Vaccinations

Follysmum

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Interested on how many people are not vaccinating for flu anymore and reasons. Personally I don’t do 3 of mine as 2 don’t go off the yard and are just companions, the other 1 always seems to get a bad reaction so we decided to just tetanus.

I know if your competing affiliated or go on a racetrack you need to.

Had this conversation with a few horsey folk yesterday and I was amazed that some don’t even do tetanus 😮
 

PapaverFollis

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I would never not do tetanus. Would consider not doing flu if I had my own horses at home and we didn't go anywhere but I'd need to read up some more. So far so good with mine not getting reactions but it must be worrying when they do. Having said that I felt pretty shite myself after a flu jab but it was way better then getting actual flu!
 
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The Fuzzy Furry

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I do all of mine, inc the 2 paddock mowers. There potentially could be an occasion that I might bring back something from an event I've done, or a neighbouring yard might incubate something.
1 x mower has had reaction twice, not pleasant for her, but better in my (unqualified) opinion, than full blown flu.

I do take all precautions, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.

That said, the mowers have been out on occasions, tho this is v rare!
 

Follysmum

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I took the decision not to only after having a discussion with my vet.

It’s the tetanus which is crucial and im
So surprised to hear that some people still do not vaccinate for it. I wouldn’t take the risk after knowing someone’s horses dying of it.
 

milliepops

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I had a bit of a facebook cull when I read recently that some friends were considering not vaccinating for tetanus. Their reason was the ingredients used in the vaccine :rolleyes: there was a "if you wouldn't eat it, why would you inject it" antivaxxer meme shared. it's not so long ago that tetanus was a serious problem for horses. I can't understand their attitude.

My ridden horses get flu and tet. The oldies that don't go anywhere no longer have flu, they live in an isolated field.
 

PapaverFollis

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When we had the suicidal thorougbred, literally the first words out if the vets mouth when he turned up up stitch him back together the first time were "he's vaccinated for tetanus isn't he?" More important than the injury itself.
 

Gloi

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A story about tetanus from an old farmer from the days before vaccines. He bred heavy horses for farm work and had a couple of fields they grazed. In one of the fields the young horses kept dying of tetanus as two or three year olds. They found out that what was happening is that the tetanus was in the soil of the field and when the horses reached the age where they were losing their front teeth the bacteria were getting into the wounds in their mouths and they got tetanus and died.
 

Equi

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See i here am a walking hypocrite. I think we WAY overvaccinate our animals, we humans are only allowed to have tetnus a certain amount of times yet we expect our animals to have it every year or two...

That being said, all of mine did get vaccinated this year lol one is because yard demands it, the rest because i had the vaccinations and they got it.
 

Zuzzie

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A story about tetanus from an old farmer from the days before vaccines. He bred heavy horses for farm work and had a couple of fields they grazed. In one of the fields the young horses kept dying of tetanus as two or three year olds. They found out that what was happening is that the tetanus was in the soil of the field and when the horses reached the age where they were losing their front teeth the bacteria were getting into the wounds in their mouths and they got tetanus and died.

Yes, apparently the bacteria lurks in the soil and that is why gardeners need to have the vaccination themselves - not just the horses. Google says: Tetanus spores are found in soil throughout the world. The disease is acquired when material containing these spores, such as soil, contaminates a wound.

A horse dying from tetanus is an extremely distressing sight and is so very unnecessary so always vaccinate against it. As for flu - I've had three horses over the years (at least 35 years) and only ever vaccinated if I was competing due to the regulations. I have a theory (not sure if its correct) but there are many variants of flu and wonder whether the vaccines actually cover ALL of them.
 

Gloi

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Tetanus spores are found in soil throughout the world. The disease is acquired when material containing these spores, such as soil, contaminates a wound.
Yes but it seems that there can be localised hot spots for it as in this case where it was one particular field where lots of horses went down with it, rather that the fields around it so they had to stop using that field for their youngsters. As most sensible people will vaccinate against tetanus now I wonder how common this is to have certain places where the tetanus bacteria is in an extra high concentration.
 

scats

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Mine are vaccinated for flu and tet. I have been doing so for over 30 years and I will continue to do so. We’ve always had horses who compete, but even in the odd circumstance that we’ve had one who doesn’t, we still vaccinate them.
 

windand rain

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Tetanus is a 2 yearly vaccine not an annual one we used to o tetanus biennielly and flu annually as there was significant price difference we now vaccinate annually for both as the price is the same so yes we do over vacciante
 

Cortez

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Not sure if it's still the same, but there was a time when competition horses were required to have 6 monthly 'flu jabs. I wouldn't do that, so stopped competing (not the only reason, BTW).
 
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conniegirl

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Mine are currently all vaccinated for tetanus, however the retired fat lump is not covered for flu. He does not leave his fieldand nor do his companions.

