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  Discussion on Vaccine reaction
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Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 8:41 am:

I just vaccinated my horse with the 3 way sleeping sickness / tetanus vaccine on Tuesday of this past week. All was fine until yesterday. I noticed that he seemed a little lethargic and depressed, however still had a fairly decent appetite. His problem seems to be neck stiffness. He has to work at it a little to get his head to the ground, although is eventually successful and the longer he grazes off the ground, it seems to ease a bit. He can't seem to hold his head as high as he normally would (wouldn't take a carrot over the top of his gate, but can stretch it forward to receive a carrot.

Dr O, I have read all the posts and the article that this is a common reaction in 10% of horses, (if I remember correctly)and that it can last from 1 - 3 days. But there doesn't seem to be any swelling, no heat on his neck and no temp. Is this just stiffness. He walks fine, although he carries his head about wither height and seems to carry it a bit bent in the direction of the side of the neck that was vaccinated.

I called the vet on call at our clinic last night and he told me not to worry and just watch him. This morning he is the same, couldn't reach his cubes at the bottom of the feed tub but when I threw his hay in he ate normally.

We are trailering our horses about an hour from home today for a very easy terrain 10 mile trail ride tomorrow. I thought I would ride him shortly this evening to see what he can tolerate. If he's off, we won't go, although I know that if I'm stiif, it's good to exercise, but this is probably a little different. Could we have possibly hit a nerve? If so, what then? How do we know? He walks fine, he's not wobbly. He seems to chew and swallow fine.

Did I get sound advice, should I try riding him? What about bute?

Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 12:37 pm:

It sounds like a regular old vaccine reaction. I really can't make the decision to ride him, if it is mild he may work out of it but if moderate to severe he may resent work and be miserabler while being ridden. We have specific recommendations of treatment at, Equine Diseases: First Aid: Giving Injections and Anatomy Orientation. I suspect a dose of bute or two and he will be fine but you must be the final judge.
DrO

Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 2:07 pm:

Thanks Dr. O., Believe it or not I DrOve home from the farm to my computer (about 4 miles) just to check to see if you had answered yet. You never let me down. I appreciate that more than you know. I just needed to hear it from you for some reason, even though your comments are exactly what my own vet's comments were on the phone this a.m.

Thanks again. Hopefully he'll be feeling better after a dose or two of bute.

Posted on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 11:13 am:

Update:

I got some bute into him on Friday afternoon and again on Sat. a.m. before the ride. It reallly did the trick. My vet here told me that he usually vaccinates in the chest muscle. One thing I learned, I won't vaccinate again 3 days before a trail ride, which incidently was fantastic.
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