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[RC] Spring vaccination - Karen Koch

Hope the horses are doing better! Mine had part of his spring shots - including West Nile the other week and had a reaction that sounds similar but not as bad. He got his West Nile (the recombinant one, not the fort Dodge), a combo EEE/WEE/tetanus, and a Rhinomune in the neck area. I rode him lightly right after the shots in the morning - just toodling around the grounds a little. It sometimes seems like a little light exercise keeps them from getting so stiff in the neck after shots. He was fine but urinated twice under saddle. As I was untacking and grooming him he suddenly drooped his head and started to look really glazed and lethargic. He wasn't interested in carrot or treats. (For him, this is a big deal -- he's a chow hound). Took him outside to see if he wanted grass - no. Called the vet, he said it was too long after the shots for an anaphylactic reaction - keep an eye on him and call him if he does anything else or seems uncomfortable.

Turned him out in the paddock, and he just stood there with his head hanging for about 10 minutes. Then walked slowly further down the pasture and stood quietly, but then started stretching his neck out as a horse with choke might do. Then laid down on his chest. Then the scary stuff -- rolled over to his side like he just couldn't keep his head up any longer -- was not controlled at all -- like he just lost control of muscles. Laid there for about 1-2 minutes, then sort of started like he was startled and rolled back up to his chest. I called the vet immediately. In the 15 minutes it took the vet to get out he repeated this falling over action 3 times. Then got up to his feet right before the vet came.

He would only walk very slowly when I lead him out of the pasture. He stopped several times to urinate small amounts. The vet confirmed no choke. He checked gut sounds and said he sounded like the gut sounds were a little depressed on the left side. He gave him intravenous banamine and tubed him with oil and water to be on the safe side. All this time he had that really glazed looked of a sick horse.

After watching him in the cross-ties for a bit, we let him back out into the pasture. He seemed a little more alert and nibbled a little grass. A little later he lost that glazed look and was interested in grass and treats again. I hung around until around 11pm to see if I could get a manure pile, but he seemed fine, so asked barn manager to keep an eye on him and went home. According to the manager, they checked him about 30 minutes later and he had 2 manure piles in stall.

He was fine the next day, but a little swollen in his hocks. I had a riding lesson Monday, which we just did lightly, and he was stiff and swollen in his hind legs. That went away by Tuesday evening.

He's fine now, but I was quite alarmed - this looked like some sort of neurological reaction. A little stiffness or swelling is one thing, this was something else entirely. One other horse at the barn was quite depressed/lethargic and uninterested in food that afternoon, and another one had significant swelling in a hind leg on Monday. I asked the vet about doing titers before we gave him the rest of shots in case we are over-vaccinating. He is still looking into that. I gather that he's having to call individual researchers since there is little to no published research on what titer level indicates protection at this point.

Has anyone else had any reactions this year? If yes, which shots and which manufacturer?


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