Vaccinations

Horses, ponies and donkeys can be vaccinated against a variety of life threatening and performance limiting diseases, including Equine Influenza, Tetanus, Equine Herpes Virus (EHV), Rotavirus, Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) and, more recently, West Nile Virus.

Tetanus:

All horses, ponies and donkeys should be vaccinated against Tetanus as an absolute minimum – the vaccine is safe, easily administered and 100% effective in preventing what is a serious and often life threatening condition, which can be distressing for the horse and very expensive to treat.  

Tetanus is caused by Clostridium Tetani, a bacterium which lives in the soil.  Horses usually become infected with the bacteria via a wound, although in some cases there is no obvious site of infection. 

Signs of tetanus may include a stiff legged gait, raised tail head, pricked ears and a ‘surprised’ expression.  As the muscles stiffen up the affected horse becomes increasingly more painful, and the jaw is usually difficult to open. As the disease progresses animals become unable to eat or drink and may become recumbent. 

The recommended protocol is:

• 1^st vaccination
• 2^nd vaccination 4-6 weeks after the 1^st
• Booster 12 months after 2^nd vaccine
• Booster every 2 years thereafter

Equine Influenza:

Any equine which regularly competes, changes yards, or may come into contact with any other horses, even hacking out, should also be vaccinated against Equine Influenza – whilst not normally life threatening, this disease has recently been diagnosed in the Midlands area, and is very contagious.  Treatment and convalescence can be time consuming and costly. 

Clinical signs may include a high temperature, harsh cough, serous nasal/ocular discharge, reluctance to eat or drink, lethargy and filled legs.  Vaccinated horses may still contract the disease if exposed, but clinical signs are likely to be milder and the affected horses are less likely to spread the disease further.

The vaccine protocol for Equine Influenza is as follows:

• 1^st vaccination
• 2^nd vaccination (21-92 days after the 1^st, but ideally within 4-6 weeks)
• 3^rd vaccination (150-215 days after the 2^nd)
• Annual booster vaccination within 365 days of the 3^rd

Modern ‘flu’ vaccines are very safe, rarely have any side effects, and are easily administered by injection into the neck or pectoral muscles. Scarsdale veterinary group recommends that ALL animals are vaccinated, young or old, pet or competition horse. 

Equine Herpes Virus

Infection with Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) can cause a variety of signs, depending on which strain of the virus is causing the infection.  Vaccination is possible against strains 1 and 4, which can cause performance limiting respiratory disease and abortion.

Although not 100% effective at preventing disease, vaccination will help reduce the clinical signs and longevity of the respiratory symptoms, and reduce the chance of abortion due to EHV infection in pregnant mares. 

The vaccine protocol for Equine Herpes Virus is:

• 1^st vaccination
• 2^nd vaccination 4-6 weeks after the 1^st
• booster vaccinations every 6 months
• Pregnant mares should also be vaccinated against EHV in the 5^th, 7^th and 9^th months of pregnancy to protect against abortion.

Other Vaccines

It is also possible to vaccinate against West Nile Virus, Rotavirus in pregnant mares to boost the immunity of foals, and Equine Viral Arteritis in breeding stallions.

If you require any further information about vaccination, please contact your veterinary surgeon.