When I had several veterans I took the calculated risk of having one of them not vaccinated for tetanus as when he was 25 he had a very bad reaction to the tetanus jab and we nearly lost him. After discussion with the vet it was decided that at 25 he probably had a fair amount of immunity in his system and it was a risk we were willing to take given his age. We lost him to liver failure age 38.
However I would not have done it if he hadnt reacted so badly to the jab.
 

PapaverFollis

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Granny got 6 monthly vaccination by accident last time! 😂 Vet didn't charge us. No negative effects.

I just follow the vets advice. So it might be every 2 years they get done for tetanus, I'd have to check. But they definitely need doing more often than humans.

And I assume the flu vaccine will be like the human one... it will be against the most likely prevalent strains for that year. So not completely protective but that doesn't make it pointless either. I was very glad I'd been vaccinated against the worst flu strains last year.
 

SEL

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A lady near me lost her shetland to tetanus. He was a rescue so probably had a compromised immune system, but she said it was horrific. Both mine are done for flu and tetanus. We had a flu outbreak at the riding school I rode at when I was younger and it shut it for weeks. Lots of poorly horses.

I reacted to the tetanus jab quite badly in my teens and 20s but because I worked with horses the GP insisted on me having the full course because it wasn't worth the risk. I'm in my 40s now so have had the full course I hope. I've just googled why there was an extra risk if you're around horses and found this - apparently horses are more susceptible than most animals to catching it.

Cl. tetani is present in the feces and intestinal tracts of horses, and humans. Soil contaminated with horse faeces commonly contains Cl. tetani spores. Therefore, humans working around horses and horse farms should seek immediate medical attention when injured, especially with penetrating wounds such as those caused by nails.
 

Laafet

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Mine is hypersensitive to the combined jab so has to have them seperately over two visits. I have been advised by my vet (ex BEVA president), that there was no need to do tetanus every two years and since the competition rules don't ask for it in theory as he has had the full starting course and a few since that like us humans, he would only need a toxoid injection if he gets injured. To be safe I only have his tetanus done every 5 years now.

I think it is ridiculous that we have to fly jab every 6 months for FEI but hey ho.
 

paddy555

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Because horses immune systems are not the same as ours thet need the yearly vaccination. They lose immunity much, much quicker than we do.

do they? does anyone really know? I suspect the only way would be to titre test for tetanus to have any accurate idea. I suspect they are only vaccinated (every 2 years not one for tetanus) as it is cheaper to vaccinate than to test. to has always been the answer to that question and I wouldn't suggest that anyone didn't vaccinate for tetanus just that we cannot say with certainty. Can anyone point to testing that has been carried out to establish the true situation?


I asked my vet this question and he didn't have an answer but suggested the older ones may be covered with far less frequent boosters. They come as babies so we know their vaccination history. (this is tetanus not flu which I don't vaccinate for)

there was a comment about the "anti vaccination madness" I would have agreed it was madness until I bought a puppy and really started researching. Now I am not so sure. I don't think we can regard it as "madness" it is something to be considered.
 

Red-1

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When I was a kid the doctor/hospital re did my tetanus every time I was injured, unless it was VERY recent.

My working horses have tet. every 2 years, flu every year (except when I was doing FEI, but I very much doubt THAT will be happening again :p ).

I was one of the first to worm count, my vet thought it very strange and quite unnecessary to do and did not understand why I did not just worm. I do the same with my dog, the vet did not even know they could do that when I asked and had to seek clarification.

Last year we did not need dog vaccinations, this year we will be testing to see if we need them. But then, my dog is prone to pancreatitis, so we won't vaccinate unnecessarily.
 

paddy555

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I was one of the first to worm count, my vet thought it very strange and quite unnecessary to do and did not understand why I did not just worm. I do the same with my dog, the vet did not even know they could do that when I asked and had to seek clarification.

.

my vet was the same. Looked at me in total horror when I advised I wasn't going to just worm the horses but to count first. Several years later the same vet told me they were now advising their client's to count.
 

Mule

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I vaccinate for flu and tetanus. From what I've read tetanus infection leads to an horrendous death.
 

Follysmum

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Interesting to hear everyone’s views and thoughts. I personally know someone who lost a horse to tetanus, she never vaccinated , when her horse became ill vets did all they could but sadly he had a painful end and she ended up with a 5 grand vet bill as insurance wouldn’t pay out.
 

Mule

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Interesting to hear everyone’s views and thoughts. I personally know someone who lost a horse to tetanus, she never vaccinated , when her horse became ill vets did all they could but sadly he had a painful end and she ended up with a 5 grand vet bill as insurance wouldn’t pay out.
Thats the thing. It's easy to think it would never happen to you, but then if it did... :(
 
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