Vaccine reactions

[MsM]

My horse had his Spring vaccinations yesterday. Due to the virus situation I was not at the appointment (boarding stable) and he received all his shots at once. Today he had a fever, lethargy and didnt want his hay. At vet’s direction, I gave him banamine and that has worked well. As of supper time, he is much perkier, no fever, eating and drinking. The other horses appear unaffected, except for one that was mildly lethargic.

He had a reaction two years ago, but there was a question about the rabies vaccine causing problems that year. Last year we were able to break up the vaccines and gave banamine at the time. I requested banamine this time, but there was a lapse in communication.

Anyone else have a horse that reacted to vaccines? Did the reactions stay the same, get worse, or better? Vet feels we will likely always have to pretreat with banamine to avoid reactions and has made a note in his file.

[Simkie]

For my vaccine reactive horse, switching brands 100% solved the problem, and she is not reactive as long as I use “her” brand.

Before making the switch, she had several years of worsening lethargy and stiffness until she was totally miserable and unable to lower her head to eat or drink.

Before taking the hit on efficacy that comes with banamine, it could be worth evaluating the possibility of shifting brands. Vetera is what works so well for mine.

[Equkelly]

I’ve seen one legit vaccine reaction in my life and seen hundreds if not thousands of vaccines administered . It was the fort dodge rabies one over 15 years ago that had lots of problems. The horse had giant welts covering its entire body and was drenched in sweat about 15 minutes after. That, IMO, is an actual “vaccine reaction.” It’s incredibly rare, but when it does happen it’s serious and it’s terrifying.

But stiffness, swelling, fevers, lethargy, and even mild colics after vaccines are all pretty typical and pretty harmless. I usually just give bannamine and a day or two off and they’re fine. I know it sucks but ultimately vaccines do way more good than harm.

[marmarmar]

My guy had them all at once a few weeks ago. He was lethargic, had a low grade fever, and a mildly stiff neck for a day or two after. He was happy enough eating and grazing so I didn’t give him anything for it, he got a couple days off, and it went away on its own. If he hadn’t been able to lower his neck, or if he had been dragging his feet, I would’ve given him some banamine. but generally it’s pretty mild and goes away on its own

[B_and_B]

I first encountered the ‘standard’ reactions last spring, after over thirty year of no reactions on many horses. Banamine solved the problem, which was ‘mild’ colic in both horses (I’ve lost a horse to colic, no colic will ever be ‘mild’) This year I am staggering the vaccines. There are so many we give now, especially in the spring. Yes, it means an extra farm visit charge, better that than colic.

[clanter]

@Simkie

For my vaccine reactive horse, switching brands 100% solved the problem, and she is not reactive as long as I use “her” brand.

Before making the switch, she had several years of worsening lethargy and stiffness until she was totally miserable and unable to lower her head to eat or drink.

Before taking the hit on efficacy that comes with banamine, it could be worth evaluating the possibility of shifting brands. Vetera is what works so well for mine.

just what we had to do, one brand seemed to always produce advise reactions so we switched brands never to see an issue

[RhythmNCruise]

My horse reacted for the first time last year, after 10 years of never having more than maybe a little edema (my vet gives vaccinations in his pecs to avoid neck stiffness). I’m not sure when he started going south, because I just turned him back out with his buddies (who had zero reaction…same shots) and went inside. When I came out to feed them their evening meal, he had no interest in eating, looked miserable, and actually laid down along the wall in their run-in shed while I was feeding, which he would never do if feeling okay.

I can’t remember if I gave him Bute or outdated oral Banamine, but whatever it was, it did the trick and he felt better pretty quickly.

My vet is coming soon to do shots, and I’m going to ask her to give a little preventative Banamine beforehand this time just to be safe.

[endlessclimb]

In hopes that I can ask this without having to make another thread (apologies for derailing a little, OP):

Can vaccines cause a flare up of secondary issues? Not my horse, but a horse where mine are boarded. Horse is fraught with problems (lyme, been treated, count is currently low; tested for HYPP (N/N); switched farriers after endless abcesses, now doing better; is known for severe vaccine reactions (life-threatening colic responses needing several days of banamine to resolve).

