Confirmed Rabies Report, FYI

Just read this about 2 confirmed rabies cases in TN:
The Horse | Rabies Confirmed in Two Middle Tennessee Horses
Just wanted you'all to know.

Oh, no how sad!
We had a rabid skunk outbreak in town. People had to lock their kids/dogs/cats/horses indoors for weeks until they caught them all. Pretty scary.
Must vaccinate.

Sad yes but very preventible. Any horse on a regular vet schedule is going to be vaccinated on an annual basis and as the article indicated it is treatable prior to signs presenting.

These horses must have been ones that weren't "seen" on a regular basis meaning they may have been on large turnout or paddock and while fed and visually sighted, weren't "examined" like those that are ridden/groomed/checked all over on a daily basis. Depending on the size of the bite it may not have been noticeable as an initial injury without close examination.

Horses have an innate curiosity that makes them "check out" odd things. A sick raccoon will often get an opportunity to bite these horses on the nose. All of our horses get rabies shots. And, an additional shot they get is a botulism vaccine. I can't believe how few horses get this important shot.

I don't know of any horses that don't get a rabies vaccination. It must be a regional thing.

I don't know of any horses that do! I even asked my vet about it and he said they didn't need it, which is weird because we live in the woods and there are rabies cases in Arizona, at least among wild animals.

I should probably ask him again this spring in case he's changed his mind.

I agree it sounds like a good idea. And dogs get rabies vaccinations all the time. So I assume it is a safe vaccine?

I give all mine a rabies shot every year. Never had a problem with them, better safe and never happen then be sorry when it does.

All vaccinations have risks. The most common problem with rabies (as with IM banamine) is clostridial myonecrosis at the injection site.

Your state should have a map of rabies cases that you can check.

Even so - as the owner - it's your decision to have your horse vaccinated.

Rabies is a preventable disease! If you live in an area that has even one rabies case every few years I would say vaccinate! I recently moved to the PNW and when the vet was out to do yearly shots and teeth I asked that the rabies vaccine be given to my horses. He looked at me like I had grown an extra head!! Told me that we didn't need it. I am a Licenced Vet Tech and I myself am vaccinated against rabies. Moving from Florida where there are rabies cases every year (and I've seen a few in the past 15 years) the extra 20 bucks every year to protect my horses and my family is well worth it! Old school veterinarians will tell you that you don't need it but the new guidelines for vaccinating horses has Rabies as a core vaccine. Better safe than sorry!

I would imagine that HI is the only state that people really don't have to worry about rabies. It's the only truly rabies free state (pretty tough for a rabid animal to swim all the way to HI) :))