A Vaccination Primer For Horse Owners

A Vaccination Primer For Horse Owners

The term Vacca, which originated from Latin meaning cow, indicates that the first inoculation was derived from the organism that caused cowpox. Today every one who raises healthy livestock should know the basics of animal vaccination, the horse owner being no exception. One should be clear about a few medical terminologies of vaccination like the toxoid, antitoxin, passive and active immunity, and complex term attenuated vaccines. The knowledge of the substance used to medicate the animals and the time schedule are all matters of importance.

Passive Immunity

Passive immunity may be defined as the resistance power the mother passes to its offspring through the first milk. Antiserum injections are the inventions of the scientists for passing such temporary resistance artificially. The antiserum is made from the blood serum of animals already possessing the immunity. A few examples are protection against canine distemper, human measles, and such other diseases.

Active Immunity

Active immunity is the result of building the antibodies in its system by the animal itself after contracting the disease and recovering from the illness. This principle is used in the development of vaccines.

Attenuated vaccines

As explained above, all the vaccines are produced from the viruses that produce the diseases in a weakened manner. This is to ensure that the vaccinated subject or animal does not contract the deadly disease, but only a mild version or symptoms of the diseases, and at the same time ensuring long lasting immunity. Thus, the virus is either dead or living, but attenuated known as the modified live virus. Another variety of active vaccine is a toxoid that combats the toxins of a bacteria rather than the virus itself.

The Horse Owner's Guide

Horses, like human beings, are highly prone to viral and bacterial attacks of varying degrees of mild to debilitating diseases. Many horse owners do not know the importance of a scientific and well-planned vaccination program as a key factor for the successful management of one's horses. The chances of horses contracting diseases, especially respiratory diseases, are more apparent when the animals are on the move. A well-defined and charted immunization program is the basic care plan for the horse to remain healthy and productive. Though the program may vary depending upon the type, number, and purpose for which the animals are reared, it requires the help of a good vet for chalking out a good vaccination program.

A Few Common Tips For The Vaccination Program

The first step is to provide immunity for the animal by giving a series of vaccines with adequate intervals in between. Booster doses of vaccines are most important and should be administered at suggested intervals. One needs to follow the instructions of the vet scrupulously in this regard.

Apart from the inoculations of the animals, one should give special care for rearing the animals in healthy environment and with proper nutrition that could help the beast to develop disease resistance. Administering the correct vaccine on correct animals is of paramount importance. If done incorrectly, the vaccination can be counter-productive as has happened in the past.

The vaccines are to be kept in refrigerated conditions and also to be administered by gloved hands. One needs to be pragmatic not to use expired vaccines that may not act on the animals. Administering the injection in the suggested manner is also a vital point to be remembered. It is never intended to give a subcutaneous injection in place of an intramuscular one that would defeat the very purpose of vaccination. Giving the proper doses and with clean and hygienic syringes or disposable needles is also important. Finally, you need the help of a vet to set up your vaccination program.

Vaccinations are intended to prevent sickness or to reduce the intensity of the sickness. The following few tips would help one in selecting the vaccine. As per the specifications of the U.S. Agriculture Department, in regards to the administration of a vaccine, a noticeable increase in the antibodies in the animal need to be demonstrated to obtain the license. However, it need not necessarily prevent the disease. In a few cases challenge studies are conducted to test the efficacy of the vaccine. In challenge studies both the vaccinated and non-vaccinated horses are exposed to same type of infection and the results are compared. Though the challenge studies are a better experiment and more effective indicator than the increase in the antibodies in the animals, it is rather difficult to carry out and seldom performed. One has to follow a few precautions to make the vaccination more effective.