This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Has anybody witnessed or heard of horses having bad reactions to the West > Nile Vaccine? > [...] > Another vet doesn't think it will come to Alaska as he thinks infected > birds will die before they arrive on migration. > [...] > Then, one horse owner said that she was at one barn in Washington state > where she witnessed horses having bad reactions from the WNV shots. > [...] > Those here with a large number of horses can't see the point of spending > $60+ per horse to get shots that may never be needed.
It's going to be interesting to see where WNV does and doesn't crop up. One vet here in town is urging everyone to vaccinate everything. Another has privately confided that he doubts WNV will actually become a serious problem here. He notes that canine heartworm (also spread by mosquitos) is rampant in surrounding counties, but not here. No idea why (we certainly do have mosquitos); it's just one of those oddities. Time will tell.... FWIW, my donkey (Shadow) is on a schedule of minimal vaccinations, because years ago, she started reacting to the rhino-flu shots. Both of her parents had had similar reactions, which got worse with each subsequent shot, i.e. it seemed to be a building allergy problem. My vet at the time recommended only vaccinating Shadow for "things we can't cure", like tetanus and sleeping sickness (to which she does not react). Last fall, when the Oregon state vet suddenly started recommending the shots, Shadow and my 2 Fjord geldings got the 2-shot WNV "starter" vaccinations. None of them showed any reaction to either shot (other than Rom being of his normal opinion that all needles are deadly). IMHO, if Miss Reactive didn't have a problem, I doubt others will. We've got an appointment in about a week for boosters. The thing is, by the time you know for sure that your equines NEED the shots (because local birds or horses are dropping dead from it), it's too late to get them. Think of it as insurance---something that you pay for, then hope you don't need! Marsha Jo Hannah Murphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon
