Horse Vaccinations: Why have my vet do them?

Have you ever wondered why you should have your horse vaccinated by a veterinarian when you can simply buy the vaccine at the feed store for less money? 

Some horse owners may choose have to have their veterinarian design and administer their horse’s vaccination program.  Others may purchase the vaccinations elsewhere and administer themselves.  Is there a difference?  At the Orrville Veterinary Clinic, we think there is. 

Our vaccinations were selected because they include the most current and important strains of the viruses that your horse may be exposed to.  We also select the safest vaccines.  Our vaccines were ultra-purified to remove any of the cellular debris or contaminants that your horse may possibly have an adverse reaction to.  We also guarantee that the “cold chain” has been maintained on the vaccines that we sell.  If a vaccine sits on the warehouse of the feed store over the weekend and gets warm (or frozen), it is rendered ineffective.  We guarantee that doesn’t happen with our vaccines. 

Another very important reason that you may choose to have our veterinarians administer your horse’s vaccines is because there is a guarantee of disease prevention.  The company that produces your horse’s vaccines will pay up to $3,000 towards treatment and testing if your horse gets sick and it appears there may be a disease present that should have been prevented by the vaccine.  This is a very important benefit. 

Finally, we feel that the expertise that we offer comes with added value.  By visiting your location and performing a physical examination on your horse, we can better select the right protocol for your horse.  Is he a heavily ridden trail horse that will be exposed to other horses out on the trails?  Is she a breeding mare that is taken in and out of breeding facilities?  Is your horse going to training?  Is he more of a backyard horse that really doesn't travel?  These and many other questions help us to cater a program to your horse's needs.  We will also perform an examination, which will likely lead to earlier disease detection and intervention.  We also take your horse's specific situation into account when designing other programs, such as an effective and targeted deworming strategy.

Overall, you will also get a piece of mind that our veterinarians have selected the best vaccinations and best schedule tho fit your horse’s needs.  We trust that you will find tremendous value in our knowledge and experience.  

Article written by Drs. Gabe Middleton and Jeff Fink for use by Orrville Veterinary Clinic, Inc.