My Annual Vaccination

Well I got my annual vaccination yesterday.  My lady gives me a 6-way shot which protects me against 6 different illnesses that horses in our area can catch.

Administering shots or any type of injection can be very intimidating to people.  The fear of needles is something that can make a grown man faint.

If you feel anxious when you approach us because you are nervous about doing something, we are going to sense it and react very strongly.

If you come up to us and are calm and don't make a big fuss, generally we will also remain calm and many times will hardly even feel the needle penetrate our skin.  The bigger the fuss you make the more anxiety we feel.

Sometimes it is just better to let the vet give us our needles because they know exactly where and how to give them.  Plus if we have a serious reaction to the injection they are there to take whatever action is necessary to make things okay.

If you are an experienced horse person and like to do your own injections, you just need to remember to be careful about where you inject and make sure that when you draw back lightly on the plunger that there is no blood at all because if there is then you have put the needle through a blood vessel.

Sometimes if we are thinner skinned we will bleed a little bit when the needle is pulled out.  If there is any swelling at the injection site, it is wise to call the vet.  Some of us are allergic to certain ingredients that are in the vaccines and will sometimes develop a hot, swollen and sore area around the injection site.

As always, please use common sense when working around us and try to always be safe.  We are big animals and sometimes even though we don't mean to we can hurt you.

August 20, 2013

A side note to the vaccination post.  One of the horses in our herd was exhibiting signs of lethargy, dull eyes, fever, loss of appetite and a reluctance to move starting about 24 hours post vaccination.  The vet advised that he is likely having a reaction to the influenza portion of the vaccine.  We were advised to administer bute to him for the muscle soreness and give him 3 to 5 days to recover.

I have had horses for about 40 years and this is the first time I have seen a reaction of this type so wanted to share.  

The good news is one dose of bute and he is feeling so much better.