What to Expect When Vaccinating Horses

Know the difference between minor side effects of vaccinations and those that warrant a call to your vet.
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Many owners understand that vaccinations can help protect their horses from life-threatening diseases. But vaccines can come with side effects due to the immune stimulation they need to create. Most of these effects are mild and transient, but it’s important to be able to distinguish between minor side effects and those reactions that warrant a call to your veterinarian.

“Keeping current with annual vaccinations as recommended by your veterinarian is the best way to help prevent potentially deadly equine diseases and help keep horses healthy,” says Megan Green, DVM, manager of Large Animal Veterinary Services for Merial. “Equally critical is understanding that vaccines are designed to stimulate an immune response, and since your horse is unique, his specific response may be different from other horses.”

Normal Responses

After intramuscular vaccination, it’s fairly common for horses to experience mild, temporary side effects for a few hours. Possible side effects include:

  • Local muscle soreness or swelling;
  • Fatigue;
  • Fever;
  • Loss of appetite; and
  • Lack of energy or alertness.

“Even humans experience signs like this following vaccination,” says Green. “These types of clinical signs help demonstrate that an immune response has been stimulated, which is exactly what we want the vaccine to do

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