I think that most of us are thinking about the health of their horses and of what risks people are willing to take at the expense of all horses, not about your argument that you find that the best practices (that disagree with the DIY approach to vaccinations) are “false and insulting” to you.
For most horse owners, their horse’s health and well being as well as the other horses that may be effected, is foremost and that does require some vet bills for vaccinations.
You find your DIY approach to be adequate. No coggins testing, no rabies vac, no vet administered vaccines. That’s understood, but many people will disagree.
Apparently people need to be careful when they haven’t been before, because apparently you (g) never know when some horses with EIA make it into your state.
More importantly, so the vet can properly treat the horse when an adverse reaction happens. And an adverse reaction can be pretty severe, pretty fast, on a horse that has never had any type of reaction before.
This broad statement is kind of funny. (Even more funny because you are so offended by the broad statements made by others.)
I have no doubt there are very smart people who still do their own vaccines.
I also have no doubt there are very clueless people who are still doing their own vaccines.
I use spring shots as a time to get a yearly hands on with the vet. I love having a relationship with my vet office so anytime I have a problem they are more than willing to come provide care.
That is so weird. My vaccines took four appointments this year. My very busy vet practice is always willing to accommodate their regular clients and they agree on doing vaccines this way with this horse.
Another take, we hauled 1 hour to our vets for all care, as long as a horse could travel.
Our vets appreciated that, as they lose money on call time on the road, when they could be taking care of clients every minute in the clinic.
What they charge for time on the road and fuel and vehicle expenses is not really enough.
So, our horses are hauled every spring for exam, shots, sheat and teeth and any that needs fall care also hauled then.
When we had broodmares and stallions, vets would come by practically every day in the spring, the volume of work here was worth more than hauling that many horses.
Some even left some of their vet supplies here permanently.
One vet used to do his morning run many mornings to come check on our horses, had one cabinet and part of the tack room refrigerator for his supplies.
They also had us trained for most anything they felt we could do ourselves.
I think that each horse barn may have different situations, why some may give their own shots, most don’t.
I’m not sure why it’s weird that in an area with a massive shortage of good vets, and seeing my vet exhausted from working non-stop, that I’m ok with not asking them to drive out to my place 4 times to vaccinate. Hauling to their office isn’t an option either because their office is a house in a residential area.
Most vets that I have experienced try to schedule these types of visits when they are near the area, so it is not them just driving to your/my house four times to vaccinate.
I will say, when you experience a horse with a severe vaccine reaction you will rethink your theory on the importance of having a vet there for vaccines. I hope you are lucky enough to never experience that…
I suppose until then, you can pretend those things do not happen.
Same here. But it’s BECAUSE I use my vet regularly for twice a year vaccines, it’s because I call her to discuss weird things to at least give her a heads up on what might become a need to have her out, that she has no problem at all, ever, about leaving some things for me to do without her. We both know there’s a risk, however small, of a dramatic reaction, but she also knows my horses very well, and the risk is teeny tiny
In this current climate of a vet shortage AND the previous commonly available OTC antibiotics that are now Rx-only, means that anyone who can possible develop a VCPR, should. 100%. The total DIYers for vaccines have a hard time getting a vet out for an emergency. I’ve been the client my well-established vet was attending, who said no they can’t run off for an emergency for someone who last called them 5 years ago for…an emergency.
I didn’t take it as insulting, just out of touch with current reality
I personally will ALWAYS advocate for having the vet out for the 1-2 times a year the horse needs vaccinating. Partly it’s because of the reaction issue - anaphylaxis is quick and an owner rarely has the meds needed, but also because of of the medical reimbursement you’ll likely get, at least in part, from the drug company when the VET has given the shots. A vet may not be able to do anything about the anaphylaxis, depending on how severe it is, but they sure can have their name on the administration of the vaccines.
It’s really hit and miss on this. Not all vets are in a practice with other vets - mine is a solo practitioner. She would make time for me, as a long-time client who has treated her very well, to come weekly if needed. She’d also leave me the things to do/give if the risk was low and I was comfortable doing it. But yes, if I had a horse with a history of weird reactions, she’d be HAPPY to come daily if needed for a short while. Even though she’s 45 minutes from me, she’d try to at least have something else useful to do in my area
It’s so weird that this conversation always devolves into “you don’t have a current veterinary client patient relationship if your vet isn’t giving all of your vaccines.”
