Q: What’s your opinion on whether horse owners should administer their own vaccines?
Having your vet vaccinate your horse assures the vaccine is from a reputable source, that it has been handled properly and kept at proper temperatures during distribution and shipping, and that it is not outdated.
Your vet uses safe techniques for administering vaccines that incur the least risk to you and your horse. Even with a vet’s excellent injection technique, transient side effects such as muscle soreness, fever or malaise can occur, as might an occasional post-injection abscess. Adverse reactions are usually related to an immune response, or to the adjuvant (carrier agent) in individual vaccines, with some vaccine products more reactive than others.
These signs usually pass within 72 hours, and if the best vaccine products available are used, less than one horse in 100 even notices he has received a shot. Based on the sheer numbers of horses your vet immunizes each year, he or she has knowledge of which vaccines have the least likelihood of producing adverse reactions.
Also, keep in mind that if your horse is insured and you administer any medication—including a vaccine—that induces a life-threatening or fatal anaphylactic reaction due to an incorrect injection technique, the insurance company may not honor your insurance claim.
Nancy S. Loving, DVM, is a performance horse veterinarian based in Boulder, Colo. She is also the author of All Horse Systems Go.
I couldn’t do it myself…
I want to start vaccinating my horse by myself but im really scared that shes gonna get an anaphylactic shock or something.
I would love to have the vet give all my horses their shots, but at 70 dollars plus shots, I just can not pay that much, when it is something my neighbor can do.
I’ve been giving my 3 horses their shots for years and have never had a bad reaction. My mare will occasionally get a lump where the injection site was, but other than that they do fine. I watched my vet administer the shot the very first time I ever had a horse and after that, I do it exactly like he did. I also order the vaccines through my vets office and pick them up from the clinic; that was insures they were handled properly.
It really isnt safe to give vaccines or antibiotics for that matter s/ epinipherine available. That said giving basic shots, Im or SQ isnt difficult and handling vaccines is easy if you take the time. That said most vets will teach you to give a shot. One barn vet used to just have me give several of the horses their shots as they were difficult for men to treat
I have been vaccinating my own horses and those of friends for 44 years and have never had a reaction. My current horse was mishandled by someone while vaccinating her prior to my acquiring her and is very difficult to vaccinate, but I can take more time and have more patience than a vet on the clock. I am not disparaging vets, but I also think asking the opinion of a vet regarding vaccinating horses ourselves is going to produce a biased answer. Vets have vaccines shipped from the same suppliers that feed stores use and the handling is the same.
I have had horses for close to 50 years. I have given my own shot many times and have had no problems. I prefer to use a vet for my shots because it establishes a history with the Dr. and insures that I have back up in emergencies,
Our vet charges 65 dollars per shot, times 12 horses, when I can buy them for less than 22 dollars a shot. Plus then add a farm call of 80 dollars….who has that kind of money.
I agree, regular/basic shots, can be given by someone, who is not a vet. I have my order for shots, in on a Monday, and make sure that I ask for extra ice packs, if needed. I usually order, from a place that will have it delivered the next day. a person must do their homework, and it is so much cheaper. If horses/and their care are used as a tax deduction, then most of those people can deduct the high cost of vets/shots/care from their taxes. If you are just a horse lover, with alot of 4 legged friends, that need care, then you must do what is best for them.
I absolutely give my horses shots. It’s so expensive to have a vet come out and it’s not hard to do!