Does anyone administer rabies vaccinations themselves?

One incidence caused the law to be changed in Georgia making it illegal to give your own rabies shots. There was a kennel full of hunting dogs in North Georgia. They were giving their own shots. They laid the vaccines on the dash of the truck and allowed them to get hot before giving them. As a result, they didn't work. The dogs were exposed to rabies. A bunch of them got rabies. They bit a lot of people. The people had to get shots.The case made a big stink in the media and the law got changed.

If it is legal in your state, you can give the vaccine. Just be sure you do it right and keep it in a cooler with ice or in the refrigerator until you give it.

If your horse is bitten by a rabid animal, it is possible that state officials will make you put your horse down rather than quarantine it if you don't have proof of vaccination. The whole scenario is pretty unlikely though. It is way better to give the shot yourself than to not give it at all.

This is how I understand it as well. I am in Arizona and it looks like Valley Vet will ship to Arizona. I also need to call some feed stores and see what they sell.

I used to vaccinate my own horses when we lived in Phoenix (just not for rabies). I bought the vaccines at the feed store. Then we moved up here and I had a great vet who was also very reasonable in price. There was no reason not to have the vet do it.

I do feel really vulnerable without a vet. And I do need to find a new vet. But in the meantime I really don't want to pay through the nose for spring shots. One of our neighbors already found a new vet and I inquired about shots because they had them done (along with coggins and health certificates because they travel) and it came out to $200 per horse, for shots and health certificates. I think I can get my guys done for $50 per horse (or less depending on the vaccines I choose) if I order through Valley Vet. And we don't travel or go to shows so I don't need the coggins and health certificates.

If you do them yourself, then you don't have a relationship with the vet. Then when they colic at 3:00 a.m., nobody will come. One thing you might consider is to get the vet to come and do a little work for you. Maybe pull a coggins on a few horses or something else rather small. Then they will be more likely to consider you their client.

Read the link.

Fluffy the pony? Really? I'm so glad you take this lightly. If a horse had rabies it would not be at a show. It would be dead.

Why do you need the vet? Bats and coons are the predominant carriers in MN. (BTW - WI had 125 reported cases - MN 69) If your horse lives outside or you trail ride, you risk exposure. Horses investigate with their nose - the softest flesh and easier access if they are bitten by a sharp toothed animal. If you do not have proof by a vet that your horse was vaccinated, it goes into quarantine or can be destroyed.

Rabies is a horrible disease and the animal suffers tremendously. With all of the building and moving around the humans are doing, the wild animals are having to move and be more bold in their habits.

Eh according to CDC the latest numbers they have is from 2010 and WI had half the cases of MN. But I'm serious with the pony example. Why do state officials not come out to ask for rabies certificates from every horse that bites someone? I never see anyone on here ask if the horse had their rabies vac if someone asks why their horse bit them.

But really if you are allowed to give it yourself in your state and you keep your horses at home and don't show I'm not really seeing the down side to doing it yourself? You know they got vacinated. Isn't that the point? To prevent the disease?

Yes, that is the point. Many years ago (20+) when we lived in TX, you could buy rabbies vaccines at the pharmacy and they gave you the tag, too.
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^^Still can, though I usually end up buying mine in Oklahoma because the closest place that sells bulk vaccines is in OK. Get the tags along with it too.

I think the only way it would be a bad thing is if, like Celeste said, the horse is bitten by a rabid animal and they make you euthanize instead of quarantine because you don't have legal proof.

I had heard though, that the rabies vaccine really doesn't prevent an animal from getting the disease if bitten. I actually want to go so far as to say that I heard for the most part, it doesn't prevent rabies, that it's only something like a few to several out of a hundred will not get the disease and most are euthanized. I'm off to google to check, because I could be wrong, but it's what I heard.

Yes, preventing the disease is the point and if you are in a state that allows you to give it - there are probably tons who do give it. There are also horse people out there that don't give any rabies at all to their horses as well.

There are only 2 main drawbacks that I can see - if you don't have a vet out for vaccination or coggins - then you won't have a relationship with a vet. I know I was thankful for my relationship with my vet when I needed him out around midnight for a colic. Vets tend to give priority to and go out of their way for loyal customers over someone who uses them for emergencies only.

Secondly is the potential of having the horse put down if bit by a rabid animal without proof of vaccine. But again - that is a risk you would have to determine yourself.

I can't find anything on Google. It doesn't say it's ineffective, but I'm not finding anything that says it's really effective either. Just that a vaccinated horse has to be monitored by a vet for six months and given a series of rabies vaccines immediately after the bite, and that an unvaccinated bitten horse needs to be reported to the "officials" and the "officials" decide what to do. Options are 45 days of close supervision and the series of vaccines or immediate euthanasia.

And because I was curious, there were three reported rabies cases in bats [the biggest carrier here] in 2012 in Washington, as of July, and 11 rabid bats in 2011. Some 5-10% of bats examined were rabid, but all in sick or injured bats, but less than one percent of all wild bats are rabid [I'm assuming that boils down to healthy VS unhealthy].

I don't know why, but I've always found this very interesting. I, personally, have not vaccinated my horse for rabies and don't intend to. I just don't feel it's likely enough to happen.

Quoted from the WA DOH.