Annual Vaccinations

I considered skipping vaccinations this year ... after all, tetanus lasts fro 10 years in people so why the need to do it annually for the donkeys?  But three vets that I spoke with were adamant about both tetanus and West Nile every year so I decided to go ahead.

Since I needed the vet out for Ringo's hoof, she did the tetanus shot for everybody then and returned 1 week later to do West Nile.  Usually we don't have the luxury of spacing the shots out like that although I'd really prefer to do that - it's so much better for the donkeys.

Tetanus shots went fine - Ringo was concentrating on his sore foot and didn't try to bolt.  But a week later, his foot was better and we had a hard time getting him to stand for the next shot, even with G blocking his view of the needle.  Dorrie was also scared and jumped around a bit.

Unfortunately Ringo had, what I would call a bad reaction to West Nile - a very large, hot welt on his neck for about 4 days and he looked miserable and couldn't turn his neck in 1 direction.  Donkeys tend to get very quiet when they aren't feeling well and when I didn't hear him bray first thing in the mornings, I was worried.  They were given the Fort Dodge vaccine and luckily not the Prevenile, which has been recalled! 

Put him on Apis 200 twice a day until I could see the welt recede - about 3 days.  Dorica had a small bump so she got a dose of Apis also, Deenah was fine.  She stands so quietly for shots.

Next year I will reconsider giving West Nile.