Low cost vaccine options... yah or niegh....

[RoseBud143]

OKAY... I am curious about how many horse owners, if available to them would ever consider a low cost option for their horses vaccinations. OR if you would only go through your normal quine vet with a farm visit.

With the economy going along the way it is, there are many low cost vaccine options and traveling vet clinics for house hold pets, and many recommend keeping a healthy relationship with you normal vet as well.

So, if this option was available for horse owners, to be able to get lost cost vaccines with out having to pay for a farm visit and they were all done by State Licensed Veterinarians, would you do it? If they were in a local and easily accessible area were walking,riding, or trailering them there was convenient. would you do it?

Now, I know how important it is to maintain a GOOD relationship with your vets for those late night calls, and holiday emergencies, I was just curious if those vet clinics were available for horse owners like they are for dog/cat owners if they would be taken advantage of or deemed a waste.

thanks :)

[jengersnap]

I see enough of both of my vets that I don't feel a need to call them out for routine vaccinations. My husband sees one of our vets pretty much every day at the track, and we see the other one on race days :lol: So we give our own vaccinations. We do swallow the bullet for the yearly coggins though. I think a vetting clinic though would be a great idea. I use to take my dogs to one of those done by animal control in Florida when I lived down there and at the prices offered I was able to do everything needed plus the additional recommended things.

[MSP]

If it were my vet and it was walking distance I would do it. We did that when I was a kid and I would ride some distance to the clinics. But now I would not ride that far and I have no trailer. I also would not do it if it harmed my ability to call my vet for emergencies.

[Chief2]

I use my vet and that's it. I can get them done more cheaply at the barn by the BO, but my vet takes the time to look my horse over, check his eyes, teeth, his legs, feet and vitals, and asks questions about how things have gone in the past 6 months. From there we schedule services and tests. We are happy with this arrangement.

[theoldgreymare]

I would still have one of my normal vets do it even if another option were available. My main vet also gives every horse a wellness exam during spring vaccines farm call. My vets make farm calls when I need them or they meet me at the clinic in the middle of the night if I have to trailer someone in for an emergency. Why wouldn't I give them the business? Additionally, I want a vet on hand in case of immediate reaction, which I have had in the past, as well as reactions several days later.

However, last year our vet did a vaccine clinic at the local feed store and it was very busy. I suspect a lot of horses that would not normally get vaccines done received them that day. I would think there would be an interest in some type of low cost alternative for the general public.

[BuddyRoo]

I don't have a rig to haul the horses to such a thing, so to play along, let's assume that the clinic was going to be offered at my boarding barn so it was still quite convenient.

Here are the reasons I would not participate:

1) I would not want to take my unvaccinated horses to be around a bunch of other unvaccinated horses. ESPECIALLY during biting bug season when beyond rhino and strangles, EIA, WNV, EEE, WEE, etc can all be transmitted.

2) I like having a wellness exam done. To me, it's best to have this done by the same person on an ongoing basis--especially if there are things we're watching.

3) I prefer to do routine stuff with my veterinarian so that she has a working relationship with me and the horses. I feel like doing the routine stuff with my vet even though it might cost me a little more is a good way to keep that relationship going so that when/if I need her on an emergency or even just call to pick her brain, she might be more willing to help.

I like the idea in theory. But to me the potential exposure to disease it too great a risk if my horses aren't properly vaccinated. This is one reason that I try to schedule veterinary and farrier and other equine professional appts first thing in the a.m.--to avoid carry over of disease from farm to farm. And that's how anal I am even WITH vaccinated horses. LOL

If cost were the sole motivating factor, I can see how this might be appealing. But for me, it's just not enough.

[jengersnap]

Just curious, but why would your horses be unvaccinated going into the clinic? And why wouldn't the vet be able to give a quick wellness check? When I did the dogs at a similar clinic, they had a complimentary wellness check, plus I had a CBC pulled for very little extra and the results sent to me by mail a few days later that included a results remarks.

