It seems like the question of vaccinating is becoming more prevalent in our increasingly suspicious society.  Should we vaccinate kids?  Animals?  Adults?  The battle rages on both sides of the debate, but no matter whether you are for or against vaccinations in general, sometimes it may or may not make sense to vaccinate animals on the farm.

What Are the Risks?
If your animals spend their lives on the farm with minimal contact with the outer world, the risk of catching contagious diseases is fairly small.  That does not mean they cannot catch diseases, however.  Wild birds, skunks and other animals who cross our farms can carry a host of diseases our domestic animals are prone to get.  Our dogs had not been vaccinated and caught Parvo right here on the property a few months ago.  We live at the end of the road with no real traffic of the human or domestic animal sort, so it was quite a surprise.Traveling Animals
Animals who go to shows, ride in the pickup or leave the farm on a regular basis have much greater exposure than their homebody counterparts, and vaccinating may be the best option.  Shows, fairs and other animal gathering places are notorious for carrying all kinds of communicable diseases.

In the end, the decision to vaccinate is based on your personal preferences, the habits of your animals, and the cost-benefit analysis for your situation.  If you have many animals, one outbreak could wipe out your entire herd.  The cost of vaccinating is much smaller than vet bills, as we witnessed with our dogs earlier this year.  Fortunately, deciding not to vaccinate is not a permanent decision – you can always change your mind if your circumstances change.