Horse Health/Client Information

In this section you will find recommended guidelines and other helpful
information important to your horse's health.
Vaccination Guidelines
*Previously unvaccinated horses receive 2 doses 4 weeks apart, then every 6 months.
- Bi-annual vaccines (spring and fall recommended)
- Eastern/Western Encephalitis
- Tetanus
- West Nile Virus
- Rhinopneumonitis/Influenza
- Annual vaccines
- Rabies
- Strangles
- Potomac Horse Fever (only based on need/location)
- Foals/Broodmare vaccines
- Foals from vaccinated mares should receive
initial vaccines at 4 months of age, followed by boosters
in 4 weeks.
Foals from unvaccinated mares should receive initial
vaccines at 3 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks.
Vaccine |
Foal |
Broodmare |
Eastern/Western Encephalomyelitis |
At 4 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks. |
Every 6 Months, boost 30-45 days before foaling date. |
Tetanus |
Antitoxin 12 hours post foaling. At 4 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks. |
Annually, boost 30-45 days before foaling date. |
Rhinopneumonitis |
At 4 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks. |
Every 3 Months, boost 30-45 days before foaling date. |
Influenza |
At 4 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks. |
Every 3 Months, boost 30-45 days before foaling date. |
Rabies |
At 4 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks. |
Annually, boost 30-45 days before foaling date. |
Potomac Horse Fever |
Consult With Your Veterinarian |
Consult With Your Veterinarian |
Strangles (Intranasal) |
At 4 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks. |
Consult With Your Veterinarian |
Pneumabort-K |
Foal Does Not Receive |
At 5th, 7th, and 9th month of gestation. |
West Nile Vaccine |
At 4 months of age, followed by boosters in 4 weeks. |
Every 6 Months, boost 30-45 days before foaling date |
Easterwood Equine Hospital Deworming Program
- Plan 1: Recommended Plan
- Submit manure (less than 24hrs old) for fecal egg count (FEC) testing every 3 months
and deworm or don’t deworm accordingly based on the veterinarian’s recommendations.
Fecal egg counts allow us to determine what type of worms your horse has, how many,
and how many eggs it is shedding. We can then target the wormer based on your
horse’s individual needs. In herd situations these FEC’s allow us to tell
which horses may be shedding the most worms and potentially contaminating the pasture
with the most worm eggs. Some horses may not need worming based on their FEC
at the time, so it may save you some money on wormer in the long run. If you
cannot submit manure every 3 months, we recommend that you deworm at least twice
per year (Equimax in the late fall after the first frost; Quest Plus in the late
spring/early summer when the temperature has been greater than 85 degrees for 2-3
days in a row).
- Fecal Egg Counts cost about 25 dollars at our clinic.
- Plan 2: If doing the Fecal Egg Count is not feasible or practical
- Deworm every 8 weeks using a rotational plan. Rotate between ivermectin, pyrantel
pamoate, fenbendazole, and moxidectin/praziquantel. It is still a good idea
to submit 1-2 fecal samples per year to make sure your program is effective.
- This is a good plan for young horses 2 months old to 18 months old.
- Plan 3: Daily Dewormer
- Use daily dewormer like Strongid C2X combined with spring and fall paste worming
with an ivermectin product (Zimectrin, Equimax).
- Important facts and management tools:
- Not all horses carry the same worms or have the same worm burden. In fact
35% of the horses in a given herd are responsible for 85% of the pasture contamination
with internal parasites.
- Worm resistance to dewormers is a reality. Resistance to products like Panacur
and Strongid is greater than others like Ivermectin or Moxidectin.
- Resistance develops by using the same dewormer over and over again, and often at
lower than effective dose levels.
- Fecal egg count testing is the best way to determine what type of worms your horse
is harboring and how many. This test can be done at Easterwood Equine Hospital
on one fecal ball that is less than 24 hours old. The results of this test
allow us to specifically select the dewormer and schedule.
- It is always good to follow up your dewormer by doing an effectiveness test (repeat
fecal egg count) two weeks following dosing.
- Horses with a low fecal egg count do not necessarily have to be dewormed.
In fact some studies have shown that a small amount of worms may be beneficial to
the horse by stimulating better GI immunity.
- Young horses under 18 months of age should be monitored closely for the presence
of roundworms and dewormed accordingly.
- Strategic deworming based on fecal egg counts is the best plan for your horse.
- Management tools:
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