Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1)

[DebbieS]

Listo and I are scheduled to show at the Black Hills Horse Expo at the end of the month. I received a letter today, saying that along with a current health certificate (w/in 30 days) - standard procedure for any show, we also have to have a Rhinopneumonitis vaccine within 7-90 days. In June, all my horses get:
WNV, sleeping sickness, tetanus, flu, Rhino, rabies vaccinnes.

My question is... is this a different vaccine than the one my horses get every year? I've heard from a few people that this Rhinopneumonitis is going around, and one large farm here is quaratined because of it. I've been reading about it, and it causes abortions in last 4 months of pregnancy and causes cough, fever, congestion, constipation, etc in most horses.

Now I'm wondering if I should take Listo to the expo. I thought I'd get his vaccination/health cert next week when he gets his cast removed. He should be double-covered if this is the same shot given in the summer, right?

I'm a little worried :(

[PASOFAN]

It wouldnt hurt to vacinate him very well. His immune system is fighting to heal that leg so he is prabably more seseptable right now.. I would.. I get the 6way shot every april, plus the WestNile.. U can call your vet to see if there is anything else you should vacinate him with..

Also, people here that go to the mn expo bleach down the stalls and put signs up that say please to not pet horse, or horse bites to keep germs at bay.. Not much else you can do...

Good luck!! :D

[Abejita]

you answered part of your own question..

all my horses get:
WNV, sleeping sickness, tetanus, flu, Rhino, rabies vaccinnes

as far as I know (may be wrong) the rhino vac doesnt change yearly like a flu vac does (or I should say is supposed to)

Pregnant mares usually get the shot a few times during their pregnancy.so if Listo ends up getting it a few months apart it isnt going to hurt him

[Carol Nelson]

Now, I'm gonna throw out some pretty conflicting ideas here...take it for what you wish. My vet, although she promotes vaccinating horses herself, told me on the side one day, "We greatly OVER-VACCINATE our horses." How many of you have said on here..."Well, my horse was vaccinated, but he still got...such and such..." One vaccine cannot stop the many hundreds of bacteria and viruses our horses come into contact with every day. And we still do not know what causes EPM, or DSLD, or some of the mysterious diseases that keep cropping up yearly...can it be that we are severely compromising our horses immune systems by not letting them build their own immunities???
I, myself, have had terrible luck with vaccines...I've had several horses react to them, and yes, I do use alcohol on the site, and yes, I do now vaccinate ONLY in the butt muscle...NEVER in the neck (do you know that in Europe many do not give injections in the neck muscles, and are appalled at the American method of doing that?).
I predict that in the years to come they will come out with new evidence that we do not need to vaccinate as we have been doing. I grimace to hear when folks pump vaccines into their horses every four to six months or so. My vet told me that it's probably not necessary to vaccinate every year, every two years will probably offer adequate protection, and a couple of my older horses, she doesn't recommend vaccinating at all, after one had a terrible reaction three years ago...she says they've probably been exposed to most anything out there anyway.
This is NOT a lecture AGAINST vaccinating...I am only suggesting that you consider and make a wise decision before running for the needle.
Just do some good reading and make a wise and informed decision on your own horses, which we should do anyway, before doing anything with these animals in our care. Learn how to build your horse's immunity with natural methods rather than just pumping a vaccine into it with the hopes of warding off a disease. JMHO

(Abejita, I don't ever give the pneumabort shots to my mares anymore after having two almost abort their babies after getting the shots...I've since been learning about countless folks LOSING foals from reactions to the shots...so with the ok of my vet, I've ceased giving them. She sometimes gives them a rhino shot BEFORE they are bred.)

Just a postscript here too, there are a couple of vaccines that I do use yearly, and that is the tetanus, and the WNV...since we are in a high risk area.

[Terry Wallace]

ALL horses are carriers of Rhino. Most of the time, Rhino is suppressed by the immune system. If your horse gets around horses who are sick with it, it usually causes your horse to get sick too. You can vaccinate for Rhino up to six times a year if you had to. Rhino vaccine has a short life. This is why broodmares are vaccinated in months 5,7& 9 with pneumabort...because Rhino vaccine has about a two month immunity.

The question I would ask..is...Is there a Rhino "outbreak" where you are taking him.... Healthy horses do fine on one Rhino shot per year normally.
It won't hurt him a bit to give him a booster..so whip out that $12.00!!
Get the shot and apply...to BUTT (Listo's butt ;-) )

I don't have time at this minute...but will come back this evening and type what my Horse drug book says....regarding Rhino.

P.S...the answer to your question is ..yes, it is the same vaccine you always use....I would regard it as "cheap insurance" if there is an outbreak, or has been an outbreak where you are taking him.

[Terry Wallace]

Back from work.... First, I'd like to say..I'd never NOT give my broodmares their rhino shots. I once saw rhino ravish a herd of AQHA broodmares in New Mexico, all of them aborted as rhino went through the herd, the geldings were sick from it too. It was one of the saddest things I ever saw.

I have never had a single bad reaction from any mares I have ever vaccinated for Rhino, and that is in the "hundreds" of injections.
I DO think you can get a bad batch/past time/ or just "deteriorated" vaccine that would possibly cause what Carol describes. Also, and "unclean" injection site can take germs into the muscle during an injection. PLEASE be advised...it makes a BIG difference on WHAT disease you are vaccinating for...as to IF you should or should not vaccinate.

That said...on to the "Equine Drugs and Vaccines" bible...by Eleanor M. Kellon...
On the subject of Rhino....

EQUINE VIRAL RHINOPHEUMONITIS:
This is a respiratory tract disease caused by the equine herpes virus EHV-1 or EHV-4. Symptoms are most severe in young horses but vaccination of all horses on premises is advisable as even asymptomatic older animals may spread the virus to more susceptible animals. EHV-1 also causes abortion-often in large numbers and at other times only sporadically in a group of pregnant mares. The natural immunity that follows a herpes virus infection is very weak and short lived. The vaccination-induced immunity is even weaker. Therefore, vaccination of all animals with repeated vaccination at 2-3 month intervals will be needed to control the number of viruses circulating and the severity of any symptoms.

For maximum protection, young horses and performance horses should be vaccinated every 2-3 months. Boosters every 6-12 months will be adequate for horses that are not at high risk for exposure and are over 3-4 years of age.

Debbie...since they are requiring this...it would not surprise me if they have had an outbreak they are trying to "keep contained" in that area. I would most certainly vaccinate my horse if he were to be around a bunch of other horses in that "area".
JMO ;-)

[DebbieS]

Thanks for your advice, everyone....

Well, I will certainly get the shot from my vet when we go in next week, even if we don't do the expo. I'm thinking, since he has to go to the vet to get his cast removed, and many horses are in and out of there all the time, chances are there might be some Rhino germs there.

My main concern was that is was a different type of Rhino virus. Sounds like it's the one I vaccinate for each year anyway. If Listo does have any adverse effects from the shot, he should be feeling fine by expo time. None of my horses have had any reactions to their vaccines. I guess I've been pretty lucky.

Terry, thanks for taking the time to look up that info....