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  Discussion on Strangles vaccine
Author Message
Member:
jebe

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 9:37 am:

One vet that comes to my barn recommends the strangles vaccine. The other vet said that yes there has been an outbreak of strangles in my area but he has seen with this round that horses that have been vaccinated and then get this strain of strangles are having a worse case than the ones that have not been vaccinated. One is so bad that Fort Dodge is paying for the horse's treatment.
Therefore, he is not recommending vaccinating the horses. I would like to know if anyone else has heard of horses that have been vaccinated having a worse case instead of a milder case of the disease when vaccinated and any input you might have to share.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 3:44 pm:

I've always been told the opposite -- that vaccinated horses will have a milder case.

But apparently there is risk in vaccinating horses that may have been exposed already, so vaccinating during an outbreak can be contraindicated.

A risk is that vaccinated horses may come down with purpura hemorrhagica.

Dr. O has good articles on this site, and here is another from the University of Florida:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm134
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 5:09 pm:

Hello gaitedlady,
Upon hearing such a story I would wonder which Strangles vaccine was given, when the vaccine was given, and was proper innoculation protocol (primary and booster) followed. I have not heard of vaccinates that had more severe respiratory signs than nonvaccinates though there is some issue with an increase chance of purpura.

That said I do not routinely recommend Strangles vaccination just because there are local cases, there probably are always some local cases. I would consider it if where there have been cases at places where there is a chance of cross contamination at your place.
DrO
Member:
jebe

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 9:14 pm:

Hello Dr. O,
It was the Fort Dodge nasal vaccine. Some of the horses that got the severe case of strangles had received the strangles vaccine for several years. That vet said the cases were much more severe than the horses at the same barn that had not been vaccinated.
If you ride at county parks where horses graze and drink water aren't you taking a chance of them getting strangles or being a carrier and bringing it back to your barn?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2010 - 7:54 am:

If your horse drinks out of community waters at public places he definitely is at risk of getting Strangles.
DrO
Member:
jebe

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2010 - 12:24 pm:

Thanks, Dr. O. I don't let mine but my horse boarders do and I am concerned they could bring it back to my barn.
Member:
jebe

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2010 - 4:08 pm:

Vicki,
I have always heard the opposite also. The vet that has had the cases has been experiencing just the opposite. One of the horses was his very own. He is working closely with Ft. Dodge and they verified by a culture that the strangles was caused by the vaccine and it was not a bad batch.
Could there be a mutation of strangles occurring that the current vaccine causes a more severe case?
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2010 - 5:01 pm:

Weird.

I'm going to ask my Vet about this when he comes tomorrow.

The intra-nasal strangles vaccine is what he uses too.

I too do NOT allow my horses to drink from communal water tanks but have also realized that a horse could pick up germs from places like wash racks at trail heads, which I usually do use after a trail ride.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 14, 2010 - 7:24 am:

gaitedlady, would it be possible for you to give me the name of the veterinarian so I can contact him directly?
DrO
Member:
jebe

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 14, 2010 - 8:10 am:

Yes. Is there a way to email you directly rather than post his name and number here..or can you email me directly for me to reply if you don't want to post the info here?
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Thursday, Jul 15, 2010 - 12:40 pm:

My Vet had not heard anything about this vaccine causing a case of strangles or horses getting a worse case than otherwise.

He most often does not recommend giving it because of the risk of complications and also because it is so short-acting, and in his opinion not terribly effective either.

He said it doesn't work that well to prevent a horse from getting strangles but can help reduce the severity of a case.
Member:
jebe

Posted on Thursday, Jul 15, 2010 - 5:41 pm:

Thanks, Vicki, for the info.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jul 15, 2010 - 6:53 pm:

gaitedlady, check out HorseAdvice.com » Help & Information on Using This Site » Still Need Help: Contact Us. There are some things about this page that it make it a little bit difficult for spambots to find but I still get 200 pieces of spam a day.
DrO
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