Keeping your horse healthy is a team effort. Here at Beadle Lake Large Animal Clinic we aim to prevent disease by providing proper healthcare and vaccination programs for your horse. You, as a horse owner, also play an important role in disease prevention and control. Proper parasite, rodent, bird and insect control are crucial in preventing disease. Other preventative measures include avoiding over-crowded, stressful environments good nutrition and overall health management.
When the veterinarians at BLLAC make vaccine recommendations, several factors are considered. We consider the horse’s risk of the disease, the consequences of the disease, the effectiveness of the vaccine used, potential reactions and the cost of the vaccine to our clients.
Keep in mind, the goal of vaccinating is to decrease the risk of disease. There are variations in the duration and degree of protection in individual horses. Vaccination does not prevent disease in all circumstances, although it usually lessens the degree of severity of the disease.
Please continue reading for information on: our basic Vaccination Protocol & the Background of several Diseases.
Vaccination Protocol
Following are the vaccinations we recommend.
All Horses
Eastern & Western Encephalitis, Tetanus, West Nile- Annual
Rabies- Annual
Potomac Horse Fever- 2x/yr- March/April then booster July/August
Performance & Exposed Horses
Flu and Rhino- booster every 3-4 months depending on exposure to other horses
Intranasal Strangles- yearly for horses in high traffic situations
Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) and western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) are neurologic diseases caused by viruses that can infect both horses and humans. The viruses can be found in wild birds and are transmitted to horses and humans by infected mosquitoes. Horses infected with EEE or WEE do not have high enough virus levels in their blood to be contagious to other animals or humans, but they do serve as sentinels for humans in a given area. This means that if equine cases of EEE or WEE are discovered it is usually a good warning sign that human cases of the infection will be identified 2-5 weeks following. The fact that humans can get this disease is another reason to prevent infection in horses.
Supportive care is given to horses with EEE and WEE, but there is no cure. The fatility rate for horses with EEE is 75-100% and 20-50% for WEE.
Symptoms
Mild to severe fever (102-106)
Poor Appetite
Stiffness
Abnormal walking
Depression
Aggression or Excitability
Paralysis
By vaccinating horses for these diseases yearly we can prevent infections. In our area yearly vaccination is recommended for previously vaccinated for EEE and WEE. Spring is the best time to vaccinate. Horses that travel to the southern states or to South or Central America my also need to be vaccinated for Venezuelan equine encephalitis.
West Nile Virus
West Nile virus causes an encephalitis similar to an infection with EEE and WEE. Infected mosquitoes spread the disease from birds to horses and humans. Horses that become infected generally show clinical signs similar to those of EEE and WEE including fever, abnormal gait, abnormal behavior, paralysis etc.
About 2 out of every 3 horses that develop a West Nile virus infection will survive. As with EEE and WEE there is no cure for this disease and treatment includes supportive care.
Here in Michigan, we recommend vaccination for WNV yearly in the spring to prevent infection for horses previously vaccinated for WNV. Other areas of the US may recommend more frequent vaccination.
In addition to vaccination, other ways to prevent mosquito-borne diseases include elimination of standing water, shutting off barn lights at night, using fly sprays and frequent cleaning of water tanks and buckets. Keep in mind that it only takes mosquitoes 4 days to breed in puddle of water!
Life Cyle of EEE, WEE & WN
Neurologic horses don't always know where their feet are.
Tetanus Tetanus is also known as “lockjaw”. It is caused by a toxin producing bacteria present in the intestinal tract of many animals and is abundant in soil where horses reside. The spores can exist for years. They enter through wounds, lacerations and the umbilicus of foals. It is not a contagious disease, but it does pose a constant threat. There are some treatments but the fatality rate has been found to be about 75% so vaccination is critical for prevention. Other preventative measures include appropriate identification and treatment of wounds.Symptoms
Sensitivity to light, sound and touch
Protrusion of third eyelid
Stiff gait
Sawhorse stance
Locked jaw because of muscle stiffness
For horses previously vaccinated for tetanus, we recommend yearly vaccination with a tetanus toxoid vaccine. We often also recommend boostering this vaccine if your horse sustains a wound or if surgery is performed. Foals may need a vaccination after birth.
Rabies
The rabies virus, although rarely causing disease in horses, should not be ignored. Horses are very sensitive and susceptible to the disease if exposed. There is no treatment for this disease. It is 100% fatal in all animals that contract the disease. Rabies is a zoonotic disease, which means that it can potentially be spread from infected horse to human.These are all very good reasons to vaccinate your horse for rabies. Exposure to rabies typically occurs through the bite of an infected animal. In Michigan, reservoir animals for rabies are bats and skunks, but bites from foxes, raccoons and other animals can also cause rabies. The virus is passed in saliva from a bite wound and migrates via nerves to the brain where it causes a deadly encephalitis. Death usually follows the symptoms 1-5 days later.
