and low enough level of risk to justify their use in ALL equids.”  It’s a mouthful, but what does it mean?  In the end, it means that they are safe, low risk, and designed and developed to protect horses and humans alike. 

These are the Core Vaccines recognized by the AAEP:

Tetanus:  Should be given annually.  If there is a question as to the status of a horse, they should receive a 2-dose series (4- 6 weeks apart).  Colts should receive a 3 shot series beginning around 6 months of age, second dose 1 month later, and another dose at 1 year old. 

EEE/WEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis/ Western Equine Encephalitis):  Just like the Tetanus, it should be given annually, and they should go through an initial 3 dose series.  Conveniently, tetanus is often in a combination vaccine with these two. 

West Nile Virus:  As with the two above, West Nile should be given annually.  This is often in combination with WEE/EEE and Tetanus and can be given to colts and fillies in one shot on the same 3 dose schedule. 

Rabies:  Rabies is 100% fatal, in ALL species.  All youngsters should receive 2 vaccines starting around 6 months old (second one about 1 month later).  Then, every horse, every year should receive a booster. 

Every horse should receive at least these vaccines, every year.

It is important that these vaccines are handled correctly and managed at the appropriate temperature and environment to ensure that the vaccine is an effective and SAFE one.  This is the biggest reason that we recommend that you receive your vaccines from a licensed veterinarian.   If you ever have questions about your herd’s (no matter how big or small) vaccination protocol, please feel free to reach out to MVS!

Spring Time Tune Up For Horses

QUESTION: Is it time for spring shots?

ANSWER:

Warm days, green grass, tulips beginning to show, and the familiar buzz in the background are all signs that Spring is here.The first thought is, “it’s too early”, but sure enough, the bugs are here.Insects are powerful and efficient transmitters of disease.It is the threat of their annual appearance, which reminds us that is time to consider our horses and their “spring shots.”

The term “spring shots” can be a vague one.In general, we consider it the vaccinations which will cover insect borne diseases, as well as those communicable diseases that are passed from horse to horse as we start getting them out, and hitting the proverbial trail.

One of the more commonly administered vaccines for spring is often referred to as a 5-way shot.This label represents the 5 diseases that the vaccine is meant to prevent; Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), Tetanus, Influenza (Flu), and Rhinopneumonitis (Rhino).This year you may also hear of a 6-way shot, which adds West Nile Virus (WNV) to the above vaccine.

EEE, WEE and WNV are all diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes.These diseases most commonly cause a condition known as encephalitis, which is swelling and inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.Infection with these diseases can be life threatening and leave some horses with permanent nerve damage.

Flu and Rhino are diseases that we consider respiratory diseases most commonly.Like the flu and cold in humans, our equine companions can catch these viruses from other infected horses, sick or not.Also like humans, our horses can exhibit similar respiratory symptoms when affected by these viruses.Runny noses, coughing and fever are commonly seen when horses are sick from Flu or Rhino.

Horses as a species are also one of the most susceptible animals to Tetanus.Tetanus happens when the bacteria Clostridium tetani infects a closed wound.The disease can be fatal if not caught VERY early and is easily preventable with yearly booster vaccination.

Along with vaccines, there are a few other “house keeping” things to consider with your horses.Spring is a good time to remember to de-worm your horses.In the spring, we usually use a combination de-wormer.Combination de-wormers are an Ivermectin product, combined with another class of de-wormer called Praziquantel to provide coverage against any possible tapeworms.Having a routine dental examination to assess whether or not your horse is due for a dental float is also a good idea.

Spring is also a great time to clean up your pens (hopefully before mud season is here!) and consider how to best manage your horses to minimize exposure to insects.A good fly control program can improve the quality of your horses’ day to day life, as well as decreasing exposure to bacterial and viral diseases.Also making sure that there is no unnecessary standing water around to minimize the exposure to mosquitoes (for horses AND humans) can really decrease exposure of everyone to West Nile Virus.

By getting all of the preventative care and house-keeping tasks completed this Spring, you can focus on spending time with your horse, in the saddle or otherwise, and enjoy all of the nice weather that a Colorad