Local Vaccine Reactions MONTHS After Injection?

[WildGooseChase]

I had boarded at this farm for almost 5 years, but left last year when things got too toxic for me.

There have been now 3 horses there (about 15-20% of the horses there), both boarded and the owners horses, that have had supposed vaccine reactions, very local to injection site, and all within the last 60 days. They got their shots in early March per usual. These abscesses have needed vet intervention each time. Think those super gross videos you seen online. The abscesses have all been about the size of a softball.

I have been in this industry on an a youth, amateur or professional level for about 20 years, and I have never seen something like that happen. A huge pocket of infection that doesn’t present for 90 days? They’re showing up super acutely, literally overnight. Has anyone else seen this? This is the only place in the area that has been having these issues to the best of my knowledge. The barn I’m at now uses the same vet, same vaccines, and none of ours have had an issue at all.

[Ghazzu]

That would ping my radar for some unidentified injected substance by persons unknown.

[Scribbler]

@Ghazzu

That would ping my radar for some unidentified injected substance by persons unknown.

Could this be a cross contamination from strangles vaccine?

[Ghazzu]

@Scribbler

Could this be a cross contamination from strangles vaccine?

unlikely with the time interval stated.

[SusanO]

Somebody giving IM Banamine? And not 3 months ago.

[WildGooseChase]

I doubt it. The owner was always really vocal about the dangers of IM banamine. She always kept Banamine paste and Bute powder on hand for such emergencies.

[luvmyhackney]

That was my thought.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

An infection is different than a reaction. If the needle was dirty or nonsterile, either because of an error of the manufacturer or vet, I guess that could cause an infection, with pus slowly accumulating? Or possibly the vaccine batch was contaminated? I would report the issue to the manufacturer if I was the horse owner.

A reaction, like an allergic reaction, presumably wouldn’t occur specific to the site that many months later. I’d be more inclined to say it’s an insect bite or something like that, and the horse owner attributed it to the vaccinations because of the location.

Possibly the vet was rushed and got the horses in a bad place? That happened to my dog, once. I went cheap and got her a free rabies vaccine at a local clinic, and she had a golf-sized hematoma on the area. She had to be put on antibiotics. That never happened when she got the shots at a vet, which I always did afterward. I wondered if the clinic was just not good at giving shots. I also got a hematoma with one of my COVID vaccines, but nothing with the other two, because the technician jabbed me in the wrong place.

[WildGooseChase]

This vet is used by hundreds of clients in the area, including myself. This is the only issue I’ve heard, and I wasn’t notified of any recalls or contaminations. He used the very same vaccines on my horse, and the other 10 horses in the barn. He is very trustworthy, clean and knowledgeable. He is very well liked and well known. Not the kind of vet to rush at all.

I feel like if it was an issue with the vet, there would be more reports of issues, especially outside of this one place. But they are the common denominator.

[Ghazzu]

@WildGooseChase

I feel like if it was an issue with the vet, there would be more reports of issues, especially outside of this one place. But they are the common denominator.

They are one common denominator.
The barn owner and management is another, and given the time lapse between vaccination and abscess development, the latter is far more suspect than the former.

[joiedevie99]

That seems highly unlikely given the timeline. More likely that someone else injected something much more recently - or there is a super weird coincidence, like someone applied tick treatment on that exact spot, or a fly sheet ends on that exact spot - and it was itchy enough for the horse to itch that spot on the fence and get a splinter which got infected.

[WildGooseChase]

I don’t think my comment was clear. The facility is the common denominator. The vet has seen hundreds of horses already this year, in the immediate area, and there are no other reports of vaccine reactions or adverse reactions. I really don’t think the vet or the vaccines caused this. I think something on that farm is causing this.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Yes, it’s impossible (and I think you agree) that a vaccine reaction would be specific to a facility.

Either it’s a reaction that’s coincidentally near the site or (less likely) the facility is dirty or the blankets or other things used on the horses immediately after the vaccine caused irritation or infection. But I’d vote coincidence.

I am a very, very randomly allergic person. I once had eczema on my eyelids for a month before getting it knocked out with a potent prescription steroid eye cream. The dermatologist asked if I’d been wearing makeup, using moisturizer, even dyed my hair. The kicker was I’d been doing almost no self-care, other than washing my face with a clean washrag and water. But I’m sure if I had chanced to use a new product, that would have been blamed.

[Ghazzu]

@WildGooseChase

I don’t think my comment was clear. The facility is the common denominator. The vet has seen hundreds of horses already this year, in the immediate area, and there are no other reports of vaccine reactions or adverse reactions. I really don’t think the vet or the vaccines caused this. I think something on that farm is causing this.

We are in agreement then.

[knic]

What type of barn is this? A boarding barn or are the horses in a training/show program? If the latter, I would be more suspicious of the trainer injecting something routinely that clients may not be aware of or consented to….

[WildGooseChase]

Not at all a competitive showing barn. They’ll do an open show a couple times a year but that’s it. It’s been a boarding barn with a decent sized lesson program until this year. 2 of the 3 instructors left within the last 8 months, myself included. The one instructor left is not competitive at all, she teaches beginners and recreationally rides.

But to be honest, this is something I thought of too. I am wondering if someone in there convinced the boarders to get additional vaccinations I don’t know about more recently, or they had some sort of disease (which I don’t have reports of the EDCC doesn’t either). This whole situation is certainly peculiar. Sadly, I had a bad “breakup” with that barn owner and don’t feel comfortable reaching out, or even asking the remaining instructor, who I am still friends with.

[Turntable]

Where on the horses’ bodies are these abscesses showing up?

[vxf111]

Me too. Someone else injected… something (Ace to quiet the horses down?!) more recently and now doesn’t want to fess up.

[WildGooseChase]

2 horses presented on the right hindquarters, the 3rd horse I wasn’t able to obtain photos/video but I do know it’s on the hindquarter as well. It’s very consistent with where we give vaccination and other injections.

[Turntable]

Were they tested for dryland strangles? It must be cultured to know for sure.