Symptoms
·Decreased appetite
·Difficulty swallowing
·Depression
·Excessive salivation
·Lack of coordination
·Aggressive behavior
·Hyperexcitability
·Colic
·Convulsions
·Paralysis
We recommend that horses be vaccinated yearly for rabies.
FYI- There is 1 confirmed equine case of rabies in Michigan in 2010.
Influenza (flu)
Influenza is a highly contagious, viral upper respiratory disease in horses. Virus containing droplets are spread from one horse to another through coughing. Recovery usually occurs between 1-3 wks of infection. Horses that have a greater risk of influenza infection include horses exposed to large numbers of other horses and horses 1-5 years of age.
Symptoms
·Fever
·Dry hacking cough
·Nasal Discharge
·Depression
·Decreased appetite
·Decreased drinking
The immunity obtained from flu vaccines usually last about 3-6 months in horses. This means that more frequent boostering is often recommended depending on the individual horse. Racehorses, frequently shown horses, and horses kept at boarding facilities should be vaccinated at 3-6 month intervals while some other horses may only need vaccinating 1-2 times yearly. The veterinarians at BLLAC consider these factors when developing a vaccination program for your horse. In addition to vaccination this disease can be prevented through quarantine/isolation of new horses for 2-4 weeks after arriving to your farm.
EHV types 1 and 4 are known to cause contagious upper respiratory tract disease in horses similar to influenza infection. EHV 1 can also cause abortion in mares, the birth of weak foals, or a neurologic form of the disease. Spread is through aerosolized secretions from coughing horses and direct or indirect contact of nasal discharges, fetal fluids, fetuses and placenta. Clinical signs and spread of disease are similar for EHV and Flu.
One indication for vaccination for EHV is for the prevention of EHV-1 induced abortion in pregnant mares. Vaccination can also reduce the signs and spread of respiratory tract disease (rhinopneumonitis) in foals, weanlings, yearlings, young performance and show horses that are at high risk of exposure.
We recommend that most horses be vaccinated at least yearly for EHV. Horses less than 5 yrs of age, kept on breeding farms or in contact with pregnant mares, kept in boarding or training facilities or performance/show horses should be vaccinated every 6 months.
Nasal discharge
Strangles (Streptococcus equi)
Streptococcus equi subspecies equi is the bacteria that cause strangles. Strangles is a highly contagious disease. While direct contact between horses is the most common way that strangles is spread, it can also be spread by contaminated equipment, improperly cleaned and shared buckets, stalls, and tack can spread the disease between horses.
Symptoms
·Fever (102-106 deg F)
·Nasal discharge
·Anorexia
·Swollen and/or abscessed lymph
·Anorexia
·Possibly difficulty breathing
Strangles vaccination is recommended for horses that live in an environment where they are at a high risk of exposure.Examples include horses at boarding farms or places where horses are moved in and out frequently. These horses should be vaccinated every 6-12 months for strangles depending on risk of exposure. We use an intranasal vaccination for strangles here at BLLAC.
Abcesses from strangles
Potomac Horse Fever
Potomac horse fever is a disease caused by a bacteria called Neorickettsia risticii. A parasite living in freshwater snails and aquatic insects is a reservoir for the organism. Aquatic insects that have been implicated include mayflies, caddisflies, damselflies, dragonflies and stoneflies. It is thought that horses ingest these insects or snails and become infected. This is not a contagious disease.
Symptoms
·Fever
·Mild colic
·Diarrhea
·Anorexia
·Dehydration
·Laminitis
Not all horses with PHF experience diarrhea. Uncommonly, pregnant mares that contract PHF may abort or develop placentitis or retained placenta.
The disease occurs seasonally in our area and is most prominent in July, August and September at the onset of Michigan’s hot weather. We recommend vaccinating initially in the spring and then again at the end of June or beginning of July. Immunity from the vaccine is not long lasting so vaccination at these times we hope will help keep your horse protected throughout the summer. Vaccination for PHF is thought to necessarily prevent disease but to decrease clinical signs if your horse does develop the disease.
Beadle Lake Large Animal Clinic 7115 Tower Road Battle Creek, MI 49014
Hours:Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday 8:00 AM to 12 PM Sunday Closed
