Fully Up to Date On Jabs - Can They Still Get Flu ?

devilwoman

devilwoman

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As per title really, both my horses are fully up to date on their jabs, other girl on yard's filly has an absolute racking cough which she's had for about a week, and today I notice shes got thick snot coming down her nose too - now she won't have a vet to this filly, cause she never does (her other horse has been crippled with laminitis for 18 months and has never seen a vet) so gawd knows how bad she is going to get BUT what i'm concerned about is my 2 horses as they are in a block of four stables, her 2 one end my 2 the other end, one of mine is in foal, the last thing I want is for her to become ill - is it like human flu jab where you can still get it but not so severe or will they not catch it ? thankyou.
 
The answer is yes but should be much milder.
The virus the youngster has could be a different strain to those covered by your vaccination

Animal Health Trust are predicting an equine flu epidemic as so few horses are currently vaccinated (less than half)--hence the ''push '' last year to get people started with a national vaccination month
 
to not call out a vet to a horse that is ill or injured is idiotic and illegal. Under the animal health act an owner has a duty of care to provide treatment by a vet. Horses can still get flu when innoculated against it and in some cases can suffer worse than an unvaccinated horse. I know this because a friend who ran a big yard at one point had flu on her yard and the unvaccinated ones seemed to recover faster than the vaccinated ones. Whether it was a different strain of flu that the vaccine didn't cover I don't know,but I would definitely get in touch with your vet to seek advice as you have a mare in foal. Is there any possibility that you could persuade the filly's owner to seek veterinary advice. Could you not say that people have seen her and threatened to get the rspca involved or something along those lines and see if it will make her do something.
 
Agree with you Spike123--just re-read OP and realised I had not taken in that owner of youngster was unlikely to call a vet
I think YO needs to come in on this one--someone needs to take a stand if an animal is suffering
 
honestly there will definitely be NO vet, her horses just have to get sick and if they get too sick then they are "taken away" - I can't ask her to get a vet because I don't talk to her (due to various arguments culminating in me telling her her horses are neglected) I have decided to leave my horses out 24/7 for the time being and although she has been putting it out to graze they don't graze with mine so i'm not too concerned, although I suppose it is airborne, YO won't be interested either, she's too much of a groveller and won't get involved sadly, she wouldn't last time something drastic happened.
 
I asked my vet this very question only last week!

He said it's extremely unlikely but in theory it's possible; if the vaccinated horse did get it then it would be a very mild version.

I would still keep yours away if possible as it could be a different kind of virus or even Strangles. We currently have a Strangles outbreak at our yard and a few of the horses have a real hacking cough which isn't typical of Strangles but is nonetheless a symptom.
 
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