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  Discussion on Stocking up and allegies?
Author Message
Member:
lmiller

Posted on Friday, Oct 16, 2009 - 5:37 am:

My 11YO APHA mare frequently stocks up overnight, even when she has been turned out or ridden the afternoon before. She primarily eats grass hay (17#) and alfalfa (2#), 1# rice bran pellets, and joint supplements with flax seed meal base. She lives in a 16x16 box stall, and is lazy and happy there.
Last week she had her 5-way and WNV vaccs, with IV Bute as preventive. ALL 4 legs still stocked up badly. Previously she got very sore at injection site with huge lumps, and her back legs only swelled for a day or so. This time we treated with extra bute and light lunging, which helped some. Then on day 4, added antihistamine (finally), and viola! no stocking up on day 5, AND all the usual swelling was also gone on day 6, with no meds.
Her reactions to her shots are worsening with age. Am discussing a game plan for next year with my vet. Suggestions very welcome!
What I thought was interesting that she was NOT stocked up after that day with the antihistamine.
Could it be she's allergic to something in her environment (unrelated to the shots) that make her stock up overnight on a regular basis? Is it worth investigating, and are there allergy tests for horses? Or is this just routine from standing in a stall all night?
Thanks in advance! Laurel
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Oct 16, 2009 - 7:47 am:

Hello LA,
The routine stocking up sounds like passive congestion more than it does an allergy but such a history will predispose to worse allergic reactions when they occur.

Because of the timing I think a vaccine reaction most likely but as you note not the only possible explanation. There is a known mechanism for a vaccine reaction to cause leg swelling and it sounds like you had a mild case of purpura. The antihistamine treatment is very interesting but it is hard to say if it is very effective or if it was just time for this to get better.

We discuss vaccine reactions and a number of strategies for handling this problem at Horse Care » Horse Vaccines, Vaccination, Coggins Test » Vaccines and Adverse Reactions.
DrO
Member:
lmiller

Posted on Friday, Oct 16, 2009 - 3:30 pm:

Thanks for the article links. I did read through them, and the numerous discussions, prior to my post. It is interesting to hear that her tendency to stock up may give her a predisposition to this kind of reaction.
We'll see how she is next week, but I expect to see her normal swollen ankles return!
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Saturday, Oct 17, 2009 - 10:11 am:

Laurel,

One of my horses had his rear legs do this following vaccinations one hot summer.

It responded to Bute. Cold hosing did not seem to do any good whatsoever.

Generally this horse is not predisposed to stocking up.

Since that happened, I always split my shots into a couple of farm call visits (and do not do West Nile and 5-way at the same time)and have had no further difficulty.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Oct 17, 2009 - 11:07 am:

It is not that her stocking up predisposes to the allergy LA, it is the propensity to stock up leads to a more remarkable reaction, more leg swelling, worse.
DrO
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