Hi, my horse got vaccinated Yesterday. Hé got tétanos, flu and rhino. Hé was not lame Yesterday and this morning hé came out of thé stable dead lame. Both fronts, almost looked liké laminitic, typical foot pain but not warm or pulse. His neck IS a bit stiff but not that much. I présumé hé s lame from thé shots but, i had horses that reacted to vaccin, had fever, swelling etc but never lameness. Did someone had thé same problèm? Tia
Fever can absolutely cause a laminitic episode in a horse. I’d suggest bute, ice, soft footing and rest until it subsides. Sometimes it’s just temporary heat, but I have known susceptible horses to get laminitis and then founder from mismanaged vaccinations so it’s worth taking it seriously as a laminitic episode.
Hé did not have fever
Oh OK. If his feet aren’t warm I don’t know what to say. Id still do rest and bute, and watch him. It could be a coincidence.
Also neck pain can cause lameness.
I have a mare who is very reactive to all EHV (rhino) vaccines, in combination or solo, regardless of brand. If given in the neck or pec, they make her very stiff, sore, and short-strided for several days. She will also get a hot, swollen lump at the vaccine site. As she’s a broodmare, this is a vaccine I cannot just skip. So she gets all EHV containing vaccines in a hind leg (thank goodness she’s a good girl!). She also gets 10 cc Banamine IV with her vaccine and then orally once a day for three days following each dose.
That said, it’s impossible to tell from your description whether your horse is just sensitive like mine or laminitic, so I suggest having your vet out asap to assess the situation.
I also have a mare very sensitive to R/F. How did you find out it was all EHV vax? Mine gets banamine on the same day but not after. How does the vaccine in the hind leg work for her? Is there less swelling at the site?
Since my mare is a broodmare, she gets multiple EHV-only boosters every year. That sped up the process of identifying exactly what was causing her reactions.
She gets much less swelling when the vaccine is given in a hind leg, probably because it’s a larger muscle and because gravity moves the swelling down/away more quickly in that location. She gets a tiny bit stiff, but not like when she gets the vaccine in her pec or neck. The neck is the worst location for her - no good way for the swelling to drain, and she doesn’t want to lower her head to eat or drink when she’s sore.
Thank you! Might be something to try out for my girl.
Thank you i will try it too, how many days are they sore? A week?
Mine Can lower his neck to eat but not flex it right or left
Mine is usually sore for 3-4 days, but the first day is significantly worse than the others.
You are not in the U.S., if I remember correctly. Will your vet provide you with Banamine (or the equivalent) to give for a day or two)?
Yes WE call it equipalazone. Mine it s thé second day but very sore and shortstriding
Watch those feet! Bounding digital pulse, heat, etc can occur after initial signs of discomfort from laminitis.
Next time your horse is vaccinated, ask for either pectoral or hamstring injection and for a protocol of anti-inflammatories at the same time and following for a day or two.
My vets and I do our level best to avoid neck injections because the rate of uncomfortable reactions seems much higher than with pecs or hamstrings. I also personally avoid ‘hip’ injection as I’ve seen too many reactions in dairy cattle and that area drains very, very poorly. I’d rather have a reaction in an area that drains really well.
Yours walks very short if injected in thé neck?
One of my mares is very sensitive to vaccines. When I got her the first batch of vaccines at 3, she was eating grass in a circle around her front feet, not wanting to walk. Camped under in the back. No extreme swelling on day 1-2 to make it obvious, no extra heat in front feet. After a few days a softball sized lump appeared. Vet checked it, nothing but swelling thankfully, but it took a week for her to be normal.
She had the shots in the standard neck area.
The next year we did one at a time, each accompanied with banamine, and could not detect which was the problem.
The next year we assumed the first time was due to a “bad stick” nicking a nerve or something and went back to all at once. She got a fairly high fever, was sore again, etc. This time I treated with banamine immediately and 2x/day and it resolved faster but not sure what I’ll do next year.
For my horse who is sensitive to vaccines and injections, we started giving flu/rhino intranasally.
How much Time do you give between each short? A week?
You have a Reiner bred horse yes? Probably not the cause of the issue, but have you tested to see if they have MYH1?
Yes, hé s imm/n it s something i thought also. When i bought him hé was 5 panels n/n but it was before imm thé 6 th panel. I tested him last year
I believe we did two weeks apart last year.