|
|
  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
  
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | abcessed today. So now what? I plan a vet call in the am. My husband and I stuck a 16 guage needle in a couple places and squeezed the pus out  . It's actually not a real large area, about the size of a pear. What meds should I have him on etc? I keep most anything on hand. Would like to get him started tonight.
I don't know if I will ever do a West Nile combo vac again. It sounds like this is fairly common.  |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 278
Location: Whitney, NE | I would call the on call vet and ask them if there is anything you could give tonight. |
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 71
| Abcess could happen from any injection. Did you clean area with alcohol prep before injection. As RN I have seen this happen before on people. You could have inadvertently introduced bacteria into the body when you punctured the skin. I would not consider this as a reaction to vaccine. Some horses do react to vaccines but it may be caused by preservatives they are formulated in. Vet may recommend a course of antibiotic therapy like sulfa trimeth tabs for abcess. Poor fella probably won't won't want any more injections in his sore neck for awhile. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3514
 
| Triple sulfa if you have it. If you can put warm towels on it, that will help draw anything else out. |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | readytorodeo - 2014-04-22 3:42 AM Triple sulfa if you have it. If you can put warm towels on it, that will help draw anything else out.
this
Abcessing can happen with any IM injection... I would not have this prevent you from vaccinating in the future.
If the horse has not reacted before to a vaccine, it's probably just that something became contaminated (either the bottle, or bacteria from the skin/hair infiltrated the injection site).
These subq infections are most often associated with banamine. Makes sense if you think about it- banamine injections are more frequently given than a vaccine.... people also go back into a bottle of banamine more times than a vaccine bottle (a lot of folks even buy single dose vacc's, like me, because I only have one horse) so there are more chances for that bottle to become contaminated.
In both Banamine and vaccines, nothing in the injected material will kill bacteria either (ie they have no antibiotics in what you are injecting), so the bacteria con survive in the banamine or vacc and then propagate once they are inside the horse.... causing the reaction
|
|
| |
|
 Best of the Badlands
Location: You never know where I will show up...... | I would not necessarily blame the vaccine for the abcess. It can happen with any IM shot. When I was working for the vet he always had us clean the horses as well, before giving any IM injection. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2457
| Depending on the size, the vet may lance it and flush it with sterile water or other solutions. They'll most likely put the horse on sulfa/trimeth tabs for a week.
Like others have said, this is common with injections and I wouldn't let it deter me from vaccinating in the future.
|
|
| |
|
Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Thanks for the info. I guess I meant that he had a reaction from giving the vaccination not necessarily from the vaccination itself although from asking around several people I know have had issues from this WN combo vs any other they have given. These boys get hauled from home so they need vaccinated, I'll just be more nervous in the future for sure and may not do the combo but seperate as I have done in the past with no issues (but will see what vet thinks is best). They are shedding like crazy so bad I wonder if the needle could have pulled hair into the area?? I do change needles and clean up the area. We've been giving shots for years and never had an issue. This will sure wake you up though!
Anyways, I'm just glad it did something instead of the huge swollen entire neck on that side. THAT had me worried. An abcsess I can deal with. He's not off feed, but doesn't want to turn his neck which is understandable. And of course I have a buyer interested in this one ...I told them what happened and that it would be best to wait to come and check him out, that and he needs front shoes. So all is good there.
Thanks again.
Edited by wyoming barrel racer 2014-04-22 8:59 AM
|
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | speedy healing :) |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 8:52 AM
Thanks for the info. I guess I meant that he had a reaction from giving the vaccination not necessarily from the vaccination itself although from asking around several people I know have had issues from this WN combo vs any other they have given. These boys get hauled from home so they need vaccinated, I'll just be more nervous in the future for sure and may not do the combo but seperate as I have done in the past with no issues (but will see what vet thinks is best). They are shedding like crazy so bad I wonder if the needle could have pulled hair into the area?? I do change needles and clean up the area. We've been giving shots for years and never had an issue. This will sure wake you up though!
