Can Vaccinations Affect Your Horses Feet?
Spring is awakening here in the northeast and many horse riders are preparing for another season of pleasure riding and competition. One of those spring “to do’s” on most people’s list is vaccinations. They are required to cross some state lines, enter most shows and camping places. Can vaccinations affect your horses feet? Yes, they can.
This is, without question, a hotly debated topic regarding people and the animals that share our lives. A lot has happened in the world since the first version of this article was published. However, I still believe in informed decision making. This is why I encourage all my clients to read all sides on this issue. What I would like to accomplish in this article is to offer you information that can be placed on both sides of the scale, risks verses benefits, along with my personal experiences and my work with rehabilitating horses and how vaccinations can, and sometimes do, affect the process.
IMMUNIZE WISELY
The best place to start is with a quote from noted vaccine scientist, Dr. Ronald Schultz from UW School of Veterinary Medicine, “Be wise and immunize, but be wise how you immunize”. Dr. Schultz’s mantra is universal, and crosses all species. I also believe it brings a better balance to the subject, since we have those who believe that all annual vaccines should always be administered, and on the other side we have those who believe that no vaccines should ever be given. These represent extreme views. Where we need to be looking is somewhere in the middle. We also need each horse to be treated as an individual, based on how he responds or reacts when vaccinated. A one- size-fits-all approach doesn’t work, based on what I have observed in the field.
TITERS AND MEMORY CELLS
My interest in all this was sparked by an incident over 30 years ago. I was exposed to a rabid raccoon in my barn. There were several that were trapped in the hay loft afterwards that tested positive for rabies. I had post exposure treatment the day of the event, which included a first shot IV, and second IM same day, seven days later IM, and a third IM 21 days later. I asked my doctor if I should get an annual booster, and he told me that I should have a blood titer drawn to see, but chances are that I should have a high titer level for many years. At the time, I had no idea what a titer was!
I never forgot my doctor’s words, and was given another opportunity to investigate this topic further when my dog had an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine. Veterinarian Dr. Jean Dodds ran titers for all my dogs puppy shots. As we discussed the results, Dr. Dodds told me that immunity is like pregnancy- you either “are” or you “are not”. You cannot impart more immunity to an already immune individual, animal or human. Any measurable titer is evidence of immunity. Beyond the evidence in the blood, there are T-cells and B-cells (aka- memory cells) that are part of the picture that we cannot measure, but operating to protect us just the same. Memory cells persist for 20 or more years, and are not increased by re-vaccination.
Now, just in case you don’t know what a titer is, let me give a brief explanation. Blood is drawn, and antibody levels are measured for an antigen and are expressed by a ratio, like 1:5. This means that it was diluted once, twice, three times, four times, and five times before there was no trace of antibodies. In my opinion, everyone and every animal should be titered following vaccination, to see if and what kind of immune response each one generated. You know the old adage, “The proof is in the pudding?” –The proof is in the titer. Somehow we have been convinced that there is magic in that vile of vaccine that will protect us and our animals, and that more is better, when in fact, more does nothing to increase immunity. More may work against the immune system and cause an autoimmune response. We need to seek balance.
THE VACCINE/HOOF CARE CONNECTION
In my practice as a hoof care professional, all new clients fill out an extensive information form to help me look for patterns and reasons why their horses have lameness symptoms. Spring is the most common time of year for this to happen. My peers call it ‘laminitis season”. I am always on the search for why, because unless a horse actually injures a hoof, most lameness issues have their genesis in the body, and often originate from many sources as opposed to just one. Common threads show up time and again in springtime lameness incidents. Vaccinations are high on the list, especially when several have been given at once and when a horse has an ongoing health issue like Insulin Resistance, Cushings, Lyme, allergies, or are challenged by a compromised immune system.
Veterinarian Dr. Mark DiPaolo states in his article on vaccinations: “A 2003 study conducted by researchers from Texas A&M University suggests a link between routine vaccination and acute episodes in horses with chronic laminitis. According to the study, chronically laminitic horses have a heightened sensitivity to vaccines compared to healthy horses due to changes in their immune systems.”
ARE WE DOING TOO MUCH? I most cases, people give their horses vaccine boosters every year, because veterinarians recommend it. I started to ask myself: “Why do we do this to our animals and not ourselves?” That question led me to others. If you think about the human lifespan as compared to horses, dogs and cats, we outlive them all by three or more times. I have received possibly a dozen or fewer vaccines in my 60+ years, yet the average horse under typical conventional care can receive as many as 7 to 14 every year. If the horse lives to be 25, that’s 175 to 350 vaccines over his lifetime!
What I am seeing in the field are soles that once had good concavity flatten and become sensitive; ripples and red/pink blushing in the hooves that mark the event; and abscessing. This is more common than you may think.
MODIFYING YOUR APPROACH
So what can we do? Let’s go back to Dr. Shultz’s “mantra”. Be wise and immunize, but be wise how you immunize. Even though rabies visited me personally, I still do not believe that annual boosters are necessary. I had one of my horses titered after a laminitis episode and the lab reported a 1:4500 titer level. 1:5 is sufficient to protect humans, and rabies laws are written to protect humans. Every client that has run titers for rabies reported extremely high levels, some after only 3 vaccinations. Yes, it costs more than just administering the vaccines, but the money is well spent, especially when you know your horse has had negative reactions in the past. There is no need to assault his system when it is not necessary.
“BE WISE”. Learn about titers and open a dialog with your veterinarian. Build up your horses immune system. To do that, you may need to change some of your care practices, especially if they are conventional. Horses need to be horses, and they need a life that respects that nature and not just what is convenient for us.
I am often asked about shows and boarding barns. Check with show organizations and barn managers to see if they will accept a titer test result, especially if your horse has had a negative reaction in the past. If they won’t, work with your vet to customize a plan that will give your horse only one at a time, and long before show season, or move to a barn where you can find support. Contact an Integrative or Holistic vet who knows homeopathy as remedies can help with negative reactions to vaccines.
In my opinion, it is we who drive shows and events, so we have a choice on how we want our horses to live. We “vote” with our presence and our dollars. We need to demand that things be done differently, and we want our horses to be treated as individuals. For some, this will open the door to thinking differently about what we are doing and why we do it. I will not take my horse anywhere that requires vaccines for participation. His health and well-being are worth far more to me than a ride, a good time, a blue ribbon or a cash award. He is, after all, my friend, and he depends totally on me for everything in his life. I am the one who can make it or break it.
Web Sites for more information:
Equine Vaccination Schedule: https://www.valleyvet.com/library/si_horse_vaccine.html
Dr. Ronald Shultz. http://www.news.wisc.edu/8413 http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/education
Dr. Jean Dodds. https://hemopet.org/dr-becker-interviews-dr-dodds-about-rabies-challenge-fund-study/
Dr. Mark DiPaolo. https://hl.depaoloequineconcepts.com/?q=taxonomy/term/2
Dr. Madalyn Ward. http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/resources/articles/whatvacin.html
Dr. Joyce Harman http://harmanyequine.com/2011/02/vaccinations-rethought/