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problem with shots



I'm hoping someone (or lots of someones) out there can give me some advice/help
with my gelding.  Buster is an 8 yr old registered Morgan with a major bug
allergy.  This allergy has developed over the past 5 years and we've controlled
it fairly well with the use of topical ointments, fly sprays, garlic, etc.  I
currently also have him on Nemicid (R), a diethylcarbamazine (sp?) liquid
wormer for dogs.  He gets a maintanance dose of 3 oz a day.  I know this is an
illegal substance for ECTRA (my competitive trail ride sanctioning body) and I
would imagine for AERC as well.  So when I compete him I take him off from it 3
days before the competition and put him back on it immediately once we're back
home.  My vet assured my that 3 days is all it would take to get out of his
system.  Now comes the problem.
I know that one of these days he's going to be blood tested at a ride.  If it
were any of my other horses this wouldn't be a problem but this guy is so
senstive to anything touching his skin that he immediately begins to panic
thinking he's going to be bit.  Brushing, currying, rubbing with a cloth or
your hands doesn't bother him.  But get near him with a needle or fly spray -
anything that feels like a bug landing and/or biting him and he starts flying
around.  Our vet puts him in the cross ties to do his shots so that he can only
travel so far but even then it's not easy.  I've tried swabbing the "shot area"
of his neck every day with alcohol and then kind of pinching the skin to
simulate a needle to see if I could get him used to it.  At first he's nervous
of that but then he settles.  Let a vet come near him and he begins to get
nervous before the needle ever gets close.  I don't know whether he associates
the sort of disinfectant odor to getting pricked or what.  He certainly doesn't
act like this to other people that come around him.  HELP!  I don't want him to
get hurt during the procedure and I certainly don't want him trampeling the
vet.  It wouldn't make a good impression to say the least.

Worrying in Vermont
Carol Bushway-Boardman
carol.boardman@dartmouth.edu



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