Vaccination Treatment Help!

I have gotten a reminder from my vet saying duke is due for these treatments...he needs a EASTERN/WESTERN/TETANUS Semi-A... he also needs a coggins test but he wont get another one of them until the summer months.. so what I am asking is what exactly is an Eastern/Western/Tetanus Semi-A ... I know it is a vaccination.. but how can I get it without going to the vet.. if I need a vet licsense that is fine I have a friend that has one and she uses it for her horses... but what type of shot do I need to get.. links would be appreciated! Thanks for your help!

Your friend has a vet license and you are asking for advice here? Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but that sounds sorta wierd. ;)

To answer your main question, your vet has sent you are reminder to get your horse's semi-annual vaccinations: Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis and Tetanus. That may not be all that he is due for as in areas where EEE and WEE are given semi-annually West Nile Virus should be administered semi-annually as well. You should really contact your vet and ask exactly what your horse is due for. Write down exactly what he says.

What do you use your horse for? Are you at a boarding facility? Does your horse or any of the horses he lives with travel? How old is your horse? Are there any diseases that are seen locally that aren't part of the core vaccinations--like Potomac Horse Fever, etc? All of these are things that are considered in planning a vaccination protocol for every horse so your vet should be involved to help you.

Then once you know what vaccines your horse needs now (all of them), you can choose to either pick them up from your vet (a good idea as it keeps you on his active client list and it will keep your horse on the reminder list so that you get cards in the mail when he's do next time) or you can purchase them online through any number of livestock supply stores or through places like Tractor Supply locally.

I totally agree with Ryle! There are times to be frugal, and times to pay a nickel to save a dollar! This would be one of those times!

You want to stay active for your vet. It could save you your horse's life in the end.

Annual shots are relatively inexpensive usually.

Why don't you have the coggins done at the same time? They are only good from Jan to Jan no matter when you get it.

Is it also possible to go together with other people in your area to share the farm call/travel cost with? It only saves me $5.00, but hey, that just goes towards the shot.

I know you are really only asking where to get the shot. Sorry about the extra info, but, as long as you are getting coggins.....

But, to answer your real question, our local Farm and Fleet carry any shots that are legal to get without a prescription.

Thanks ryle and horsegma... duke doesnt need a coggins right now since he is not traveling although the horses he boards with does travel... he didnt have one for about three years but then I started going to shows with a friend and I needed one but it wasnt required... so he is not going to get another til april I know that sounds horrible but I can't help it... he was due in november and it hasnt hurt him yet... the reason I am asking is because my "friend" and I didnt leave our friendship on good terms but we are slowly getting to be nice to each other again.. she offered to order any type of shots or medicine duke needs... she is not a vet nor a doctor but her friend which is a doctor gave her her doctor licsense not vet licsense.. sorry. For that... ok so I can get it from my vet and my friend can give it to duke since I can't give him shots.. I mean I can but I would rather not. :) I want it done right... so since you are a vet tech ryle.. it would be okay for the vet to give me the shots?

Your vet should be able to give you any type of shot that is legal to be given by someone without a veterinary license. Whether it be tetanus, EEE, WEE, VEE, influenza, or west nile. Generally vaccinations are not considered prescription. As long as it is not considered prescription your vet should be able to give it to you. The prescriptions are prescriptions with good reason because either A.)they can do more harm than good if used incorrectly or B.)they can be used in humans. That is not the only two rules but is a very generalized version on why prescriptions are prescriptions.

Sorry, but, I'm still confused. Are you talking about the coggins being overdue and it hasn't hurt him yet? Or, the shot being over?

As far as giving the shot yourself. Have you ever done it before? There is a bit of science to it all. There is a triangular spot on the neck that you give it and to make sure you aren't in a spot where you draw blood back into the needle.

It's a little harder than you think it might be too. My horse had surgery years back and had to have shots given for awhile. My vet showed me and my husband how to give them. My husband did it usually and I decided to give it a try. I didn't know till I got it started that it was going to bother me. I had no idea! So, here my horse is with the needle only inserted shallowly and I knew I had to finish so I put the medicine in. It wasn't in far enough. Anyway, after that, I left it up to my hubby, bless his soul.

Either way, I advice you to have your vet there to teach you how and where.

After that if you feel you are comfortable with it, by all means give your own shots.

But, stay active with your vet in case of an emergency.

Yes, your vet should be able to send the vaccines home with you for you to give--except possibly rabies as the laws governing that vaccine vary from state to state.

And I would be questioning very closely the whole "gave a doctor's license" story. It is illegal for someone other than the doctor or the vet to be allowed to use that professional's license.

Yeah it is illegal she has already told me that but she has done it many times before and has never gotten caught..

Nono. Yall have misunderstood me I know how to give duke a shot but I choose not to.. my friend has taught me the last time we did vaccinations but I still am not comfortable doing my own horse..


The coggins I don't care about but it does say he is due for it.. but it is fine not alot of the horses around here have them done unless they are showing..



Ok my ? Is answered I think.. so I will call my vet tomorrow and see if I can get him to just let me buy it from him.. since I think I have stated this more than sufficiently.. I don't have a horse trailer nor do I have the money for a vet barn call... so going and getting the shot and having my friend give it to duke is way cheaper.. since the vet place is like ten minutes from my school..

Thank you ryle for the help!

Thanks for the help!

Just because you haven't gotten caught yet doesn't mean it's a good idea...
But it's your decision. The one thing I do want to point out though for this time or in the future is be careful or mail order/buying at tractor supplies. Certain vaccinations that need to be at a certain temperature become less effective when left at room temperature for too long. So if for example you get it from a tractor supply store, they could have left it out before refrigerating it which could affect the shot. This is just going off of what my vet told me and what I have learned so far through vet tech schooling.