Reaction to Flu/Tet + EHV vaccine?

[brightlights]

So I'll preface by saying I have a provisional orthopedic vet appt for Wednesday and am fully treating (ice, poultice, wrap, hand walk as vet advised) this as an acute soft tissue in-stable injury, but still wondering:

Is it within the realm of possibility my mare has had a reaction from the flu/tet (neck) and EHV (chest) vaccines that's manifested as inflammation behind/in one fetlock particularly? I'm guessing she did one too many cartwheels in her stall or gave herself a whack rolling, but she also had a bit of general stiffness and what seemed like a low grade fever after vaccinations.

So: Perfectly normal on her walk out that morning, before the vet. Unfortunately very possible she reacted in her stable to the sound of quite an excitable horse trotting out for evaluation. The morning after the vet visit I saw her standing with rear against wall and leg rested. Found heat and edema in fetlock. Not huge, by any means, but noticeable. No cuts. Quite reluctant to walk out of stall or walk at all but did not appear lame, just a bit stiff behind in both legs. I iced and poulticed. This morning she appeared to have a fever (darn thermometer out of battery!)- glassy eyed and not keen to leave stall, even for feed. Swelling was down in fetlock, but still a little warm. The other hind fetlock was also a bit warmer than yesterday/usual. So I iced, went to buy a thermometer, came back to her a couple hours later, and my usual alert, happy horse greeted me. No fever and no reluctance to walk, no stiffness, normal stance in stable, and heat in fetlock more or less gone.

Could her immune reaction have revealed inflammation spots that already existed? Reading my post back, I'm thinking "It's the ice, poultice, and rest, dummy!", but the change in demeanor and abrupt return to normalcy was unusual. Maybe a reaction to vaccines and a bang?

 

[PapaverFollis]

Could be both. So she knocked her leg but also had a reaction to the vaccine?

I'd just keep an eye on the leg now and if everything else has gone I'd think that the feverish bit was the vaccine. Have you talked to your vet? I'd want a conversation about it with the vet too I think.

 

[brightlights]

Sorry, I was unclear. I didn't see her knock her leg. I can only guess that she either tweaked herself doing a spin inside the stable or hit her leg off the side when rolling. No ridden work or turnout where she could have damaged herself the few days leading up to it. Unless she injured herself in the stable it was a reaction to the vaccine, which really makes no sense. But she's walking normally now and the fever is gone, so I guess only logical explanation is an injury and a brief reaction to the vaccine

 

[TheMule]

The fetlock swelling won’t be linked to the vaccine, but the general lethargy the next morning could be

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would say a reaction would only occur on the injection site, mine has had a few nasty ones over the years.

 

[brightlights]

Thanks everyone. The simplest explanation seems to be the best. Wishful thinking on my part, maybe, as looks like she's picked up quite a knock.

 

[brightlights]

Thought I would drop back in, as our orthopedic vet thinks swelling very well could have been a reaction to the EHV vaccine. Oddly, another of the horses has developed a similarly inflamed hind fetlock. I guess it's worth nothing that both hinds on each horse had some edema with one being noticeably warmer and puffier.