Anyways, I'm just glad it did something instead of the huge swollen entire neck on that side. THAT had me worried. An abcsess I can deal with. He's not off feed, but doesn't want to turn his neck which is understandable. And of course I have a buyer interested in this one ...I told them what happened and that it would be best to wait to come and check him out, that and he needs front shoes. So all is good there.
Thanks again.
I would get an X-ray to make sure there is not bone or joint involvement. I would also get the vet to flush the abscess out. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 196
| I have had several react to the west Nile combo vaccine, nearly lost my barrel horse several years ago. I switched to a west Nile only vaccine and have had no problems. My reactors were done by my vet, since I had several the same round, she said it was the batch of vaccine and did not charge for aftercare... |
|
| |
|
 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 8:52 AM Thanks for the info. I guess I meant that he had a reaction from giving the vaccination not necessarily from the vaccination itself although from asking around several people I know have had issues from this WN combo vs any other they have given. These boys get hauled from home so they need vaccinated, I'll just be more nervous in the future for sure and may not do the combo but seperate as I have done in the past with no issues (but will see what vet thinks is best). They are shedding like crazy so bad I wonder if the needle could have pulled hair into the area?? I do change needles and clean up the area. We've been giving shots for years and never had an issue. This will sure wake you up though!
Anyways, I'm just glad it did something instead of the huge swollen entire neck on that side. THAT had me worried. An abcsess I can deal with. He's not off feed, but doesn't want to turn his neck which is understandable. And of course I have a buyer interested in this one ...I told them what happened and that it would be best to wait to come and check him out, that and he needs front shoes. So all is good there.
Thanks again.
Did you leave the vaccine in your truck (or anywhere where it could get warm)? Most abscess reactions are either contamination or the product was left in the sun or got warm to some degree. If the horse was having a reaction to the vaccine itself, most (not all) of the time they just get stiff, swell some, run a fever, get lethargic, ect. The fact that he abscessed leads me to believe there was more to it, than just a vaccine reaction. In the future you can always give a shot of Banamine IV when you vaccinate if you are concerned with reaction. This can help ease/prevent the normal reaction symptoms (fever, stiffness, swelling, ect), but of course, won't do anything if it is a contamination/bad product reaction.
|
|
| |
|
Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-04-22 10:36 AM wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 8:52 AM Thanks for the info. I guess I meant that he had a reaction from giving the vaccination not necessarily from the vaccination itself although from asking around several people I know have had issues from this WN combo vs any other they have given. These boys get hauled from home so they need vaccinated, I'll just be more nervous in the future for sure and may not do the combo but seperate as I have done in the past with no issues (but will see what vet thinks is best). They are shedding like crazy so bad I wonder if the needle could have pulled hair into the area?? I do change needles and clean up the area. We've been giving shots for years and never had an issue. This will sure wake you up though!
Anyways, I'm just glad it did something instead of the huge swollen entire neck on that side. THAT had me worried. An abcsess I can deal with. He's not off feed, but doesn't want to turn his neck which is understandable. And of course I have a buyer interested in this one ...I told them what happened and that it would be best to wait to come and check him out, that and he needs front shoes. So all is good there.
Thanks again.
Nope, never mishandled it. I don't feel it is bad vaccine as 3 last fall never had issues and the other 5 this year never did. Just the 2 geldings did. The vet thinks maybe since they are shedding, that maybe the needle pulled a hair into the area. Either way, it sucks, but I explained the vet everything I did and he said I didn't do anything wrong. It can just happen. He did say to give these 2 particular geldings Banamine next time just in case and he even suggested trying a diff brand. This one was Ft Dodge. |
|
| |
|
Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 12:11 PM ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-04-22 10:36 AM wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 8:52 AM Thanks for the info. I guess I meant that he had a reaction from giving the vaccination not necessarily from the vaccination itself although from asking around several people I know have had issues from this WN combo vs any other they have given. These boys get hauled from home so they need vaccinated, I'll just be more nervous in the future for sure and may not do the combo but seperate as I have done in the past with no issues (but will see what vet thinks is best). They are shedding like crazy so bad I wonder if the needle could have pulled hair into the area?? I do change needles and clean up the area. We've been giving shots for years and never had an issue. This will sure wake you up though!
