Severe Vaccine Reactions

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Every year my mare reacts to getting her vaccines (she’s turning 8 this year). She’s lethargic, won’t eat or move much and it lasts for a few days. I’ve tried different combos, one at a time, bute, etc. I had her in for an ultrasound Saturday and the vet suggested giving them in her pecs, so we did that instead of neck.

She’s been very sore and short-moving, but if there is a muscle reaction in her chest, that made sense to me. I just tried to keep her moving around and treat her discomfort. The vaccine was five days ago and I think she looks worse today than yesterday. I’ve been checking for heat (cool hooves) and have been trying not to panic because we are going back in today for a follow up ultrasound. She has never had sugar sensitivity, hoof problems (works barefoot) but it sure looks a lot like laminitis. Now I’m second guessing everything I’ve done or didn’t do over the last few days.

So I guess we could just use some good jingles. I’ve never had a horse who reacts like this to vaccines. What scares me is that it seems to be getting worse each year.

[khall]

Then I would stop doing vaccines for the sake of your horse’s well being. Sometimes it just is not the right choice for certain horses.

[Simkie]

Have you tried pre treating with banamine? Identified which vaccine she’s reacting to? Tried different brands?

I have one mare that started really reacting to the Fort Dodge EWT years ago. Switched to Vetera, no more problems.

Had one who got a little puny with her rabies this year. Not a lot of options, brand-wise, for that one. We’ll pre treat with banamine if she shows a reaction again.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I have pre-treated with banamine before, but didn’t this year. I explained her history and asked if we should do anything special, but my vet was pretty confident it was muscle soreness in the neck that we would be avoiding with a bigger muscle group. I should have just done it anyway. Although this year’s reaction is dramatically worse than it has ever been.

It’s hard to avoid vaccinating a broodmare, but I won’t do it again unless she is bred. She does better with the rhino vaccine (Merck not Fort Dodge). We also have rabies here and that is contagious through spit alone, you don’t have to be bit, so I’m not really keen on skipping the rabies vaccine forever.

[skyy]

DD’s pony has crazy severe vax reaction. We now only do R/F and only 1x per year. We pretreat for 5 days with Zyrtec -16 tabs 2x per day and then Banamine 1.5 hrs beforehand. She manifests the reaction very differently than your horse, however.

[digihorse]

Yeah… have had bad luck with Fort Dodge vacs creating severe reactions. No longer use those. Last time my horse spiked a 102 temp and wanted to die he felt so bad.

[trubandloki]

I have a mare that had a severe vaccine reaction out of nowhere (all over hives and laminitis). She had been vaccinated her whole life (about the same age as yours when it started) and never had any sign of any issue.
She received two vaccines the day she reacted so we know it was one of those two. But then she reacted again when we pre-treated with banamine and gave a totally different vaccine.

Now the only vaccine she gets is rabies and after some trial and error we found one that with pre-treatment with several things she can have with out any reaction.

That is my way of saying - been there. Do not wish this on anyone. I am jingling like crazy.

I am thankful my vets worked thru this with me and developed the system we have now.

[Nicki_s_Mom]

Try boosting her immune system for about a week before and after the vaccination. My gelding isn’t as severe as your mare, but his neck does blow up and he’s very stiff. I found that with the banamine and immune support he has almost no reaction. I also space my vaccinations a month apart. I use the Platinum Performance Immune Support, which is pricey but works well. I also agree that if you don’t have to vaccinate don’t.

[dani0303]

I have one that reacts badly as well. He’ll spike a fever, exhibit mild colic symptoms, and show severe muscle soreness no matter what muscle group it’s injected into.

Now that he’s retired and in a closed herd I only vaccinate him for rabies and tetanus. I alternate spring/fall for those and pre-treat with banamine and continue it until the reaction has passed as per my vet. It usually last from day 2-day 4 after the vaccine.

FWIW this horse is also VERY sensitive to antibiotic injections as well. He’s just a special snowflake of a TB.

[scrbear11]

My mare has a pretty severe vaccine reaction. It seems to be her flu/rhino vaccine. She received banamine with vaccinations. Since she’s a show horse, I have to vaccinate. I have been told to break the vaccines up, but that just prolongs her reaction since she has a mild reaction to every single one, so I pop her with banamine and coddle her while she feels like crap for a few days.

[EquineJunky]

My MIL’s horse’s reaction so far has been limited to rabies - last year spring shots the area around the injection on his neck was a flat raised swelling about the full size of my hand. New vet this year mentioned they can also have a reaction sometimes to the type of needle itself. This year we did 1 gram bute in the morning before shots in afternoon, 1 gram bute that same evening after and then another gram the next day. Much better time for him this year. Just a very small knot at the rabies site pretty much the same as my mare.

[saultgirl]

I would stop vaccinating her completely.