If your horses have unknown vaccination history then sure, arrange to bring the vet to your place. But otherwise, the vaccines don't just expire and leave the system on a given day, so it's not a lot different from hauling your horse anywhere else. Say, you haul to a national forest ride, who says the other horses you encounter on the trails are vaccinated, or the flies aren't carrying WNV, WEE/VEE, Potomac, etc?

I see a central day of vaccinations as a win-win for some situations. The vet gets more done without driving to many different farms over a period of several weeks to get spring shots done and trying to keep on schedule with appointments by everyone coming to him in a first come first served basis, and those who haul in save the call fees and appointment setting. The biggest negatives I see is horses don't fit in carriers or the backs of a vehicle so waiting calmly in line with your horse might be a bit difficult. You'd probably need a number system or something and have horses on deck for their shots, or the vet go from trailer to trailer. With the dogs, I was given a sheet, like a menu, and I just checked off which package and any extras I wanted and the assistants had them ready to go when it was our turn.

[Lori]

I do my own routine vax.

BUT, had I known that my vet was doing the clinic giving rabies and Coggins (plus all the other shots), then I'd have gone for it. I missed it by about a week, unfortunately, so I paid full price for those.

[BuddyRoo]

Just curious, but why would your horses be unvaccinated going into the clinic? And why wouldn't the vet be able to give a quick wellness check? When I did the dogs at a similar clinic, they had a complimentary wellness check, plus I had a CBC pulled for very little extra and the results sent to me by mail a few days later that included a results remarks.

<snip> Say, you haul to a national forest ride, who says the other horses you encounter on the trails are vaccinated, or the flies aren't carrying WNV, WEE/VEE, Potomac, etc?



By "unvaccinated" I mean "due". Because we know that for things especially like Rhino, WNV and strangles vaccs, they don't titer like other vaccines do.

And for that last part--I don't care if other people's horses aren't vaccinated....as long as mine have adequate protection. And for the flies, again, you don't know. That's why you protect your own by vaccinating.

[Ridinwyoming]

The BO were I board gives all the horses their shots. She charges only $5.00 per shot = $20.00. She also schedules the vet every few months to come out for any checkups, lameness, floating etc.

[county]

If it were cheaper then doing them myself like I have all my life I'd use one but I doubt that would ever be the case.

[BelladonnaLily]

By "unvaccinated" I mean "due". Because we know that for things especially like Rhino, WNV and strangles vaccs, they don't titer like other vaccines do.

And for that last part--I don't care if other people's horses aren't vaccinated....as long as mine have adequate protection. And for the flies, again, you don't know. That's why you protect your own by vaccinating.

I don't see the difference between taking your horse to a clinic or to a show. If you show, you might be exposing your horse to unvaccinated or "due" horses. Horses only need a coggins under most circumstances...there is no proof of vaccinations.

[Trakehner]

I do my own shots...save a lot of money, less drama etc. My vet gave me 3 single dose Potomac Horse Fever vaccines the other day (I didn't want to buy a 10 dose vial for just 3 shots). All she asked was, "Who's getting the shots"...simple and she's not worried about a few vaccines.

[BuddyRoo]

I don't see the difference between taking your horse to a clinic or to a show. If you show, you might be exposing your horse to unvaccinated or "due" horses. Horses only need a coggins under most circumstances...there is no proof of vaccinations.

I guess I'm not explaining myself very well.

I don't want to take MY horses who are unvaccinated to be around other horses. If mine are vaccinated, they are protected. Going to a vaccination clinic means that mine AREN'T vaccinated. I don't want to haul mine around and expose them to others like that.

It's not about the rest of the horses being unvaccinated. It's about a large group of horses in one place who may/may not be carrying something and exposing my OWN horses in order to get cheap vaccines. I wouldn't want to take the risk.

Going on a trail ride when MINE are vaccinated and others are not is not the same risk.

ETA: The unvaccinated horse is an at risk horse when you expose them to other horses that may be carrying disease.

