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Location: on my horse | Not last night but the night before I gave my mare routine spring vaccinations and by yesterday morning she wasn't feeling well so I hung out to watch her and called my vet to ask for advice while taking her temp. Fast forward 30 minutes and she's in full anaphylaxis temp up to 104.5 breathing like she just ran a race. 7 minute drive to the vets and her temp is up to 105 her throat is swelling shut dripping sweat shaking and she's heading for respiratory distress. I am so thankful for quick acting vets who saved my girls life! She will be back to normal in no time, but we spent all day at the clinic monitoring her.
I called her old owners (this is the first time I've vaccinated her) and they said they've never had her react, I believe them because we're good friends. I called the place where I bought the vaccine and told them what happened and asked if they've had any other stories as well. They said no but they would be checking all vaccine and reordering. From the time I bought it to the time I gave it to her I stored it properly (3 hours) and didn't ride her the day of.
Has anybody has this happen before? I'm going to be terrified to vaccinate her next year and will haul her in to the vet to have it done!
Edited by redmansmyman11 2015-03-11 3:47 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| How many vaccines did you give at once and were some of them compounded, like a 3-way?
This can happen in very few horses.  I personally have never had one react this much.
I'm also curious - what brands of vaccines did you give? |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I gave her a 4 way in one side and west nile in the other side. I've had horses have a mild site reaction before but never like this! I don't remember the brand, I threw the packaging away but am going to dig it out of the trash tonight, it was too dark this morning to find it when I looked for it.
In the future I'm going to do all of mine different, WNV wait a week then 4 way. And for her she will be having a 24 hour stay at the vet both times to be on the safe side. |
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 Firecracker Dog Lover
Posts: 3175
| Glad to hear your horse is okay. I give a 5-way and WNV every spring but I give them two weeks apart and I also do it on the opposite side so if there is any swelling or reaction I know which one to attribute it too. Knock on wood though I have never had a problem. I cannot imagine how you must have felt! So glad everything came out okay. |
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Expert
Posts: 2457
| redmansmyman11 - 2015-03-11 3:57 PM I gave her a 4 way in one side and west nile in the other side. I've had horses have a mild site reaction before but never like this! I don't remember the brand, I threw the packaging away but am going to dig it out of the trash tonight, it was too dark this morning to find it when I looked for it. In the future I'm going to do all of mine different, WNV wait a week then 4 way. And for her she will be having a 24 hour stay at the vet both times to be on the safe side.
So different brands will have different adjuvents (the bits that stimulate the immune reaction we are intending over and above the virus or bacteria when we vaccinate). Sometimes adjuvents can create reactions. I split my vaccines apart and always alternate sides of the neck in which they are given. Another good practice is to clean the area of skin with alcohol before giving the injection - this reduces side issues too.
Glad your horse is ok! Scary stuff!!! |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | lindseylou2290 - 2015-03-11 3:13 PM
redmansmyman11 - 2015-03-11 3:57 PM I gave her a 4 way in one side and west nile in the other side. I've had horses have a mild site reaction before but never like this! I don't remember the brand, I threw the packaging away but am going to dig it out of the trash tonight, it was too dark this morning to find it when I looked for it. In the future I'm going to do all of mine different, WNV wait a week then 4 way. And for her she will be having a 24 hour stay at the vet both times to be on the safe side.
So different brands will have different adjuvents (the bits that stimulate the immune reaction we are intending over and above the virus or bacteria when we vaccinate). Sometimes adjuvents can create reactions. I split my vaccines apart and always alternate sides of the neck in which they are given. Another good practice is to clean the area of skin with alcohol before giving the injection - this reduces side issues too.
Glad your horse is ok! Scary stuff!!!
I alternate sides of the neck and always alcohol swab down before giving vaccines but haven't split them up time wise before but will in the future. |
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Location: Great Places Great Faces | What specific brand of vaccine did you use? Some have much lower safety profiles then others, glad she's going to be okay!
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Veteran
Posts: 264
| I unfortunately have experienced this.
Vet administered 4 way, continued vaccinating rest of the barn, before she even packed up to leave my poor mare dropped. We tried for 3 hours to try and save her. It was heartbreaking. I eventually found out they were trying a new pharmacy. :( I have not vaccinated a single horse since.
I'm sorry you had this happen, but so glad you were able to get her through it! |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Yes, this can happen though its rare. I always get mine done at the vet too for that reason. Mine usually get a seven way. No problems yet, fingers crossed. I'm not the only one who would like to know what brand you used though. Always great to have the info. So glad your vets were able to handle this so well. |
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 Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | What brand did you use? I hear of this happening more often and if there are several people on BHW who have had it happen I'm sure it happens alot more than we know about! |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | Trash got taken out before I was able to get there and dig them out unfortunately. Tomorrow I'll go back to the store I bought them from and write down the brand because I'm dying of curiosity and so is half the board here.
Kitty is feeling almost normal tonight, she napped a lot today (had someone check on her while i was at work) and tonight I hand walked her for about 10 minutes so she could get out of her pen for a little bit. |
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas |
After that kind of reaction, no way would I chance vaccinating her again. JMHO
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I thought about that, but we live in an area with a lot of bad west nile cases each year and am going to have to find a way to balance the risk of vaccinating with the risk of west nile or any other thing she'll pick up being in a public area.
Lindsay had a good point that I hadn't thought of about how different vaccines have different adjuvents and I'm going to talk to my vet and see if there's some way we can figure out what actually caused the reaction whether it was a bad vaccine or some other part. I'm probably grasping at straws as far as some sort of test to figure it out but it's worth a phone call. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| turnedout - 2015-03-11 5:17 PM
I unfortunately have experienced this.
Vet administered 4 way, continued vaccinating rest of the barn, before she even packed up to leave my poor mare dropped. We tried for 3 hours to try and save her. It was heartbreaking. I eventually found out they were trying a new pharmacy. :( I have not vaccinated a single horse since.
I'm sorry you had this happen, but so glad you were able to get her through it!
I saw a lady's horse drop dead in it's tracks seconds after being vaccinated. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 494
| I had one break out in hives after a vaccination about 15 years ago. Never vaccinated since, if there bodies react this severely to the vaccine then something in the vaccine does not belong in their system. I would not vaccinate your mare again JMO. Read up on the ingredients in vaccines. You'll be surprised by what you find. |
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Expert
Posts: 2121
Location: The Great Northwest | There is epheneferen(sp) that you should have on hand in case of shock. |
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