[joiedevie99]

I would give only what is actually required by law (Rabies), and what is absolutely necessary for her foal (Rhino). Consult one of the big clinics about the most aggressive pre-treatment you can do - pain relief, antihistamine, corticosteroids, etc. and whether with maximum pre-treatment the risk is acceptable. You may want to vaccinate the mare first thing when the vet arrives, and have another hour or two of work with the vet so the vet can actively monitor the vaccine response.

[Simkie]

@TrotTrotPumpkn

I have pre-treated with banamine before, but didn’t this year. I explained her history and asked if we should do anything special, but my vet was pretty confident it was muscle soreness in the neck that we would be avoiding with a bigger muscle group. I should have just done it anyway. Although this year’s reaction is dramatically worse than it has ever been.

It’s hard to avoid vaccinating a broodmare, but I won’t do it again unless she is bred. She does better with the rhino vaccine (Merck not Fort Dodge). We also have rabies here and that is contagious through spit alone, you don’t have to be bit, so I’m not really keen on skipping the rabies vaccine forever.

So you haven’t played around with brands? Would really give that a try. Vetera has worked great for me.

Which specific vaccines does she react to? What exactly was given in this last round?

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Prestige V + WN and Merck Equi Rab w/havlogen was the rabies vaccine. When I tried splitting them up I had that many more reactions. I believe last year was Vetera, but would need to go look at my records (back at work). This year was much worse, but I have no way to know if that was the brand or just the culmination of time and more vaccines.

Vet hoof tested and checked her out. No signs of laminitis (yay!!!) just incredibly large knots (man fist size) in injection sites and reactivity there.

I wonder about giving her shot in her butt next time–probably won’t make a difference, but would interfere even less with grazing. I will definitely incorporate some of the protocols you guys have listed above if she is successfully pregnant for her 5/7/9 shots. Thank you for sharing.

I can’t stop vaccinating completely as I stated above (rabies risk to all of us, foals, health papers for travel) but plan to limit it to the years of travel, etc.

[Simkie]

You can do rhino IN. Is this a suitable form for a pregnant mare?

https://www.bi-vetmedica.com/species…/calvenza.html

Vetera used to have a ton of marketing about how it caused less reactions due to additional filtering during production. They don’t have all their splashy copy on their page anymore, but that is still happening during the production of their vaccine. Barring finding another brand that your horse likes better, it might be one to stick with.

If you try in the butt next time, go low in the hamstring. (Don’t get kicked!) Does working her after the injection help at all? More blood flowing to the muscle might make things a little better.

[fordtraktor]

@TrotTrotPumpkn I used to have good luck with the Prestige 6 way but my very sensitive filly’s legs blew up after it last year. I used the Vetera 6 way this year and she was fine. I always do rabies separately so it wasn’t that.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I’m not familiar with that vaccine Simkie, I will have to check it out and compare. I know Pneumbort is the gold standard, but I won’t give it. I have always liked the Prodigy rhino/EHV. Thanks–I will look into it.

Exercise is good from everything I have read. I didn’t force exercise, but she was turned out. But there was a 20 minute trailer ride home first. I may do ground driving/long-lining after her next shot and see if that helps. There will be winter dates where it may be too icy though and turnout will have to suffice.

We’ll try the Vetera next time she needs the combo.

[Cynical25]

My gelding finally seems to be growing out of extreme reactions (turned 7 this spring,) but his worst was to a Vetera Gold combo spring of his 3rd year - 3 days of 105° temp, barely able to stand, eat or drink.

Trial & error showed he does best with the intra-nasal flu vaccine, and Prestige or Zoetis administered in the rump for Rhino, WNV, Tet, EEE/WEE. I give 1g bute 10 hours after (he usually starts looking pathetic around the 12 hr point) and as needed after. Rabies 10 days after the others keeps that reaction minimal (mild stocking up & sheath swelling instead of unable to bend his legs.)

[fjordmom]

I’ve never had one that reacted as severely as yours, but years ago did have a pony that was rather bleh for several days post vaccine - lethargic and crabby from an otherwise energetic and very friendly, people oriented boy.

My vet at the time told me it helps to exercise them directly following the shots. Lunge or ride at trot and canter for 10 or 15 minutes. Getting the blood flowing supposedly distributes the vaccine and carrier more evenly thru the body and does not cause the localized or overall soreness. Often it’s actually the carrier they are reacting to more than the vaccine itself.

I followed the vets advise; usually lunge for about 15 minutes. It has worked like a charm. Have never had another reaction. (Well, the one time I didn’t lunge because I had too busy of a day, pony was bleh again. So, I’m a believer.)

Also, current vet says she sees far fewer reactions with combo rabies/Potomac vaccine than with rabies alone. We do the combo for that reason, even though it is only so-so as far as effectiveness against Potomac, which isn’t really a big issue in our area.

Hope your horse is feeling better soon. It’s no fun when we have to worry about what may be up with them.