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Message |
    
Jim Thacker
Neonate
Username: Jim_t
Post Number: 9
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 07:38 pm: | 
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Scenario: My mare foaled a beautiful dark bay colt on Sunday morning. I gave ivermectin within 12 hours of foaling. Vet came out on Monday checked everyone out okay except for foal having some unusually loose bowel movements. Gave both their tetnaus shots etc. I get home from work on Tues. evening and mare is sick BIG Time. She is extremely swollen and tender on the left side of her neck (side where shot was administered the previous day); mare was also very lethargic barely walking and had a temp above 102. Vet says she doesn't think its foal founder because feet don't show heat and don't seem tender.
Vet flushed the mare with iodine solution, nothing really noticable passed. Gave the mare banimine and bute and gave me antibiotics for the next 10 days. Vet says the most positive thing it could be is a reaction to the shot, other diagnosis would be much worse. This mare gets her shots every year, I'm not sure I think that is the problem.
Mare wasn't eating but was drinking. I thought she had no appetite but when I raised her grain bucket higher, she dove in and ate everything. Her neck was so sore she couldn't bear to get it down to the bucket's normal height. She seems to be moving better today but her milk production seems to be off. The foal seems to be doing okay so far and is not dropping weight and scours has disappeared.
Has anyone out there experienced a similiar problem? And, what was the diagnosis and treatment? |
TX Breeder (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 199.3.209.173
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 09:42 pm: |
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She may be developing an abscess. It can happen at the injection site. Is she hot or swollen at the injection site? The antibiotics may suppress the abscess, but expect for it to reappear when the antibiotics stop. A reaction can happen at any time that there is an invasive proceedure. A shot is such. All that is needed is for any foriegn material to be passed into the tissue. I have seen this many times.
Usually, cross contamination happens when the medication is drawn up and inadvertantly contaminates the other needles.
I would put a poultice on the area to help bring the infection to a head. Expect for the site to enlarge and become soft in the center.( within 3-5 days) When it does become softer, you can have the vet lance it at the lowest point so that it can drain. You will need to have her on antibiotics as long as it is open and draining, not before.
You will want to put vasoline under the area and down her neck so that the drainage will not take the hair off. You will need to mix a weak "tea" of Novalsan and flush into the opening every day until healed. She can be very sore until the abscess is opened. |
Rooty (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 69.196.103.102
| | Posted on Thursday, May 12, 2005 - 01:24 pm: |
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It sounds like an allergic reaction to the shot. I have a horse who reacts the same way, although luckily the time he did it badly he'd had the shot, in his case it was the rabies, in his butt. He could barely walk 48 hours after the injection and his temperature was up to 102 by the time the vet got there.
My vet tells me it isn't a reaction to the vaccine itself, but the fluid it is mixed with. It is an allergic reaction, not a contamination issue.
The treatment for my horse was an immediate IV injection of bute, followed by oral bute and hot and cold compresses. I was lucky with him to catch the problem before it actually abcessed so no antibiotics were necessary.
Now he gets an anti-inflammatory shot IV before any vaccination, even the intra-nasal ones and we haven't had any repeat problems.
Allergic reactions can start up at any time, so even though your horse may have been fine for years she may be allergic now. Mine had no problems until he was 7. |
TX Breeder (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 199.3.209.110
| | Posted on Thursday, May 12, 2005 - 02:31 pm: |
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Could be a soreness ( although she does have an elevated temp),abscess (from an assortment of causes) or allergic reaction. I would not rule out any of the above.
I only wanted to give you an idea of what to expect if it were an abscess that was developing. An abscess can develope in correlation with all of those mentioned
Rooty- Glad that all worked out for you, however,this very well could be a contamination issue. I had 5 horses sent to me for care after the injection site was abscessing from cross-contamination. Although, abscesses can happen from just introducing a foriegn body into the injection site by virtue of the needle entering the tissue.(dirt,ect.)
The vet had mixed up the intra-nasal spray and inadvertantly contaminated the syringes for the other Rhino-shots,etc. The abscesses were horrendous and were cultured for a source of infection.
For whatever reasons that a horse may react to an injection, this is why the injection site is important. I would caution against injecting high on the hip. I try to place such an injection on the backside of the buttocks where it can drain without injury to the muscle if it does happen to abscess. Many a horse has had muscle damage from an abscess that could not drain well. |
Jim Thacker
Neonate
Username: Jim_t
Post Number: 10
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 08:37 am: |
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Thanks to both of you for the info. The mare is much better now. The whole side of her neck had swollen, not just the injection site and it doesn't appear like there's going to be an abcess. She is still on antibiotics and oral bute twice daily. She is moving much better and the soreness seems to have disappeared although there is still some swelling. Her appetite has returned and from all outward appearances, the colt is getting plenty of milk. He's running all over the paddock and kicking up his heels. I think the worst is over but I'll keep watching in case an abcess occurs.
Thanks Jim |
Deena
Weanling
Username: Morganslil1
Post Number: 35
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 10:53 am: |
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Mercy Jim im sorry to hear youve had such a rough go of it what did yall name sugars colt?and wheres the pictures.Deena |
Jim Thacker
Nursing Foal
Username: Jim_t
Post Number: 11
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 02:48 pm: |
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Deena,
So far I've been so busy with the mare that I haven't had time to take pics. I'll try to do that this weekend. Right now it appears his barn name will be Roscoe (my dad's middle name; Dad so wanted to see this foal on the ground but he passed away last year). My wife and 3 children have all suggested names for his official registration. So far the one I'm leaning toward most is Peppy's Grey King. That covers his color and both sides of his pedigree. Later |
Deena
Weanling
Username: Morganslil1
Post Number: 36
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, May 13, 2005 - 08:34 pm: |
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Jim im sorry that your dad passed away Roscoe sounds like a good name.take care.Deena |
Jim Thacker
Nursing Foal
Username: Jim_t
Post Number: 12
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 08:50 am: |
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Hi all,
An update on my mare. TX Breeder, as you predicted, she is forming an abcess. It is about tennis ball sized and starting to ooze. I'm trying to get the vet out tomorrow to look at it. She is still on her antibiotics and seems to be feeling okay and the colt is growing well. I'll let you know later how things go. |
TX Breeder (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 199.3.209.169
| | Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 12:49 pm: |
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Jim- I figured that. She will feel better when all that pressure is relieved.
It happens, so do not feel as if something wasn't handled properly. Glad to her that she is doing well. You will want to pay attention to the healing process so that no sign of the abscess is left.
Novalsan mixed as a weak tea ( light blue color to the water ) and squirted up into the opening.You may want to use a catheter and cut it shorter so that you can get the Novalsan up into the area, your vet can give you one.( attached to the syringe ) Drain the abscess daily, and all should go well.
You can use Vasoline or Show Sheen to keep the drainage from scalding the hair and skin beneath the opening and down her neck.Clean that daily as well.
I would not be giving her any Bute at all. The problems far outweigh the benefits at this point.
It's always something! |