Anyways, I'm just glad it did something instead of the huge swollen entire neck on that side. THAT had me worried. An abcsess I can deal with. He's not off feed, but doesn't want to turn his neck which is understandable. And of course I have a buyer interested in this one ...I told them what happened and that it would be best to wait to come and check him out, that and he needs front shoes. So all is good there.
Thanks again.
Okay, sounds good. Just wanted to check... being a vet tech, you would not believe the people that leave shots in the dash of their trucks during the summer, then still use them and wonder why their horse abscessed. |
|
| |
|
Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | We are a good hour from the closest vet so we have learned to do what we can here at home. We are obviously too far to make stupid mistakes lol so we try to be extra careful. |
|
| |
|
Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 12:22 PM We are a good hour from the closest vet so we have learned to do what we can here at home. We are obviously too far to make stupid mistakes lol so we try to be extra careful.
I understand. Not to mention vaccines are not the cheapest anyomre! I wasn't implying that you left them in the truck, that is just the first thing to pop in my mind, no accusations here. Hope your boys heal soon! |
|
| |
|
 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | Which mfg and what combo? I had two horses that we did a 6 way combo with WN that both had an adverse reaction. We were at the end of our 10 dose vial of WN so I bought 2 only of the combo. |
|
| |
|
Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | TurnLane - 2014-04-22 3:48 PM Which mfg and what combo? I had two horses that we did a 6 way combo with WN that both had an adverse reaction. We were at the end of our 10 dose vial of WN so I bought 2 only of the combo.
I talked with my vet this am and he is sure it was Ft Dodge. It was WN, Tetnus and Eastern & Western Enceph. |
|
| |
|
Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-04-22 11:27 AM wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 12:22 PM We are a good hour from the closest vet so we have learned to do what we can here at home. We are obviously too far to make stupid mistakes lol so we try to be extra careful. I understand. Not to mention vaccines are not the cheapest anyomre! I wasn't implying that you left them in the truck, that is just the first thing to pop in my mind, no accusations here. Hope your boys heal soon!
I didn't think you were implying anything 
Trust me I have gone over and over the whole situation to see if I could have or should have done something different. Vet said no, it just happens.
His pocket of pus keeps coming back. Of course he has only had 1 dose of meds so far, but I was hoping it would start to look better right away. We drained it last night, again this am and I just did it again. NASTY stuff. Also putting DMSO on it. Can someone explain the best way to do a hot compress? Damp towel microwaved maybe? Any other ideas? Do I just hold it on until it cools or do a wrap?
The other gelding still has a hard knot, also about the same size as a pear, but no hair loss, soft spot or drainage yet showing that it has turned to an abscess. Hoping his continues to go down. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2457
| wyoming barrel racer - 2014-04-22 5:48 PM
TurnLane - 2014-04-22 3:48 PM Which mfg and what combo? I had two horses that we did a 6 way combo with WN that both had an adverse reaction. We were at the end of our 10 dose vial of WN so I bought 2 only of the combo.
I talked with my vet this am and he is sure it was Ft Dodge. It was WN, Tetnus and Eastern & Western Enceph.
Interesting and thanks for sharing!
This is the combo that my mare swelled up this year on. She normally swells and is crabby after vaccs so I didn't think much of it, but this year it seemed to last a bit longer .... hmmmmm.
ETA - my filly had no reaction at all with the same round/type of shots given.
Edited by lindseylou2290 2014-04-23 10:19 AM
|
|
| |
Folks on-line