Special to the Lake Okeechobee News
Treasure Coast Equine Emergency Services warns horse owners there have been a few cases of West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) --- sometimes called sleeping sickness -- in horses in Okeechobee County in the past few weeks.
"I know I sound like a broken record but we vets are TIRED of euthanizing horses for lack of a simple vaccine. We are TIRED of removing heads off horses to submit for rabies testing because the diseases can look similar," explained Dr. Karie Vander Werf in a social media post.
"There are exceptionally FEW reasons to not vaccinate your horse. It is recommended that the encephalitis vaccines be repeated twice a year in Florida due to our year-round mosquito season.
"While it is always recommended that your veterinarian is the one to vaccinate your horse, I think all of us vets would just like it to be done regardless of who does it."
Why should you have your vet vaccinate your horse?
• Vaccine storage and handling: there's no guarantee the vaccine has maintained proper cool temps at a feed store or that you haven't left it in your car or purse for a bit before giving.
• Manufacturer guarantee: the manufacturer of the company will guarantee its vaccine if a vet has given it - covering costs of testing and possibly treatment if the horse comes down with the disease it has been properly vaccinated for.
• Adverse events: if the horse suffers a severe adverse event such as an anaphylactic reaction, the veterinarian has the meds and knowledge to treat it immediately.
• Yearly vet exam: this will establish the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) which is required in order to dispense medications. Need that tube of Banamine to have on hand? Your vet needs to have seen the horse in the last year in order to prescribe this.
