vaccines

lisae

lisae

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Jun 15, 2000
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Ok, this has been bothering me for a while.

When I get my dog and cat their rabies shot, it's good for three years (only the first shot and the second are given a year apart.)

When I stepped on a nail in the barn last spring, I had to get a tetanus shot - because my last one was only good for TEN years.

With my horses, they have to get theses shots every year, what's up with that? I swear the vet gives tetanus at the drop of a hat, and none of them has had a cut yet. He gave a tetanus shot prior to gelding (which never happened, another story) even though pony had just come through a sale that required the shot, too.

Just curious, does anyone have an explanation? some immunities are supposed to last a lifetime, but most horse shots have to be given annually.
 
I have occasionally wondered the same thing, but I trust my vet & she recommends boosters every 6mo/year depending on the vaccine. It may have to do with the way that the vaccine is designed to work in the horse's system, or it may be because our horses are often re-exposed (travelling to shows, newcomers to the barn, etc)--and they are much more fragile than the dogs. (at least most of the horses I know are ;) )

I give a flu/rhino/EE shot every 6mo, but I have read recommendations that if your horse is showing or travelling heavily, to re-vaccinate every *four* months. The West Nile is recommended for every 6 months, which I think is based on the effectiveness of the vaccine (they at first thought it was going to be a yearly shot). I think I have heard of the WN being given every 4mo in more mosquito-ey climes (Louisiana, maybe? not sure)

The rabies vaccines have now been fairly well proven to last at least 3 years, but it is still state law in most states to have all pets re-vaccinated every year. I got my vet's recommendation on this too, and am only getting my dogs boosters of their non-rabies shots every 3 years from now on. My husband's first dog died of a bad allergic reaction to a booster when he was a kid; I'd rather expose them as little as possible (especially my husband's current dog!).

And just so you know, most of my shots I give myself :) so my vet's recommendations don't profit her any if she recommends I booster more often.
 
I have been asking this same question of both vets & doctors for many years with no satisfactory reply. The lack of reply makes me very suspicious!
However my last tetanus vaccine for the horses done last year was for 3 years!!!. So ask for that one.
 
To find out how long a vaccine is good for, they do studies to test the vaccine "titer"(that is, the amount of antibodies left in the animal's system in reaction to the vaccine). If you can find it, you could find out the makers of your particular vaccine and research to see if there is any data on the expected duration of that particular vaccine. Maybe try a web seach to check titer levels for each vaccine. You may come up w/ something good.
I know, recently there was a big article in a vet magazine, about whether or not you should vaccinate your pet as often as every year. There has been a few problems with dogs and cats and maybe others, getting cancer in the typical spots that vaccines are usually injected. From what I could gather, they were not sure if this was from foreign debris injected with the needle, or from a reaction to the vaccine. But they did say that maybe soon, they would find out soon that vaccines would not have to be injected any more than neccesary. The article also made sure to point out that it would be foolish not to vaccinate at all, because the vaccines do do a lot of good in preventing disease.
 
Equine influenza vaccine needs to be done every 12 months after the initial course. This is because the strains may change slightly each year and to get continued protection you need to boost 12 monthly (same in humans). Equine Herpes virus is every 6 months for the respiratory strain but if covering for pregnancy to prevent abortion it needs to be every 3 months.

Tetanus does not need to be annually, only needs doing every other year but some vets often just give the combined flu & tet every year. It is worth making sure that you miss the year out from a cost point of view as the single flu vaccine is up to £10 cheaper than the combined flu & tet vaccine.

In the UK we don't cover for anything else routinely other than flu & tet. One of my mares gets the EHV vaccine but the other had an adverse reaction to it so she can't have it any more.
 
West Nile vaccine

Really? It's supposed to be given every six months? My vet did two shots about six months apart, but when he did the last one (in October) he told me it'd be good for a year!

We're pretty mosquito-infested here in the swamps of SC, but we haven't had much (if any) WNV. Do you think I should get my horse another booster come spring?
 
the reason tetanus is given every yr or 2yrs to the horse and only every 10yrs to us is because of the horse living in a much more risky environment. they are in contact with the soil much more than us and tend to get cuts and scratches more.

the reason some vaccines are given every 6months and others every10yrs is to do with how the vaccine is formulated and what it's active ingredient is.
 
My vet does give the tetanus every other year - he also just gave mine their boosters even though they were overdue their vaccinations (rather than starting again) as he said the immunity would stay in their blood for more than the year, so a month overdue (whoops:( ) didn't matter. Mine are in a very low risk area for flu (no regular contact with other horses) and their tetanus was not due until next year.
 
Re tetanus:eek:ur vet recommended these every three years..I don't know however if that was just because of a low risk environment....no shoes, post and rail paddocks and little 'risk' work. We still have our competiton horses vaccinated with combined flu/tet every year. Slight deviation but we had to stop vaccinating our 'oldies' for flu as it was causing problems with their repiration (average age 27+). Has anyone else encountered this
 
The vets around here recommend flu/rhino every three months, and tetanus yearly. My vet is giving the whole barn WNV shots, a booster three weeks from now, and then annually.
 
At most barns I was at they only recommended shots yearly but at my new barns its every four months! which really adds up! But it is a busy barn with lots of horses coming in and out so I guess its good that way!

The west niles is very big here right now, our insurance is VOID if we do not get our horses the vaccine for it!
 
Some things to keep in mind re: how often to vaccinate

type of vaccine being given (not flu vs tet type but live vs dead type)... we don't all get the same vaccines. They don't all work as well with the immune system to provoke antibody production.

exposure... all it takes in a splinter from a board or a prick from a thorn and you're exposed, humans included. Maybe i'm just accident prone :rolleyes: but i find if i don't where good solid work gloves i probably get cuts/splinters every few month. And then there's always the risk if you have a wound on your hand (eg the carrot peeler slipped) and then the horse's hooves were muddy when you pick them out... and so on.

and then there's the good old 'he was innoculated/vaccinated but it just didn't take'. D'oh!
 
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