[ldaziens]

Why would you be snarky to someone that never gets involved in the trainwreck threads, and is generally helpful and I've never seen be confrontational?

We need an eye rolling, head shaking UN-smiley. And, seriously, if anybody feels an obsessive compulsion to be MEAN; why not go find that dead pony woman and give her a piece of your mind? Posting something rude to somebody who simply responded to the OP politely -- REALLY???

[ldaziens]

So someone smartly started a thread titled 'what spring shots are you using' to be more direct to getting answers to the question posed rather than 'oh I use my vet.' The OP here asked what are you using? not what are you doing?

Do those of you who split your shots up doing them yourself end up paying more that way? It seems to add up to quite a bit more to me.

My vet knows I order and do my own shots. He told me to booster the rhino this year because of the outbreak.

I'd suggest you re-read the OP and re-read Deltawave's response. Here, let me help you w/ that:

OP: " So wondering where you buy yours and who has the best price."

Deltawave: "But if I had to purchase, I generally prefer to use "local" like the TSC if the weather is warm to avoid the vaccine getting exposed to higher temps than it ought to. If I'm buying in the winter I go with Jeffers or Valley Vet."

I love popcorn & boxed wine more than anyone; but, apologies are better late than never.

[pattnic]

I use Vetera Gold (influenza, EHV-1, EHV-4 tetanus, EEE, VEE, and WNV) by Boehringer Ingelheim and I give it myself.

Most recently I've ordered from QC Supply, as they had the best prices after factoring shipping (about $50 each), but in the past I've also ordered from United Vet Equine (used to get Fort Dodge vaccines from there, too... quit using FD when Pfizer bought out Wyeth).

I can get them from my vet, and have also done that in the past, but it was about $75 each, as it was a product they didn't care.

Vet does rabies at the same time as Coggins.

[Appsolute]

I am getting vaccine from Santa Cruz Biotechnology.

Just an FYI, they have made the news around here for mistreatment of research animals.

I buy mine from either tractor supply, or order from Jeffers (ice pack is always still frozen when they arrive).

I have used Fort Dodge in the past without issue, but it makes me a bit nervous. I will probably buy Intervet this year (also used before with out issue).

[jenm]

For those of you who do your own shots, do you also do the strangles vaccination yourself as well?

[Lord Helpus]

Wow. I didn't realize that so many people give their own shots. Has anyone figured out the savings per horse by doing it yourself?

And, doesn't rabies have to be given by a vet?

What vaccines do you give to horses who go to shows, v. horses who are retired and never leave the farm? I have 2 horses who leave the farm and 3 retirees.

I love COTH. I am always learning.

[grayarabpony]

Wow. I didn't realize that so many people give their own shots. Has anyone figured out the savings per horse by doing it yourself?

And, doesn't rabies have to be given by a vet?

What vaccines do you give to horses who go to shows, v. horses who are retired and never leave the farm? I have 2 horses who leave the farm and 3 retirees.

I love COTH. I am always learning.

Yes, a rabies shot should be administered by a vet, and at the least has to be purchased from a vet.

Can't answer as to savings, as we haven't given our own shots for a few years, but my horses on my farm get almost everything, because you can bring track home anything from the feed store or a show and mosquitos are everywhere.

They get flu/rhino, West Nile. E/WEE, Tetanus, and rabies vacc. F/R, WN and the EE vaccs 2x/year. I'm in central NC too.

[Tom Bloomer]

. . .Why does DW feel the compulsive need to post?? 34,610 and counting. She's not really contributing to the question/answer.

I'm so sorry that DW's posts cause you such feelings of personal inadequacy. But please, don't try to project those feelings onto the rest of us.

[Robin@DHH]

Lord Helpus asked,"Doesn't rabies have to be given by a vet?"
The answer depends on which state you live in and which
animals you are vaccinating. In the state next to me,
Minnesota, only vets can purchase and administer rabies.
Here in Wisconsin, owners can purchase and administer
rabies vaccine to large animals (e.g. horses and cows) but
cannot give rabies vaccine legally to dogs and cats; that
must be done by a veterinarian. If you check the listing
for rabies vaccine in Jeffers catalog, they have a long list
of states they cannot ship rabies vaccine to.

[deltawave]

Spring shots cost me approximately $100 per horse when the vet does them. I think when I priced it out once a few years ago I might have saved $30 doing them all myself, IF I got deals on shipping. And the rabies has to come from a vet anyway. Getting to pick my vet's brain for an hour, having him look them over, and maintaining a good professional relationship with the guy I hope to never have to call at 2am is worth the money, IMO. And he does fecals for free when he comes out to do vaccines, so I really feel like I'm getting a deal.

[morganpony86]

Wow. I didn't realize that so many people give their own shots. Has anyone figured out the savings per horse by doing it yourself?

And, doesn't rabies have to be given by a vet?

It saves me a bundle on three horses. My spring shots if given by the vet run around $100/horse, like deltawave. Just ordered my spring shots and it cost me $180, incl. shipping. To have the vet give shots, they don't just come out and give shots. They charge you a call fee (usually around $30) and an exam fee (usually around $35/horse). Plus, if I do them, I can break them up over several days among my old boys instead of the poor guys getting all of them at once (or paying the vet to come out multiple times).

I have the vet out once a year to give rabies and do an annual exam/bloodwork/teeth, usually in August. Then I give fall shots myself too, around September.

[jn4jenny]

For me, it usually comes down to price + ability to find a vendor with single-dose vaccines for rabies and Potomac Horse Fever + ability to find a vendor who will sell me a small number of extra sharps and syringes, not an entire box of 80 to 100.

Last year, I happened to be refreshing my first aid kit with supplies from Jeffers Equine, so I could get my extra sharps/syringes through them. I bought single-dose vaccines from United Vet Equine: Intervet Prestige V + WNV, Intervet's EquiRab, and Merial Potomavac.

This year United Vet Equine was out of stock on single doses of Merial Potomavac, and they only sell sharps/needles in boxes of 80 to 100. So I went with Big Dee's which sold individual sharps and syringes as well as the Prestige V, West Nile Recombitek, and Merial's ImRab + Potomavac.

If you're looking for a good price on single shots, ask your vet if they'll sell you the vaccines to shoot yourself. They can often match or come very close to the price of the commercial dealers because they're buying vaccines in bulk and then dosing them out into individual syringes. And if they charge you $25 for a combo shot that cost them $18 out of their bulk jar, they're still turning a nice profit and it didn't cost you more than using a commercial vendor.

For the record, my vet still makes plenty of dough off me. I buy new banamine and bute almost every year, and she pulls a Coggins and a fecal.

[Emily&Jake]

I purchase mine at TSC (well, around here it's called Dels). My gelding wasn't ever vaccinated until last year, when I bought him. He didn't get the rabies vaccine. I should call and check how much that would be.

How much is the normal cost to buy banamine & bute? I know different vets will probably charge varying amounts, but a general price range is nice. I'd like to get some to stock in case it's needed.