Strangles vaccination amnesty to boost equine health

Dick Vet Equine Practice will be holding a strangles vaccination amnesty during the month of October, to encourage horse owners to vaccinate their horse against this disease.

During the amnesty, all horses who receive their first Strangvac vaccination in October will receive their second vaccination free of charge in November.

The initiative will help protect individual horses, save owners money and lower the risk of disease outbreaks.

Vaccination benefits

Strangles is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus equi. It’s so-called because it can cause airways to become restricted by swollen lymph nodes. 

The bacteria can be easily spread through horse-to-horse contact and through contaminated equipment, clothing and feeding troughs. 

The Strangvac vaccine is highly effective, reducing the risk and severity of disease in individual horses. Limiting the spread of the bacteria means the number of horses affected in an outbreak can also be lowered.

Strangles vaccination is safe, with fewer than 5 per cent of horses experiencing any side effects - roughly comparable to flu vaccination. 

Therefore, the vaccine can be beneficial for horses on livery yards or those that travel to events or training, and can be used as part of a biosecurity protocol on a yard.

Cost savings

The usual cost of the Strangvac vaccine is £60 per dose, with two injections administered a month apart, at a total cost of £120. 

Thanks to the support of the vaccine manufacturer Dechra, horses of Dick Vet Equine Practice clients can receive the first vaccine dose during October and the second one month later, in November, for a total of £60. Please note that the relevant visit fees will apply.

Questions?

If you would like to discuss your own individual situation, please contact us by email on EQH@ed.ac.uk and one of the practice vets will call you back at a mutually convenient time. 

Useful links

Strangles vaccine