Scared I gave horse Adequan wrong.. very sore

[BentoBean]

I’m currently freaking out that I gave my horse his adequate injection too close to the spinal column in his neck. This is my 4th injection with him (i vile, every 4 days) and I alternate sides of his neck, and gave him his shot yesterday at the base of his neck in what I thought was the “safe triangle” but now I’m wondering if I did it too low near the spinal column. I went out to ride him today and he is insanely sore in that area, causing him to not even want to really exercise. I trotted him on a long rein and he seemed to get better that that, so I’m hoping its just muscle soreness, but is that a normal reaction? And if it were to abscess what would be signs to look for? I thought I saw a little puffiness at the injection site but I couldn’t tell if it was the light or not, and he flinches away pretty severely when I try to touch it. No blood came out when I gave him the shot

I’m so scared I did something really bad and may have really messed something up. Please advise!

**and I should also add… we are supposed to be leaving for a show 7 hours away tomorrow, with a non-refundable $500 entry already sent. I don’t actually compete until Saturday, so do I take the risk of it simply being muscle soreness and he will be better by then? Or do I go ahead and scratch and be sure he’s going to be okay?

[keysfins]

Best advice is to have a vet out for an exam. Vet can then review with you where to administer IM injections, if you are going to do them.

A lump, soreness, reduced range of motion and heat at the injection site would all be suspect.

[findeight]

Sounds like a typical injection site reaction, it happens once in awhile and they can get pretty stiff, sore and puffy at the site …by all means have the vet out to check but having a hard time visualizing where you could have injected IM that could have compromised his spinal chord. Vet can show you some other alternative sites for IM injections if you’d rather stay away from that area next time.

Ive had minor reactions over the decades to various shots, sometimes it’s to what was injected injected but sometimes it’s just from any substance leaking out into the subcutaneous tissues a bit around the needle, or so my vet told me when I called in a panic.

[StormyDay]

ask your vet first, but you can give adequan in the pectoral muscles in the chest, in the fatty/muscle area that horses have. My vet told me to feel for the softest and deepest muscle area and inject there. Of course ask your vet, but one of my horses has received adequan there for years (horse won’t tolerate neck injections)

I would call the vet about the current swelling. I have never seen a horse have swelling as a result of adequan so that is a bit worrying.

[BentoBean]

Yes my vet definitely said to go see her and she will help me with making sure I’m doing the injections in the right place. I’ve given it in the same area (just different side of the neck) the previous 3 times with no reaction, so hopefully I’m not too far off.

And the sight isn’t for sure swelling, I only think I saw a little puffiness but in certain light I couldnt see anything at all

I started googling before posting here, which never helps!!

[IPEsq]

Well the good news is that you won’t kill the horse even if you did nick a vessel on the way in or out (which may cause a welt) or get too close to the spine (Adequan can be given IA, even in the neck). But you could have a bit of a reaction that may have occurred no matter what was in the syringe. My guess is he’ll be fine, but it’s good to have the vet take a peek and give you another refresher on shots.

[dressager]

Have the vet out. We had a horse abscess in her neck from an adequan injection… the person who gave the IM injection was extremely experienced, it was given in the right spot, clean needle and syringe. She had a fever within a day and was VERY sore and she ended up needing the abscess drained. Plus, she didn’t respond to antibiotics in the field so she had to be hospitalized.

[BentoBean]

@dressager

Have the vet out. We had a horse abscess in her neck from an adequan injection… the person who gave the IM injection was extremely experienced, it was given in the right spot, clean needle and syringe. She had a fever within a day and was VERY sore and she ended up needing the abscess drained. Plus, she didn’t respond to antibiotics in the field so she had to be hospitalized.

So she had a fever the day of? I gave him the injection yesterday aroun 6pm, came out at noon today and noticed the soreness/puffiness at the site, came back out around 6 this evening and still some soreness. He’s eating and acts fine minus the soreness, but I won’t be able have the bet see him until tomorrow… would he already be showing other symptoms if it were an abcess or do the symptoms take a day or two?

[dressager]

We didn’t check her temp the day of because we didn’t notice any issues until the next day. Her neck was sore enough that she couldn’t lower her neck to the ground the following day. Her fever was 103 I believe… her neck was warm. The original Vet on the scene said it was muscle soreness. In hindsight there was no way it was muscle soreness. My Vet accurately diagnosed it as an abscess with an ultrasound and opened it up.