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Vaccine reaction

Horse Care
#1

I’m dealing with my first vaccine reaction after owning horses for over 20 years, and I wondered about others’ experiences. I bought a 13 year old eventing pony mare last summer and she has brought me a ton of joy! Friday, a week ago, my longtime vet came and did vaccinations. 6-way, Flu-Rhino, Rabies, and IN strangles. The next morning, I noticed my mare was stuff and sore in her neck. My two geldings were/are completely normal. I administered bute twice a day for the next couple days. On Monday my vet came and did bloodwork. She advised continue the Bute and apply warmth and DMSO to the swelling on her neck, which I’ve done twice a day this week. The blood work looked okay with a slight elevation to the white cell count, which is normal per the vet.

However my mare is still sore with a hard lump on her neck! I’ve contacted the my vet so she’s aware, but I wondered what my expectations should be about the lump and soreness. Has anyone had this happen, and does the lump gradually go away or will it abscess out?

Thanks!

#2

Well if its just inflammation from the shot it should go down with time.

Now the usual protocol is not to do IN strangles on the same day as any IM shots in case the strangles spores get under the skin. So I assume you have had blood work to rule out this being bastard strangles from the IN?

If it abscesses out with bastard strangles you will want full quarantine. Not something to mess about with.

I’ve moved away from the 4 or 5 way shots. They are too hard on my mare.

3 Likes
#3

The only vax reaction I’ve experienced (in 30+yes) was 1 horse to rabies.
His neck was so sore the next day I had to hang hay, water & grain at near his 17H eye-level.
My other horse had no reaction - both rec’d the same shots divided between both sides of the neck.
He was fine the next day & next year vet injected in the hip & no reaction.

I wish I could recall the vax manufacturer, but it was over 10yrs ago.

#4

Lord that’s a lot of shots in one day, I’m surprised your vet didn’t recommend to do half of them at a time.
And what Scribbler said about Strangles.

Assuming it is “just” a reaction - once our whole barn (14 horses) had a lump and stiff neck reaction from normal vaccinations. Was linked to a specific batch from Pfizer. It took my mare about 3 weeks for the lump to completely go away, some others went away around 1-2 weeks.

3 Likes
#5

Yep --happened to me and my horse two years ago —only reason I remember when, is because I just bought him at an auction --had him Coggins Tested and vaccinated --then the next day went to ride my BRAND NEW HORSE for the second time and he wouldn’t flex to the left --stiff as a board --I mean his neck felt like a board was inside his skin! I called the vet and she said it happens . . . 'bute and heat (and I added gentle massage with warm baby oil because I couldn’t think of anything else to do).

He was fine by the next day.

#6

Man, that’s a whole lot in one day.

#7

A six way PLUS flu and rhino? What six way doesn’t include flu and rhino?

That’s a lot. Some horses just can’t tolerate it. Some horses are picky on brand. IME, you may be looking at this again next year, so be prepared. This sort of reaction is why I now use only Vetera for the EWT and WNV portion–it’s what my picky one tolerates.

Give it time. It’ll resolve. Make note of which brands were used. If you can figure out which vaccine in particular caused the problem–were they given in different locations?–consider a different brand for that next year, if you can. And definitely consider breaking that up into a few days…

5 Likes
#8

One of mine is very sensitive. until I found the vaccination I use now, he used to get a swelling that lasted about a month. He usually wasn’t sore after the second or third day.
You might have to shop around for one she likes.

#9

I’ve had reactions to rabies and one horse who reacted every time he was stuck. He ended up being a horse we just couldn’t vaccinate as each time his reactions got worse. But as others have said…that’s a lot all at once…we usually split and do half in fall and half in spring.

#10

My mare gets swelling after every injection. Sometimes it can last 2 weeks or so before she’s fine. Once it’s there, there’s not a ton you can do other than the obvious-- cold hose, bute, etc.

but there’s stuff you can do to prevent the severity next time! Next time she gets shots give her banimine before hand (works much better to prevent than bute). Right after her shots, get her moving! Do a light ride or lunge her. And also coldn hose the injection site before swlling sets in.

#11

I second the Vetera vaccines, which is all I’ll use anymore.

I’ve had a couple sensitive horses; that’s what a veterinarian recommended, and it made a difference. Vetera vaccines, splitting the vaccinations up, and giving an anti-inflammatory.

Back in the day, Fort Dodge was the worst, IME.

#12

Totally agree! And these have been rebranded as Zoetis–you won’t see any “Fort Dodge” vaccines out there anymore. Don’t think there’s any change to the vaccine, just some minor labeling changes.

#13

I have one that we only do vacc in the butt now because he’s prone to swelling and getting sore (I can’t remember which one it’s from, though).

And more recently, he went through a bout of cellulitis and I was in charge of the penicillin and gentacin shots. When his butt got sore I moved to his neck and after 7 days of shots I finally caused an infection which led to a giant swelling in his neck. My vet told me to do hot compresses and DMSO. It took a week for the giant knot to cool down and then start getting smaller. We’re maybe a week and a half out now and though there’s still a knot, it’s much smaller and not hot at all. Through all of it he was eating (off the ground)/drinking/not feverish and never terribly bothered by it (though he didn’t really want to bend his neck a whole bunch).

So yes, the swelling will go away and at least in the times that I’ve experienced neck swellings, I haven’t had one abscess out (though you often end up with “chesticles” where the edema drains to the lowest point, which is the usually sternum area-ish/between the front legs).

#14

One other thing, with my sensitive horses, the veterinarian began doing the separate injections in distinct areas (left side of neck, right side of neck, pectoral muscles, etc.) and keeping a record of the location/type of vaccine – similar to what is done with cat vaccinations.

I’ve had vets tell me that the rabies and encephalitis vaccines are especially tough on horses.

#15

Thanks for all of the responses! I appreciate the reassurance that this will resolve with time. My mare seems about the same today. In the future I’ll definitely break these vaccines up since she’s shown a sensitivity. The weather was bad that day and she stayed in afterward which didn’t help.

#16

Keep am eye on his temperature until all this quiets down.

#17

Fort Dodge was bought out by Pfizer which was bought out by Zoetis.

My local vet has really been pushing Zoetis now so they must have a special promo or incentives going on w/ vets.

Also my vet was pushing the new Zoetis 5 or 6 way shot that ALSO includes Rabies too. Crazy, since rabies is

tough on sensitive horses. I’m P.O.ed that she recommended this for my horses since one is really sensitive

and his charts are supposed to be highlighted w/ no Ft. Dodge or Pfizer. Can’t win sometimes.

People, keep track of the brand names that cause reactions in your horses.

#18

Whaaaaa…??

Didn’t we just learn that rabies is less effective when given in combo with something else? Does that JUST apply to the rabies/PHF vaccine? I thought it was all combos!

#19

I just went back and checked and it is Eastern, Western, Tetanus, WNV and Rabies Combo by Zoetis. $58.

Supposedly company says less than 1% reactions in horses- so far.

#20

My mini has a reaction to the rabies vaccine every year. Very stiff neck, swelling and some heat. We know it is the rabies because after her first reaction we did vaccines at different times the next year. Ever since then my vet gives a her a shot of banamine before her vaccs and it helps a lot. Still a little stiffness for a couple of days (used to be a week or two) but nothing like it was.

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