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  Discussion on Yearling vaccination reaction suspected
Author Message
New Member:
dianag

Posted on Thursday, Jun 4, 2009 - 9:02 pm:

Hello Dr. O. I am new to this site and very grateful for it! I need your help please. My yearling colt received a 5-way booster shot on 5/27/09. He seemed fine for a few days but on 5/31 something was different about him. I noticed him pawing the ground when I let him out in the morning and observed him closely. I picked some grass and he ate it voraciously. I notice a bump on his neck where the booster shot was given. It obviously pained him to lower his head to the ground to graze. I took his temp right away and it was 104.5. I took it three times with a digital and glass thermometer just to be sure.

Long story short is that the vet came and is monitoring him. He is on antibiotics, bute, banamine and DMSO on the neck where the hard bump remains. The vet thinks maybe it is a vaccine reaction or infection or both or ? He is lethargic yet eating and drinking normally. In sum, over the course of the last 9 days, his temp has bounced up and down from 102 to 104+.

Given the length of time and treatment in progress, I am really concerned. Tonight his temp was 101.7 but I found two golf ball sized lumps directly behind his throat latch. I read a few other posts about lymph nodes but am not sure what the connection might be. Any suggestions or explanation you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 5, 2009 - 9:42 am:

Welcome Diana,
The upper cervical region has some lymph drainage to the head when the horse puts his head down so the enlarged lymph nodes may be a response to the inflammation in the neck or possibly a response to bacterial seeding in the blood. If the later I would expect other superficial lymph nodes would be enlarged and this can be palpated in the axilla and inguinal areas (arm pit and where the legs join the belly).

I too think this sounds very suspicious of an abscess and perhaps a good ultrasound (including shaving the area) of the area might reveal the location and whether it needs drainage, the quickest and safest way to address this.
DrO
New Member:
dianag

Posted on Friday, Jun 5, 2009 - 10:51 am:

Thank you. Dr. O for your quick and helpful response. I'm happy to report a temperature reading of 101 as of this morning. The neck bump remains and feels a little warm but the lymph node swelling behind the throat latch has decreased a bit. I will keep my eye on the bump as potential abcess and my vet is due for a visit to check on it.

A related question: I know that you have Paso Fino horses. My yearling is also a Spanish horse with old line genetics and I was wondering if such horses have more sensitive systems predisposing them to vaccine reactions etc. Perhaps that is a separate topic.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jun 6, 2009 - 9:33 am:

Posting the question here is fine and no I don't think so.
DrO
New Member:
dianag

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 9, 2009 - 4:03 pm:

Dr. O, your suspicion about my yearling having an abcess was right on. It grew to the size of a small melon on his neck. My vet drained and flushed it yesterday. She didn't use the scalpel. She explained that abcesses need to "mature" to the point where draining it will be most effective. The contents was very thick, yellow pus and not much else.

This morning my little horse was quite sore and walking with a stiff limp and temp of 102.8. I noticed that the area (mid-neck) that was drained is still hard and mounded. Could there be more infection to come? It also looks like the area created a couple more puffy areas near the base of the neck. They look fluid filled, are noticeable and quite warm. Is this normal for the drainage to sort of "spread" after flushing the original abcess location? What an ordeal for a yearling to endure. I will search this site for further information on abcess. Many thanks for your help!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 - 5:27 pm:

Hello Diana,
Did you follow the link in the reactions article to the one on treating abscesses? If not check out Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Swellings / Localized Infection / Abscesses » Abscesses and Localized Infection. It explains the treatment and links you to long term wound care.

Generally if abscesses are draining well they do not spread but this is not a hard or fast rule. Puffiness around the opened up abscess is pretty normal.
DrO
New Member:
dianag

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009 - 7:51 pm:

Thanks so much Dr. O. I had not found that article but will definitely locate it and read it.
Member:
dianag

Posted on Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 - 6:51 pm:

Hello again Dr. O,
I located the abcess article and found it very informative--thank you. After reading about the potential for tissue damage related to absesses, I wondered if I should be concerned with my yearling's current condition following treatment on his neck absess.

As I mentioned previously, the vet flushed the absess rather than using a scalpel to drain it because she was not convinced it was mature. She used two needles (one each for an in and out valve) to pump in saline/antibiotic solution. (Three bags were used.) Although the site of the absess has decreased in size, it has yet to return to normal. My concern is about the sack of fluid that has formed on his left pectoral muscle. I'm told that some of the saline solution leached through the tissues during the flushing and followed gravity to reside in the chest and should eventually be reabsorbed into the body. This "fluid pocket" is warm to the touch. Initially, it felt like a water balloon but now it is feeling thicker. Is this a concern that should be addressed right now or will this take a few days to dissolve? I am attaching two reference photos. Thanks very much for your thoughts.
Member:
dianag

Posted on Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 - 6:59 pm:

A note: My yearling is a grulla and the black markings near the "flush" site makes it a little difficult to see the contours of the absess site so I tried to label reference points.neck absess
Member:
dianag

Posted on Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 - 7:02 pm:

This is the second reference photo.chest view
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - 7:00 am:

Diana,
I am not familiar with this method of treating a subcutaneous or intramuscular abscess so cannot really comment on how effective it might be and may depend greatly on whether this is a sterile abscess and if not the type organism and its sensitivity to the antibiotic administered.

As stated earlier I would still expect induration (thickened tissues) around the abscess and yes the photo above is of dependent edema. But whether from the fluid flush or from inflammation from the abscess I do not know. I guess at this point you watch to be sure you see no signs of worsening and wait to see improvement. Part of that monitoring would be assessing local heat, pain on palpation, and daily rectal temperature. For taking a horses temperature properly see, Diseases of Horses » First Aid » Taking Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration.
DrO
Member:
dianag

Posted on Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - 4:44 pm:

Thanks again Dr. O. Very helpful information. The abscess burst today and is draining again on its own. The edema is changing shape and texture. I have vet check scheduled and am monitoring. The more time I spend on this site, the more I appreciate this service Dr. O. The resources are excellent as are your responses. Thank you!
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