Welcome back to our guide to emu ownership. This will be another brief blog post to explain the recommend protocols for vaccination of EEE/WEE in emus.
Starting out with the most important information first, here is a link to the vaccine that we use for our emus: https://www.jefferspet.com/west-nile-innovator-w-ewt-s-d/p?skuId=97262
Here is a recommended protocol found in the MERCK Manual recommendations for vaccination of Emus (https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/ratites/management-of-ratites#v3307014):
Initial inoculation at 6–8 weeks of age, followed by two boosters 4 weeks apart
Booster every 6 months
Booster in the event of an outbreak
The dose for an emu will be the same dose used for a horse. The vaccine will be injected intramuscularly into the thigh of the emu. You'll want to pick the thickest part of the thigh to inject, and be quick!
We will withhold food from our emus for 24 hours prior to doing vaccines. This ensure they are VERY occupied with their food and will hopefully stand still for the required five second process. We also have enough birds in the mob, that we mark them as we vaccinate so we know who's received their dose. This also allows us to come back another day if vaccinating all in one sitting isn't reasonable.
Some exercises to practice prior to doing the vaccine so you are aware of how your emus may reacts, see how they feel with you walking up behind them and touching their legs when they're eating. If they overreact and run off, if they turn around and kick out, etc. Take note of those reactions ahead of time so you can be ready to combat them if needed.
Any questions, feel free to reach out to us! We're always happy to provide additional information and direction to our fellow emu owners.
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