[BelladonnaLily]

I guess I'm not explaining myself very well.

I don't want to take MY horses who are unvaccinated to be around other horses. If mine are vaccinated, they are protected. Going to a vaccination clinic means that mine AREN'T vaccinated. I don't want to haul mine around and expose them to others like that.

It's not about the rest of the horses being unvaccinated. It's about a large group of horses in one place who may/may not be carrying something and exposing my OWN horses in order to get cheap vaccines. I wouldn't want to take the risk.

Going on a trail ride when MINE are vaccinated and others are not is not the same risk.

ETA: The unvaccinated horse is an at risk horse when you expose them to other horses that may be carrying disease.

No, you explained yourself well...I'm just being dumber than usual. I guess I should read more slowly next time but I understand now :lol:

[bumknees]

I would but then again while the horses maybe due for vaccs doesnt necessarly mean they are past due. Not being in the medical field I dont know how long the protection from vaccs hang around ie do vaccs really last 12 mths or do they provide protection for lets say 13 mths but recomend 12 mth boosters etc. I know most do the 6mth thing as I do but if you read charts etc on when to give first then booster most say annual dont know why. I do spring and fall shots..
But I would think it would be a better 'deal' also if at the same time a coggins could be pulled, general exam check up. And make apts if something pops up during genral exam.
Like a one stop shopping stop.

[xQHDQ]

I don't have a truck and trailer, so the cost of hauling would probably negate the lower costs of the vaccinations.

Also, I like knowing that my vet knows everything about my horse.

Lastly, I would not want to piss my vet off by going somewhere else for vaccines, which are a revenue builder for him, and rightly so. A pissed vet does NOT come out in the middle of a Sunday night to stitch up a laceration.

[county]

To be honest if a vet wouldn't come out because I vaccinate my own livestock I wouldn't want to use him/her anyway. I also casterate my own livestock, in livestock country its very normal for owners to do both things.

[MSP]

Late 60's early 70's the only time my horse saw a vet was at clinics like this. Vets were too far away and too few in between and there was really no way of getting the shots myself. May have been we just didn't have the money to pay for farm calls. They did exams, floating teeth, coggins and shots at these clinics.

It has been just recently for me (last 15 years) that this notion of having a regular vet has developed. When shots became available in catalogs I was able to start to do my own shots. I would call a vet (who ever I could get to come out) for accidents.

With a shortage of vets upon us once again it will be interesting to see if clinics re-emerge. In the mean time I will give my vet all the business I have for the assurance of having him around when I need him. They don't do emergency calls unless you are a regular client! They have also cut back their emergency hours; no more calls after 10 pm! That is scary! :(

[RoseBud143]

Thank you everyone for your feed back, sorry it has taken me so long to respond to my own post. I appreciate everyone’s opinions, and that’s what I was looking for. I know as many horse owners do how important it is to keep a NICE relationship with your vet! I think I have personally paid for a vehicle or to! I was shocked when I got my shots done this year because of the differences of price between the vet doing them (even with a split farm call) and the price of those who just bought them at the feed store. I opted to do mine through a vet because I was planning on moving and wanted ALL HEALTH INFO to be accurate and on file for traveling. And I like my vet.

But I also know not as many people with horses are as lucky as you and I may be with that option, and I also know, or believe that most of the people that would benefit from an option of low cost vaccines for their horses are in a majority a backyard horse owner. NOT SAYING THAT AS ANYTHING DEROGITORY, just that not all horse owners are as caring and as concerned for their horses as many of us on here are.

With that, Many of those owners are going to be the ones just going to the feed store to buy the shots to give them on their own, and those will be the people you read about in HI about having their horses skin slough off from an abscess due to a bad injection site. SO If that group of people, and their horses could benefit from a program like this, and horses that would normally NOT get shots are able to be kept on a normal health program I think it could potentially help a lot of horse owners.

So thank you all I appreciate all the input, and respect everyone’s points, there all good ones :)