Just curious how many experience a period of lethargy/low energy affer annual vaccines?
20 year old gelding just got his annual vaccines and I think it was considered the “5 way”. 1 needle, west Nile, rabies, flu etc. I didn’t think to ask and haven’t gotten the bill yet.
He’s now just a bit morose. Shot was on Thursday.
In the past I’ve split things up - some in fall, some in spring. But this year they just kind of came in armed and did it all.
Is this the norm?
Absolutely. Both from overall malaise and soreness in the neck. I switched my mare off a 5 way to a 3 way (West Nile, encephalitis, tetanus) with no flu/rhino because that was just making her increasingly ill, up to a week. Last 3 way she was lame in the shoulder for 4 days but not overall body ill.
I was quite ill after my last flu shot, a week (I think it was H1N1 well before COVID) and have felt my 3 or 4 COVID shots as well. I remember one of my tropical vaxx in the 1990s left my butt super sore! Maybe Hep C?
I think bundled shots for horses can be a bit much. And that their reaction can get worse over time.
Also however vets prefer to do a 5 way because it’s easier just doing one farm call.
That’s probably the most common side effect
For future vaccines, I would do my very best to give rabies separately, and first, and then give the eee/wee/wnv later.
If he’s in a closed herd, he doesn’t need flu/rhino, but if he’s not, then consider also doing that separately.
Veterinarians have told me that the rabies and West Nile vaccines are the hardest on horses, don’t like to give them in the same appointment.
Also, there’s no need for rhino/flu vaccinations in my situation. I’m very fortunate that one of the vets I use is semi-retired, and will come out for an extremely reasonable farm call fee a couple of days per week, which makes it much more affordable to split vaccinations up.
Hope OP’s horse perks up soon.
Yes - I think in the past I’ve skipped flu now I think of it. But we haul out for lessons and the barn just changed (where we haul to) so I had a vague notion of wanting to be fully “protected”.
I’m usually more engaged but this year just let them do their thing and now kind of regret it.
Well he’s back to normal today. Nickering for breakfast and slurping it all down. For the past few days he wouldn’t eat and just went to the hay, which was also lasting a suspiciously long time (he normally is a hoover). I did put a drop of molasses in to entice him.
Reminds me of my reactions to the covid Vax. It was like death. Poor guy. (Guys really because my mini had a similar reaction).
At least there hasn’t been a frost yet so they didn’t slam the dewormer in to them at the same time. I’m going to have to write this down somewhere so I remember for next year.
Chiming in with another “this is normal”.
I have a vaccine reactive fjord. I got him as a 3YO and he’s gotten 104-105 degree fevers with almost all his vaccines.
For him, we tried splitting vaccines and it didn’t seem to matter. We’ve tried different manufactures and that doesn’t seem to matter much for us either. I do the Zoetis Core (rabies/tetanus/EEE/WEE/West Nile plus Potomac in the spring. Banamine every 12 hours for 36 hours gets us through.
I do flu/rhino in the fall and the intranasal version of that vaccine is the ONLY one he has not reacted to. The several vets I’ve talked to said they do tend to see less of a reaction with the IN version across the board.
If you know you have a reactive horse, always have your vet administer the vaccine; if something does happen that requires additional medical intervention, the manufacture will pay the bills. If you do it yourself, they will not.
If you plan on taking the Closed Herd horse to any sort of competition, that vax us now bring required at a lot of venues.
Villa Louis Carriage Classic & The Ntl Drive, off the top of my head.
Pretty sure ridden shows will ask for the same.
Yeah, definitely need proof of Vax for showing. And that’s on my agenda for the spring.
I am quite surprised I haven’t been asked for it from any of the barns I’ve hauled to for lessons.
Yes, though at that point that’s not a closed herd, and I would definitely vaccinate if I were stalling a horse there even if just for the day
My 3 go nowhere.
Pony literally hasn’t been off the grounds in 10+yrs.
Last outing for the mini was 2yrs ago.
Horse went to a Driving Club drive (I rode) at local County Park. No stabling, all outdoors, no close contact with other horses.
I still vax all 3: PHF, 5-Way, FluRhino “just in case”
Another anecdote to consider depending on your area’s types of natural disasters:
If you have to evacuate your farm (fire, hurricane, flood) and you haven’t vaxxed for something that can be spread horse to horse (specifically rhino/flu), the stress of the evacuation puts your horse at a higher risk for contracting something. I was volunteering during a fire a few years ago and we had a horse that we suspected had EHV (ended up being negative) at the shelter. The owners hadn’t vaccinated because it was retired and never went anywhere. Certainly a personal risk vs reward decision, but if you might have to evacuate you should consider that.
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