Fall Vaccines

[appychik]

The boys are scheduled next month for vet work (dental exams/floats if needed, bloodwork & lameness re-eval for Gus only). They now board at my future MIL's place and it's a "closed" barn. No one comes or goes... and my boys stay on property too. It is neccessary to do fall vaccines?

I talked to the receptionist at the clinic and she said I'd have to check with the vet... well, you know what they all say. :lol:

So, this spring the boys had: Rabies, Flu/Rhino, Tetanus/EE/WE and West Nile (and had their Coggins pulled). Do I really need to booster the Flu/Rhino again (I think that's the only one I booster in the fall)?

Just curious. I'll still wait and double check with the vet come next month, but I'm wondering if it's truly neccessary.

[FraggleRock]

vets are always going to say yes, give the vaccines. it up to you to decide. personally i only do rabies, tetnus, and flu/rhino in spring thats it. maybe another flu shot in fall if im showing over winter.

[Ghazzu]

vets are always going to say yes, give the vaccines.

Not so.
I'd say they're entirely optional.

[appychik]

Thanks for the responses thus far. I guess I'm curious though, because we only usually booster the Flu/Rhino and occassionally the WNV (only if we did that one too early in the year) in the fall. Does the Flu/Rhino absolutely HAVE to be boostered, even if horses aren't moved off property? Will the vaccine last until the following spring? I don't want to under vaccinate, but if I don't really need the vaccine I'd rather not. I have no plans on trailering the boys anywhere in the near future.

[Ghazzu]

Probably depends to some extent on which vaccines you use.
I like the IN flu vaccines, myself.

As for rhino, none of them work all that well.