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Horse and equine vaccine medications and information
Here we discuss many questions you may have regarding how, when, and why you use vaccines to keep your horses happier, healthier, more productive, and alive longer by protecting them against vicious debilitating, life threatening diseases. You will also find a list of these diseases and the vaccination medicines needed to protect horses from them. If you have questions not answered here, bulk supply needs, or medications not found here, please contact us at 1-877-247-4633, 8am-5:30pm or email mailto:cstmrsrvc@agri-med.com.
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Type of Ailment or disease
Botulism
Encephalomyelitis (EEE,WEE,VEE)
Herpes Virus
Influenza
Potomac Horse Fever
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Rabies
Rhinopneumonitis
Strangles
Tetanus
West Nile virus
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Popular brands
Calvenza
Encevac
Equiloid innovator
Equivac
Fort dodge
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Intervet
Prestige
Recombitek
Rhinomune
Strepguard
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How do I give my horses vaccination injections properly?
Most horse owners usually prefer to have their vet take care of regular vaccinations, though many find it needed to inject tranquilizers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications and analgesics at a time of need. Such as when they are injured and may cause more harm to themselves, it is best to sedate them while treating the injury, or even when you clip or shoe your horse. It is important to know how to administer the shot yourself, if you really need to.
Of the four possible ways to administer a injection (intradermally : within the skin, subcutaneous : under the skin, intramuscularly: in the muscle, or intravenous: inside the vain) intramuscularly is the easiest and less risky.
Injection in the haunches: This area is the most likely to cause problems, such as infection and abscesses, which are harder to treat in this area because of poor drainage. This area is usually only used for injection of antibiotics, but if necessary draw a line from the top of the croup to the buttocks and a line from the dock of the tail to the point of the hip. Where they cross is the best place to administer a injection.
Thighs: Considered to be the best place to give any kind of injection it is also the most likely to cause the horse to kick. Administer anywhere on the back of the leg 6 inches below from the top of the base of the thigh.
Neck: Making sure to avoid the spinal column, and ligamentum nuchae which supports the head and neck, or your risk nerve damage, infections and ligament damage. There are three safe areas to inject, the triangle under the main toward the top of the neck created by the ligamentum nuchae, the base of the spinal column, and the shoulder blade on the side.
Before Injecting clean the area with alcohol and betadine to clean away the dirt, other debris, and disinfect the area. Draw the medication into the syringe, and it has been found best to remove the needle, and insert into the injection area separate from the syringe, if the horse jumps you won’t lose the meds, and the syringe. Make sure not to try several times to hit the right spot, it will make your horse even more nervous. If there is any blood coming into the needle, if none is seen, then attach the syringe and pull back on the plunger slightly for further signs of blood, if there is, remove and reposition the needle. If there is no blood, quickly inject the medication and pull out the needle strait and quick. If more than 15 milliliters are being administered it is best to use multiple injection points.
When do I vaccinate my horses?
Click to see vaccination schedule.
Why should I bother with equine vaccinations?
Vaccines were developed to keep your horses happy, more productive, and alive much longs. Most diseases and ailments vaccines are made for are very severe, debilitating, painful, and possibly fatal afflictions. Most are very common among horses especially when there is a large amount of horses stabled together and with annual, seasonal, and monthly vaccinations and boosters provide excellent protection against these terrible diseases that cause some much pain, and short life of these beautiful animals. As well the cost of vaccination being so small in comparison to the value of the horses productivity levels, and long healthy life.
Do equine vaccines really work?
Before vaccines are allowed to be used regularly by vets and equine owners they must show that they will usually prevent your horse from getting sick, and that even if they do get sick that the effects of the disease are much less dramatic, often the sickness has a shorter life, and easier for the horse to overcome the sickness in a shorter time. Though no vaccine can guarantee 100% effectiveness.
How do horse vaccines work?
Horse vaccines are made from the actual disease causing organism, a harmless version of it that has either been killed in a lab or weakened enough so that your horses immune system can quickly identify the problem and develop in some cases a permanent protection, or more commonly a temporary protection from the disease. Annual and seasonal vaccinations assures a great amount of protection against these deadly diseases.
What kind of side effects should I be aware of?
Sometimes at the point of injection your horse can experience stiffness, soreness, swelling, infection and sometimes abscesses usually occurring in injections to the haunches. As well injections into a blood vessel, though very unlikely can cause a serious problem. To make sure you are not injection into a blood vessel pull quickly back on the plunger to see if blood enters the syringe. If this occurs, remove the needle and try another area.
Anaphylaxis is a allergic reaction that is extremely rare, it is very serious and cause death but again it is very rare. Unfortunately this does not occur on the first injection, it takes several for the equine to develop a allergy and once it occurs you will notice swelling, hives, weakness, or difficulty breathing within a hour of the injection.
How long do vaccinations last for my horses?
Normally vaccinations need to be provided yearly, and in some cases seasonally.
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