To Give West Nile Or Not To GIve?

[QHJewel672]

I want to breed my mare Roxy and i want to keep her safe but after reading some things on the net I have no clue what to do! would you give your brood mare WNV, or wouldnt you?

I found these links. Yes, I know their from a long time ago but the only stuff I really thought showed the diffrent view point of other people. Yes I do know this topic may spark up some diffrent opinions but please share them!!!!

http://www.equine-reproduction.com/b...s/44/1870.html

http://lost-foals-group.4t.com/index.html

~Allie

[appygurl]

Yes you will need west nile along w/ some other shots. All of my horses get west nile.

[thunderbaby703]

I give west nile to all but the broodmares (when they are pregnant). I just gave my pony mare her west nile today (she foaled on 3-29-06) and will booster her in three weeks.

[Arab Lady]

Here's another link to an article regarding WNV vaccines and it also addresses issues with mares.

http://www.aaep.org/pdfs/AAEP_WNV_Guidelines_2005.pdf


Happy Reading

[snickers]

I may be the only one here, and will dodge the stones, but I will not be giving the West Nile.

When it first broke out, there were horses dying around me, and my horses did not get it. Why, you ask? I give the EW 3x a year and my Vet said that is what protected mine.

I have given it since it came out and have noticed a change in the mares cycles and behavior as well as the geldings and stallions.

Since I have stopped, the mares heat and back to normal and dispositions are a lot better.

A woman who raises mules and donkeys did and article in the mule and donkey journal on the West Nile, and she does not give it. I will have to call my friend who has it and have her get me a copy and I will post it.

This is the worst last few years that I have seen on still born foals, amd deformed foals.
Be it because of the shot, be it not. But more foals born dead than I have known in all the years I have worked with horses.

This is all IMO, and what works for me.

That site Arab Lady posted, this is part of it,

While neither of the licensed vaccines is labeled for administrations to pregnant mares at this time, it is recommended that mares be ideally vaccinated before breeding when possible.

So, when you give the shot to a bred mare, you are taking a chance.
Yes some do fine, but what about the majority who do not?

IMO, and for me, I 86'd the West Nile shot.
It is as with the EW, it is not full proof, as with anything else. I have seen horses vaccinated for other stuff, and still get the disease.

But I have seen for myself since giving the shot, changes in the horses, and once you see a defomed foal, a few times, you would think twice about it to.

Not trying to change anyones mind on it, JMO.

[KJUN]

I agree with Snickers I have seen way to may dead foals and deformed foals from mares being givin this shot...My vote was NO

[joustinggirl]

At what point during pregnancy do you vaccinate horses. I only vaccinate 6 weeks before breeding and then 2-3 weeks before foaling and I have never had a problem. Yes, vaccines are no guarantee that the animal won't get the disease, but they usually won't die from it.

[snickers]

If you ask any Vet, they say it is ok to Vaccinante pregnanat mares, I have asked a few, when actually, it is not recommended.

Some have had reactions to the vaccine, and yes, have died from it.

I know of over a dozen horses reacted to it, some almost died, some did.

They had sweats, dehydrated, and high temps. Its like the symptoms of parvo in puppies.

As with anything, its your prefrence and what you feel you need to do.

I am not a newbie to horses. Been here a long time. Vet tech., and do just about everything to my horses, and I have heard from people all over on how they feel and the problems they have had.

My horses are on a regular vaccination schedule as well as worming. They get their shots in Feb., June, and October.
The skeeters here are like flocks of birds and have been out since Jan.
The cold didnt kill them.
They have for the last 4 years, skeeter fogged out here in the country, as well as in town to help keep them down.

So far, so good, my horses are healthy and Vet checked regularly.

Its up to the individual as to what they want to do.
I am not here to try and change anyones mind, just giving my experiences, what I have seen, what I have been told and MO.

[ToveroMom]

Absolutely an individual choice..and you will get different opinions on this.
I do vaccinate all mine-every 6 mos for WN.
The very first year the shots were available I even vaccinated a new horse that had come in that was 3 mos in foal. She got the initial 2 shots 3 weeks apart.
I DO NOT recommend vaccinating mares in foal at all generally but we were also not willing to take the chance of her contracting it. Vaccinating the mares before they are carrying a fetus is one thing you should do prior to breeding a mare. A full check up and series of shots[whether you decide to iinclude the WNV vaccine] is the way to go before you breed the mare.
We had several active cases in this area and we had-and still have-the variety of mosquitos that do carry the virus.
We have had no reactions or side effects from it. People only know what their own experience with this-or anything else-is.
Guess what I am saying is..you will get many yeas or nays on this and you still will have to decide on your own horses.
Snickers and I even disagree on this one..and we are friends that disagree on very little when it comes to horses.

[TDH]

I don't give WN to bred mares nor do any of the breeders I am in contact with, for all of the reasons given already.

Some will swear by it and say the risk is too great "not" to do it.

Others will swear it off and say it's too great a risk to the foal.

I am not in a high mosquito populated area, and I feel safer for not giving it to broodstock, although all young stock, geldings, and open mares get it.

[treasure1]

I give all my shots before i bred the mares, 2 years ago i gave the west nile shot and 2 of my mare absorbed the foals so now i tend to make sure i give the shot before breeding. Though my vet said that the first year you give west nile you give it 2 twice 6 weeks apart and than every year after you only need to give 1 booster. I know every vet gives a different opinion but we have followed this and not had any west nile scares.

[Faceman]

I don't give West Nile Virus vaccinations to mine - mainly because I'm up in the hills and don't have many mosquitos. If I was down in JYates' country where the mosquitos are pretty thick, I would. I do monitor WNV activity, though, just in case. In the last 3 years, we have had 1 horse put down from it in my county and that was about 15 miles away, down in the Arkansas river valley.

[sunny]

Give the West Nile Shots.
I have the vets give all my horses, stallions,broodmares, and every horse gets a WestNile shot, as well as rabies, and all the flu vac. I have been doing it since the WN shot came out and every mare in foal got it as well.
I have been doing it for years.(Knock On Wood ) Not one of my mares, ever lost a foal,aborted a foal , or had a deformed foal, or a sick foal, in anyway from a West Nile Shots.
All horses get West Nile twice a year.
I use some of the top vets, and they say there is not one proven fact that West Nile caused a mare to abort, deformed or anything else in that matter. Not one of the cases reported on the internet have been confrimed by any lab or followed through to see if it was true, or that any other factor might have been the cause.

Most people dont follow through the instructions to start the WN shots.
This is where most problems are caused by.
I am a firm believer that if you dont get your horses shots, than your are in danger of loosing your beloved equine. And the spreading of WN wont ever end.
Good Luck and ask several vets about your concerns with the West Nile, best yet you can ask some of the top equine hospital this question on line. A healthy horse is a happy horse and a happy owner.

[JSlow]

ALL of our horses get WNV vaccinations. In my opinion, I would rather lose an unborn foal than the mare herself! And, knock on wood, we've never had any problems!

[snickers]

[quote="sunny"]
Most people dont follow through the instructions to start the WN shots.
This is where most problems are caused by.
I am a firm believer that if you dont get your horses shots, than your are in danger of loosing your beloved equine. And the spreading of WN wont ever end. quote]

When the shot first came out, a Vet had to administer it, so the horses were started right. Now, it may be that people starting new horses on it are not following through with the second one.

Horses do not pass West Nile, skeeters do. They get it from other infected wildlife and pass it on to the horses when they bite them and exchange of blood.
So, if people choose to not give the shot, does not mean they will keep passing it on. It is not for that, but to try and protect the horse from getting it.


Yes, Tmom, we can agree to disagree.
We are very much still friends, just a different point of view, and thats what makes the world go round.

[eieio]

I am in the minority here as well. When West Nile first came out I vaccinated my entire herd through the University. Instructions were followed to the letter. I had 3 miscarriages and 1 stillborn foal. I got one live foal from 5 confirmed in foal mares. I had injection site problems that cost mega $$$$ and still left a scar.

Five months later I lost my best broodmare to West Nile.

These vaccines are very much like the old Strangles vaccines used to be, the cure is worse than the disease, it only helps the chances of immunity, it DOES NOT guarantee immunity. For me it is a roll of the dice that I am willing take. Many horses survive West Nile, some do not. It is like colic, some live, some don't. I vaccinate twice a year for EEE, WEE, etc. and I have no problems. When they improve the vaccine to be more safe and effective I will try again. But, for now, I still remember looking at that dead mare with the reciept for two vet calls for WN in my hand... I will spend my money on more fly/mosquito repellant methods.

[Orchid]

Originally Posted by JSlow

ALL of our horses get WNV vaccinations. In my opinion, I would rather lose an unborn foal than the mare herself! And, knock on wood, we've never had any problems!

If I was a breeder, those are my thoughts exactly. (Does that make sense? ) I do have friends who breed and have had no problems.

We do have quite a bit of West Nile here and tons of mosquitoes, so to me, there is really no question.

[ToveroMom]

EIEIO I am sorry for your loss.
I do have to say no injection ever is 100%-none of tem..human or animal
The WNV vaccine was on our horses that had never been exposed to it. That is one thing.
I just wanted to clear that one part up because I did not want folks to think it is an ineffective vaccine. It actually tested out very high in making most horses develop a strong titre.
A vaccine will also not help an animal that is already exposed to the disease..too late then.

[QHJewel672]

Alright, so if I where to give Roxy the WNV now while she is not breed the foal would be fine?

Allie

[luvnhrses]

I never give west niles to pregnant mare, per my vet...but you will get all kinds of opinions on this subject, so so whatever your vet suggests...I live in california, and wn has not be such a problem as other states.....Good luck with whatever you do....

karen