I received a letter from the vet recommending that horses in our area start getting Potomac Horse Fever vaccine along with their other spring shots, but that it would be too much to give them all at once. I prefer to give my own shots & use a combination shot (3 way sleeping sickness, tetanus & flu). How long should I wait to give the Potomac? I have a 10 month old filly, the other horses are mature. I searched the archives, but didn't find anything. I also have epinepherin (sp?) on hand, but don't know dosage for a horse. Thanks for any help.

-- Debbie in IL (debbie@fli-soft.com), April 09, 2002

Answers

Epinephrine, dosage is 1cc per 100 pounds body weight, make sure you inject it under the skin. Hope you never have cause to need that info. As for giving Potomac vaccine, as some of the combination vaccines are available with potomac included, I see no reason why you should have to space it apart. If you have the potomac vaccine seperate, then just inject it into a different site. The Jeffers catalog advises to inject into the heavy muscles of the hindquarter. ( NOT the rump, but the back of the butt) Hope this helps.

-- Debbie in MO (risingwind@socket.net), April 09, 2002.

If the vetrinarian reccomends spacing the shots he's prabably right. I have a cousin who had a Morgan horse and she gave her horse more shots at one time than the vetrinarian reccommended and the horse foundered started abcessing severely and later died from complications.

-- Michelle (keweenawbaybum@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002.

I don't vaccinate against Potomac Horse Fever, but a friend does. Her Vet waits a full month between giving the 3/4/5 ways and the PHF vaccine. I give my own shots too, but everything I've read advises not to vaccinate for PHF unless it's prevalent in your area, if your local Vet said they need I'd vaccinate for it.

I love my Vet, he's not much for talking but he's reliable and his fees are great. Today, I had 4 rabies (2 equine, 2 goat), 2 Coggins tests, the mare got a shot to get her heat cycle regulated, and including the farm call it was only $100.00. Plus, he'll AI my mare, I did sweet talk him into doing it but we've known each other 30 years, for the last few years he's only done his own Standardbred mares-and she'll stay at his farm.

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 09, 2002.

Everyone - thanks for all the info. Stacy - you are lucky - my vet charges $30 just to walk out his door. Needless to say I do as much of my own vetwork as possible. I used to pay over $100 for spring shots for a single horse - and that was approx 10 yrs ago at which point I decided to do it myself. (Except for rabies which must be given by a vet.) I guess I need to research prevalence of PHV in my area. I already have the PHV vaccine, but won't give it if unnecessary. Sometimes this vet seems to recommend and/or use unnecessary or very expensive treatment. (He once left me oral paste antibiotics for a horse at $15/dose when an injectible bottle of the same med would have been less than a single dose and more than sufficient for entire treatment.) If I use the PHV I think I will wait 3-4 weeks after 4 way just for good measure.

-- Debbie in IL (debbie@fli-soft.com), April 09, 2002.

It's always best for folks to check with their vet for innoculation and deworming products/schedules. I've had the vets change the months in which I give some deworming products when I moved from one state to another. Different parasites infest at different times in different places. Some innoculations are needed in some areas and not in others. Innoculations haven't changed for me 'cause I've stayed in the southwest.

Is Potomac Horse Fever in your area or on the verge of coming in?

I innoculate in April and October. I shoot Eastern, Western, Venezuelan encephalomyelitis; rhino; influenza; tetanus. This is all in one shot. I also shoot for Potomac Horse Fever. Lots of protection in 2 shots.

The only time I break down and give separate innoculations every few weeks are for each colt. If they have a reaction, I'll know what it is. In over 25 years of raising critters, no one, even down to the cats/dogs, has had a reaction. Thank goodness!

Epinephrine is given 1cc per 100 pounds. So the 1,000 pound horse would get 10cc, given SQ.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), April 10, 2002.

I'm lucky with my vet too ... the farm call is $35 and that is whether she does one horse or five ... but she is competent and gets along with my horses. Gelds colts with the "signs" and have never had anyone do it better, colts don't seem to know anything ever happened, no swelling, nothing. Reasonable prices on everything and the best thing as far as I'm concerned is that although she is not an equine reproduction specialist (no local vet is) she will LISTEN to me and if I know of a protocol we need to do, she will order whatever it is and do it. She doesn't think she knows everything there is to know and that a "layperson" can't possibly know anything useful.

She's also busy enough that she is perfectly willing for me to do as much of my own "vet tech" work as possible and will provide the medications and information to do it.

-- SFM in KY (sportpony@yahoo.com), April 10, 2002.