Horse received vaccines April 29, along with banamine to reduce chances of reaction. Horse still now will not comfortably weight his hind legs. Looks “sucked up” in the abdomen. Hindquarters sensitive to the touch. Looks humped up in the back. When you watch him move, it’s like he doesn’t want to stretch his tendons/muscles out in his hindquarters, buckles over at the fetlock and lands really toe-first. Does not respond in a neuro way to a tail pull.

Original vet was out to reexamine but said they see nothing wrong with him. (same vet that left me high and dry to take out my own external and internal stitches when a field surgery they performed got infected, as well as the same one that told me my 8 month battle with lameness with my late mare that included bone scans and trips to Purdue etc was an abcess. I could provide several more examples why this vet is only a “vaccine vet” not a lameness vet, but I digress). Horse was really going great, best he had in AGES, prior to the vaccines. Now he can hardly walk.

What sort of bizarre reaction is this? No temperature, banamine makes it a little better, but you can still see the horse is really uncomfortable.

[Dutchmare433]

@endlessclimb

In hopes that I can ask this without having to make another thread (apologies for derailing a little, OP):

Can vaccines cause a flare up of secondary issues? Not my horse, but a horse where mine are boarded. Horse is fraught with problems (lyme, been treated, count is currently low; tested for HYPP (N/N); switched farriers after endless abcesses, now doing better; is known for severe vaccine reactions (life-threatening colic responses needing several days of banamine to resolve).

Horse received vaccines April 29, along with banamine to reduce chances of reaction. Horse still now will not comfortably weight his hind legs. Looks “sucked up” in the abdomen. Hindquarters sensitive to the touch. Looks humped up in the back. When you watch him move, it’s like he doesn’t want to stretch his tendons/muscles out in his hindquarters, buckles over at the fetlock and lands really toe-first. Does not respond in a neuro way to a tail pull.

Original vet was out to reexamine but said they see nothing wrong with him. (same vet that left me high and dry to take out my own external and internal stitches when a field surgery they performed got infected, as well as the same one that told me my 8 month battle with lameness with my late mare that included bone scans and trips to Purdue etc was an abcess. I could provide several more examples why this vet is only a “vaccine vet” not a lameness vet, but I digress). Horse was really going great, best he had in AGES, prior to the vaccines. Now he can hardly walk.

What sort of bizarre reaction is this? No temperature, banamine makes it a little better, but you can still see the horse is really uncomfortable.

Have you checked digital pulses? Any heat in the hooves?

[endlessclimb]

@Dutchmare433 They’re a little warm, no pulses in either. Founder was my thought as well. Could that show up just behind? His fronts are ice cold.

[trubandloki]

I kind of look at it this way - when I get a vaccine my arm is sore for a couple of days and I sometimes feel not quite right. The type of reaction the OP describes sounds like that. Not something to panic about, just feeling a little miserable for a bit. I would guess there are other horses that feel similarly but just do not show it.

I do think it is worth trying a different brand, trying spreading out the vaccines or other such ideas to see if your horse is less uncomfortable with any of those approaches (clearly you try one at a time). Heck, it might be one specific vaccine that is the issue, and that would be good information to have. But learning that means paying for lots of farm calls.

I can say (to the question of - does it get worse over time) that my mare that had a nasty vaccine reaction and now that seems to be her norm (so she is not vaccinated anymore) never was so much as stiff after vaccines before she went to hives all over and a laminitic response. I have known lots of horses in my lifetime that are always a little stiff after their vaccines but their reaction was never more than that. In other words, there are no rules.

[Equkelly]

Ehhh all this “oh just try a different brand” advice makes me a bit uneasy. Your vet should be staying up to date on the latest literature and the latest information on different manufacturers. It’s not like you’re picking out some new bell boots where you get to shop around for whatever brand and styles you wish.

I’d just hate for someone to decide to “try a different brand” just because their horse was a little stiff and feverish last time so they go with another one and maybe that one actually does have a history of causing actual serious reactions not just your typical normal “reactions.”

I think if you think you’re worried about your horse’s “reaction”, then talk to your vet. Discuss what manufacturers they like for which series and why. A good vet will know what’s best and talk you through what’s normal and what’s not normal and if it’s not normal, what you should do about it. When my mare was getting her rabies shot I mentioned in passing how I’d seen that one reaction and my vet immediately guessed correctly which series it was, who manufactured that series, and then which pharma company purchased that series and when, and the company that purchased it after. Even though that had probably all happened before she was even in vet school. Point is, your vet should know this stuff and if they don’t, get a new vet. Messing with your horses vaccine schedule over some stiffness and swelling is probably not wise.

