This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Respiratory System » Heaves & Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease »
  Discussion on Copd & rhino-flu vaccinations
Author Message

Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2000 - 5:13 pm:

Hi, Dr.O, I realize your gone away. This isn't an emergency-I was just reading through the copd files. I was looking for info on the rhino-flu vac. and copd Imight have missed it. Anyway we had an appy mare that was purchased with heaves and about 3 times a year she would get so bad that our vet would have to administer dmso&anithistamines into her jugular. It was really awful seeing her suffer like that-and we felt so bad keeping her out. But I was talking to another vet and he recommended giving her a flu shot every month, he did say that many vets don't recommend it, we just wanted to spare the mare some suffering-so why not prevent if we could. It worked the mare never had another attack-she lived well into her late 20's was blind and was also allergic to penicillin, so she had her obstacles. What is your opinion on this type of treatment Dr.O ?

Posted on Friday, May 26, 2000 - 9:05 am:

Hey Melanie,

Just because I have a heavey horse, I'm interested in knowing how the flu shot would prevent her from having an attack, since their main allergic response is to dust and mold? I've always heard the opposite -- never give a flu shot to a heavey horse as their system isn't strong enough to handle the added strain. So it's interesting to hear that it worked for your mare.

DMSO into the jugular?? Yikes. Something else I've never heard of.

Posted on Friday, May 26, 2000 - 10:33 am:

Hi, Sheila I don't know how it works but it just did. We were very careful about the hay we fed her as with all our horses and we always watered it down- it just seemed about 2 sometimes 3 times a year she would have a flare up especially in the middle of the summer in the heat, while she was on pasture? Our vet just said it was probaly seasonal allergies. About the dmso the first time they administered it-there could have been side effects mainly founder- but our tough old mare made it through. But this mare had the worst case of heaves I've ever seen- every time she breathed we thought it was her last breath, it was heart breaking seeing her like that, so I spoke to another vet he recommended the vac. so we tried it-don't know why but she never had another attack until her death. Maybe when Dr.O returns he can give us some answers. Bye for now Melanie.

Posted on Monday, May 29, 2000 - 10:09 pm:

A fascinating post Melanie. I must say that I think that the most likely explanation is that your other good care caught up with the allergy problem and the vaccination was coincidental. There are no such reports in the scientific literarture that I am aware of.

But that said, there may have been another more bizarre explanation: If you assume the problem was classic COPD, an allergic pneumonitis to mold spores, how would a vaccination intended to stimulate the immune system both nonspecifically (the adjuvants) and specifically for the influenza virus help? How about this: the immune system became refractory to stimulation? We know chronic low level stimulation of the immune system can cause the immune system to ignore some allergins, so just maybe...

Does this mean others should try a flu shot monthly for the rest of a horses life? There is
1) the expense
2) the common minor reactions,
3) the real possiblity with frequent exposure of severe allergic reactions: yes the immune system can react totally opposite in some individuals to the same treatment in some accomadate in others go wild,
4) effective management ways to control COPD..
I would be slow to add this to my treatment protocol. Then again, the vet that recommended it looks like a genius!
DrO
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC