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  Discussion on Rabies in Colorado
Author Message
Member:
sdms

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 13, 2010 - 12:00 pm:

I wasn't sure where to post this since it's really a regional FYI. My vet informed me that yesterday a horse in Deer Creek, CO tested positive for rabies. This isn't something that Colorado has had to worry about in the past. After doing a little research on the subject I found that the cases of bats and now skunks testing positive for rabies have been increasing over the past few years. I also found that a horse in Peyton was euthanized last fall after testing positive. This was "the first equine case in Colorado in the last 25 yrs."

Just something to keep in mind when selecting vaccinations this year.
Member:
vickija

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 13, 2010 - 4:31 pm:

Thanks for the heads up Sara. Where in CO are you? I am in the mountains (Steamboat) and I dont think I have heard of a rabies attack in horses in 10 years up here. I think I will look into this a bit closer this year. Thanks again.
Member:
sdms

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 13, 2010 - 5:09 pm:

Hi Victoria, I'm in Bennett which is about 30 miles east of Denver in the plains. I mis-typed earlier when I said Deer Creek; I was talking to a vet at Deer Creek Animal Hospital this morning and had "Creek" on the brain! It's actually Deer Trail which is another 30 miles southeast of here. Peyton, where the horse was put down last fall, is directly south of me about 50 miles as the crow flies. Maybe 25 miles northeast of CO Springs.

When I was researching I didn't see anything specific to the mountain areas; most was farther east. But even still, there hadn't been anything this directly either for many years so there's no telling when it may show up, I guess.
Member:
lilo

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 13, 2010 - 7:46 pm:

Hi Sara,

I was aware about the case last year. My vet has strongly recommended the Rabies vaccine for the last two years, so my guys now get a Rabies shot in the fall. We just have so many critters her - especially skunks, also raccoons, foxes, coyotes, mountain lions ....

So, I feel safer vaccinating the horses.

Lilo
Member:
scooter

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 13, 2010 - 9:41 pm:

I saw in The Horse that a miniature donk died of Rabies in NC recently. I have always been nervous about giving the Rabies shot to Hank because of his reactions. I think the rabies shot should be given to your horses even if it hasn't been endemic in your area. When I was reading up on it when I was hesitant to give Hank his rabies shot, it seemed rabies can tend to run in cycles. Even tho the odds are with us that our horses won't get rabies, if they do it is the one disease that puts the handlers at great risk of catching the disease and the animal horrible suffering. I sleep better at night knowing my horses are vaccinated for it. It isn't expensive, my horses didn't have a reaction at all to the new Equirab vaccination, and I believe the AAEP recommends it as one of the core vaccinations.
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