[trubandloki]

@Equkelly you make a good point I should have mentioned in my post - do all this with your vet. Have a discussion with your vet.
Trying a different manufacturer was what my vet suggested with my horse, to see if that might work. We did find a rabies vaccine that she tolerates, something they have to special order for her (and a couple other clients).

I do not consider it ‘messing with your horse’s vaccine schedule’ to spread the vaccines out over more appointments. Or better said, my vet did not consider it that.

The OP should be discussing this with their vet and move forward with a plan with their vet. And… I do agree that a little stiffness is not a reaction I would worry about, but if the OP is willing to pay for more farm calls to have all vaccines given at different times and this makes their horse less uncomfortable then why not?

[wildlifer]

We pre treat my older horse with dex before vaccines bc he did develop hives after vax many years ago. Haven’t had any issues since. I agree that vets should also be staying up to date on whether particular formulations are causing an unusual # of issues (this is why my vet doesn’t even do the 5 or more - way vaccines).

[B_and_B]

By ‘messing with the vaccine schedules’ I meant rabies one week, (that one seems to have a high incidence of reactions), and the rest of the spring shots the next week.
Stiffness is to be expected, high fever, lethargy, refusal to drink water, and colic, however, are serious reactions that in my view mean some sort of preemptive treatment is needed, because the vaccines are also needed.

[Texarkana]

My one horse has always been reactive. Her reactivity doesn’t seem related to any brand (I’ve even used the dreaded Ft. Dodge/Zoetis with her), but combo vaccines always seem to elicit a reaction. Knock on wood, she’s a homebred and her reactions have not gotten worse in her 15 years of life. Pretreating with NSAIDs helps.

[MsM]

Happily, he is better without medication today. I will discuss options with my vet. I could deal with him feeling a little punky for a day, but the fever and lack of appetite is concerning to me (He’s a Morgan - he has to feel really lousy not to eat!) I could accept him feeling a bit off for a day, but I worry about laminitis or colic with a stronger, feverish reaction (His temp was up almost 4 degrees from his normal)

[goodhors]

Spread out the vaccines. We give one a week, until horses have gotten all of them. We give shots ourselves, so no Vet visit charges. You can pinpoint which vaccine caused the problem, not use it again!

Haul over to the clinic for single shots, if you don’t want a visit charge.

Hitting the horse system with multiple meds at once is not good. Husband the Farrier has seen horses founder after getting multiple shots in one day. Especially problematic as they age. Even horses “we always dId that way before” have bad reactions! Some Vets don’t want to make multiple trips, want to give them all at once despite the owner not wanting multiple shots. INSIST on one shot per visit, instead of being sorry you were not firm with the Vet!! Vets CAN be wrong about things! All equines are NOT the same in reactions. Not fun learning you needed to stand firm against the Vet advice on shots, while sttiing with poor horse in the barn.

[Demerara_Stables]

My mare had multiple bad “reactions” to vaccines when she was younger. Not eating, stiffness, swelling, etc.

I started spreading them out and haven’t gone back. Most vets will leave you one or two of the vaccines to give yourself when they come out (they have to give rabies by law I believe). A vaccine should only be in a syringe for a day or two at the most (again, check with your vet). Dora gets 1 vaccine during the vet’s visit, then I give the other 2 days later. She had a little lump on her neck this spring but was otherwise fine. I always give them the day after vaccines off. I’m not horse showing so not on any schedule and frankly I wouldn’t want to be trotting or cantering around after getting a vaccine myself.

[Evelyn1]

I have this happen with my horse after every vaccine … days or weeks of left hind leg lameness … just happened again with Rabies shot only… she actually looked like she had a broken leg day two after most recent vaccine. Had x rays last time no rotation or sinking… she does have a stronger digital pulse but no heat . she also had a bout of lime and is PSSM1… how did you make out with your horse, any answers… this Sucks … my horse was great no lameness for 6 years and now again she can’t walk from vaccine.