Vaccines aren’t the only routine care.
It doesn’t need to be all or nothing on vaccines.
I give my own vaccines, other than rabies, for a laundry list of reasons, which include my horse doing best with a specific brand that the vet may not use, doing better if they’re spaced out, and respect to my vets time. I appreciate the cost savings, too, but it’s not really part of the decision process.
I maintain a current veterinary patient client relationship with multiple vets. Who have no issues with how we vaccinate.
There’s a lot of room for nuance, and drawing a hard line in the sand misses that entirely.
Do those who insist only a vet should be giving vaccines also have their vet out for every other injection? There’s a level of risk any time you stick a needle in a horse.
To be abundantly clear, my vet is at my farm almost monthly. Someone out of the 5 needs something. My bill for non routine care was $2600 for the last two months. I’m not saying money is the issue for me to have the vet out to do vaccines, just sharing that we have a very strong VCPR.
To the argument that “you don’t know how TSC handled the vaccines” - you don’t know how your vet did either. We all want to think they are mega responsible, which is admirable. But it’s possible they did not handle according to instructions, or the place they ordered them from didn’t.
I have far more confidence that my vet and their staff are going to properly handle vaccines than I do about anyone at Tractor Supply properly handling anything.
Generally, I have the vet out to do vax once yearly. They give the rabies and dispense the EWT, and R/F if it’s due. Then only R/F is due in 6 months. I usually give my own R/F to be sure I’m up to date for the show schedule and I like to be sure they have it a month or so or from a show, not any closer, for max immunity. I also like giving it myself to be sure I’m around to keep an eagle eye on my older mare that reacts. I don’t want the vet to be scheduled then find out I have to travel the next day or I’m going to be away from home or there’s a weather change or whatever that might exacerbate the reaction. I also time it with her work schedule so she has at least 2 days off after her R/F.
I also won’t do vax and any other treatments at the same time (dentals, sedation for any other reason, joint injections, etc). I prefer to space out any drugs they’re given as much as possible to reduce the stress on their system and also know exactly what they had an issue with if anything goes awry. For example, a client had a dentist and vet out last year for dentals. Two horses were punky and off feed for 3 days () but we didn’t vaccinate at the same time so I know it was the dentistry or the sedation and not a vaccine reaction.
More northern states don’t often need late Summer/early Fall vaccinations for the mosquito-borne diseases, especially if they’re not vaccinating in the Spring until May/June, so by the time the cold is killing the majority of mosquitoes, they still have decent protection, and then don’t need any boost for the Winter
Yes, there are other ways to have a good VCPR. I would bet that most people who DIY all their vaccines, don’t often have regular reasons to have visits with their vet (at whichever location, owner’s or vet’s). Many people don’t use their vet for dental work, for a variety of reasons
That’s true, BUT, vets have the training to know how they should be handled, they have good reasons to want to make sure the cold pack is still cold when they get them, that they store them properly, and that they administer them properly, AND that they’re ordering from a reputable and reliable company (and maybe they can order right from the drug company itself, I don’t know for sure). Vets aren’t walking into TSC to buy vaccines.
At least if someone’s going to DIY, I recommend they order from a reputable source, whether Valley Vet, Allivet, etc, because the odds there that they’ve been handled properly are much better than TSC (or any other local store)
To this exact point: when I was in Colorado, I bought my vaccine from the same vet supply company as my vet. I’d see him there all the time. There was zeeeeeeero difference in sourcing.
I can not remember the last time my vet looked my horses over, as in a general checkup. They show up, ask me if there are issues, give the vaccines, and leave. No stethoscope, no looking at eyes, nothing. Just bing-bang-boom.
My small animal vet listens to heart and lung, looks in eyes and ears, and checks teeth annually.
I’m not saying money is the issue for me to have the vet out to do vaccines, just sharing that we have a very strong VCPR.
