urgent help please! horse reacted funny to jab!

BSJAlove

BSJAlove

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Pony had his jab yesturday morning. i was at work today so mum turned him out and brought him in. got home and she said go up yard and check on him as he was very quiet and reluctant to walk. so i rushed up there to find he hadnt touched his food and he was standing in the corner.

first thing i noticed, his neck was extended forward (not down towards the floor or up in the air). after spending an hour with him, i took his tempreture and he was normal. hes not over heating or under heated. he is happy within him self but he cant move his neck very well!!! im worried at the mo and have given him bute. i will call the vet in the morning. when i held the food up to him, he ate it all (inc bute) absolutly fine and he is nibbling his hay (which we put in the manger for him and not in his haynet so he didnt have to snatch it out)

has anyone had experiance of this? could it be an allergic reaction? because he seems okay in him self im not OVERLY worried but if you lot tell me its bad, ill be straight on the phone!
 
My yearling cob took a reaction when he had his 1st vaccination - Stiff when walking and diarrhoea. I checked his temp and it was fine. Phoned the vet and he advised he would be back to normal within 24hrs, which he was.

It could well be a possible reaction to the jab. Did your vet advise giving him bute?
 
Don't worry too much, my vet said this has been happening a lot recently (it happened to mine a few months back, and a friend's horse in the summer) They both got very stiff in their necks, but were fine in a day or two. Just make sure he can reach his hay and water easily and he should be fine :) You're wise to ring the vet though, just for piece of mind

J&C
 
Happened to a few on our yard this time last year. Mine had a raging temperature and was off her haylage, she ate her hard food. She was just really flat and took 3 days to be back to normal.
This year she had a different make and was fine :).
 
just got off the phone to the vet, she said its quite normal and so long as he has food and water that he can reach without straining his neck he will be fine tonight. if hes no better in the morning, she said call them again and they will give him the once over.

panic over - for now! :( poor boy.
 
Benson used to have this after jabs in his neck. Vet told me nothing to worry about, I put his water and feed in buckets on top of a bale of straw and he was fine within a couple of days. Might be worth mentioning it next time he is due jabs so they can do them in a different place. They ended up doing bensons in his chest.
 
BSJAlove said:
just got off the phone to the vet, she said its quite normal and so long as he has food and water that he can reach without straining his neck he will be fine tonight. if hes no better in the morning, she said call them again and they will give him the once over.

panic over - for now! :( poor boy.
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This surprised me- my weanling had a reaction to her vac (she had a large and warm lump over the injection site 24hrs after the jab, wasn't off her food, just a little quiet) rang the vets for advice and they came straight out (which I was a little :rolleyes: at, but they didn't charge me for call out!!). Was very pleased they came as she was obviously uncomfortable with it.

It will either be a reaction or an abcess. I *think* because it's happened so soon after it's likely to be a reaction, rather than an abcess.

ETA: just re-read your post, must have imagined yours had a lump too (oops!) sounds very normal- my older neds are always a little stiff through their necks after jabs! It's like us having a jab, the vaccine can make you feel 'off' afterwards.
 
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Trixie had a stiff neck as you described and was reluctant to move for a good few days after her jabs last year.

Vet came out again to see her said it was a jab reaction for sure and quite common and to put her onto bute twice a day for a few days.

Bless her she was miserable and I was worried sick but she picked up after a few days. But put food and water where he can reach it easily to encourage him to eat and drink.
 
quirky said:
Happened to a few on our yard this time last year. Mine had a raging temperature and was off her haylage, she ate her hard food. She was just really flat and took 3 days to be back to normal.
This year she had a different make and was fine :).
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Ditto this. My wee shetland had a reaction to his vaccination a couple of years ago, raised temperature, off his food and very "hangy". I had changed my vet and he was using a different make from my last vet, now I always make sure he gets the "Prevac" (sp?) make, which he's fine with.
 
just to let you all know, went up this morning and he was much better. couldnt put his head right to the floor still but hes moving it around and looking much much brighter and happier. :) i can go to work today with my mind at ease!
 
These reactions are really common. You might find some brands are better than others for this (trial and error). My horse gets a shot of flunixin at the same time as the jab as a precaution (he reacts and sometimes even with the flunixin) and I always get the jab done in the morning so if he gets unwell its in the day and I can see it and call the vet out again.
 
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